In a mere 36 days, Rockies pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report to spring training in Tucson.
Priority No. 1 will be to establish a starting rotation. Barring an unforeseen occurrence, such as the unlikely signing of Tim Redding, here is the stable of potential starters: Aaron Cook, Jeff Francis, Ubaldo Jimenez, Jason Marquis, Jorge De La Rosa, Greg Smith, Jason Hirsh, Greg Reynolds and Franklin Morales.
No matter how you mix and match this crew, it will never be mistaken for the 1998 Braves featuring Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz. However, the Rockies have gone to Tucson with a lot less talent (think 2008), so there is reason for optimism. At the very least, the Rockies have enough depth to create sizzling competition this spring.
Here is my prediction of who will win the five spots in the rotation:
1. Cook — He won 16 games and became an all-star in 2008, but he faltered a bit in August and September. He’s Colorado’s ace, but he has to become much more consistent to approach the true ace status of fellow sinkerballer Brandon Webb of Arizona.
2. Jimenez — The Rockies are still contemplating a long-term contract for the lanky right-handed flame-thrower, with good reason. No homegrown Rockies pitcher has ever possessed such potent stuff. Yes, he’s still raw and tends to throw too hard at crunch time, but he’s got star potential.
3. Francis — For the Rockies to contend this year, Francis’ left shoulder must be 100 percent. He needs to get healthy to regain his confidence. After going 17-9 in 2007, he went 4-10 in ’08, and rarely looked like the same pitcher. Colorado desperately needs him to return to form.
4. Marquis — The Rockies didn’t trade for the veteran right-hander, and isn’t paying him $9 million, for him to sit. Think of Marquis as a more talented version of Josh Fogg circa 2007. Marquis is a battler with a good sinker who eats up innings. That’s not to say the former Cub won’t be an adventure.
5. De La Rosa — A tough choice here between De La Rosa, the mercurial lefty, and Smith, the lefty picked up in the Matt Holliday trade with Oakland. However, the tail end of De La Rosa’s 2008 season left mouths watering. De La Rosa went 2-1 with a 2.22 ERA in August and 3-1 with a 2.67 ERA in September. He’ll be one of the most intriguing stories of spring.
