Dissecting the Rockies’ 96-loss season reveals all sorts of maladies, so it’s difficult to single out the one weakness that did the most damage. But it’s not hard to find the one thing that cut the heart out of the team the most often.
The bullpen.
Time and time again, possible victories slipped away in the late innings.
The Rockies finished with the National League’s highest bullpen ERA (4.84) and opponents’ batting average (.276). Their relievers pitched the second-most innings (525 ) in the NL and the third-most in baseball.
A heavy workload — stemming from the failures of an injury- riddled rotation that tied a Rockies record by using 15 starters — was part of the reason for the bullpen’s meltdown. But it wasn’t the only reason.
Murphy’s Law ruled the relief corps. The prime examples:
• Left-hander Rex Brothers, the supposed closer of the future, had a nightmarish season. His mechanics were off kilter, and he lost his confidence. He finished with a 5.59 ERA. That was after a 2013 season in which he posted a 1.74 ERA.
• Left-hander Boone Logan, signed as a free agent to a three-year, $16.5 million contract despite having a history of injuries, never was healthy. Three of his four stints on the disabled list were because of his aching left elbow. He finished 2-3, with a 6.84 ERA.
• Right-hander Matt Belisle (4.87 ERA), once upon a time the bullpen workhorse, was counted on to be effective in the seventh and eighth innings. By the end of the season, he was pulling mop-up duty.
There were success stories. Right-hander Adam Ottavino (1-4, 3.31 ERA) fought through a mid-season slump to emerge as the Rockies’ best setup man. By the end of the season, his fastball was touching 98 mph — the perfect complement to his nasty slider.
Right-hander Tommy Kahnle (2-1, 4.19 ERA), acquired in the Rule 5 draft, was inconsistent but flashed promise.
Right-hander LaTroy Hawkins, at age 41, though not overpowering, was a relatively effective closer (23 saves in 26 opportunities).
History has shown that for the Rockies to have any chance to compete, their bullpen must be good. In the 2007 World Series season, for example, the Rockies posted a 3.85 ERA, the best in franchise history. The bullpen for the 2009 playoff team didn’t fare as well (4.49 ERA), but it improved dramatically in the second half of the season when the Rockies made their run to the playoffs.
An optimist can look at 2015 and see a sliver of hope. If stars Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez can stay healthy — a big if — the lineup has a chance to be formidable. Left-handers Jorge De La Rosa and Tyler Matzek, along with right-hander Jordan Lyles, give the starting rotation a decent base from which to build.
But questions hover over the bullpen like a dark cloud. Hawkins said he wants to return, but will the Rockies pick up his contract option? Is he really a closer for a contending team?
Manager Walt Weiss continues to say Brothers has the stuff to be an elite reliever, but he has to prove it.
Will Logan’s elbow finally heal and allow him to be a late-inning shutdown guy? Or will he turn out to be one of the Rockies’ worst free-agent acquisitions? Will former starter Juan Nicasio find a home in the bullpen? Or will he remain a home run waiting to happen? In Kahnle, Christian Fried- rich, Brooks Brown and Yohan Flande, there is some intriguing talent, but it’s largely unproven.
The bottom line: The Rockies need a huge upgrade in their bullpen for 2015, and they will have to go outside the franchise to find much of that talent.
Patrick Saunders: psaunders@denverpost.com or
