SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Random observations and opinions from the desert:
• Lefty Tyler Matzek is maturing with every start and looks like the Rockies’ second-best pitcher right now, behind Jorge De La Rosa. If Matzek can harness his changeup, he’ll be a very good pitcher in the near future.
• Catcher Wilin Rosario has been serviceable as a backup first baseman thus far, though he hasn’t had to handle many tough plays in a Cactus League game yet. Rosario swings such a big bat, the Rockies will find a place for him, which means that Michael McKenry is probably the odd man out. Don’t be surprised if McKenry is traded near the end of spring training.
• Corey Dickerson can hit, anywhere and anytime. By various turns, manager Walt Weiss has said:
“He could roll out of bed and hit on Christmas morning.”
“He could hit under water.”
“He could hit in his sleep.”
In other words, Dickerson is a natural-born hitter. (Hey, Walt, I kid because I care.)
• Of all the Rockies’ incumbent starters, I’m the most concerned about Jhoulys Chacin. He’s throwing his fastball at just 86-88 mph. The Rockies say he’s simply working his way back from last summer’s shoulder injury, but I’m not convinced. We’ll see how the rest of spring goes for him.
• Quote of the spring: “Sometimes I show up at 6 in the morning, and the guy’s already here. I guess I’m going to have to bring a blanket and sleep on the couch to beat him.” — Carlos Gonzalez, talking about his enhanced work ethic, while acknowledging that nobody works harder than Troy Tulowitzki
• Speaking of Tulo, he looks healthy and is in a good place, but he knows that he’ll be shadowed by trade rumors, especially if the Rockies slip below .500 early in the season.
“I know if we don’t win, there’s a possibility those rumors will come back,” he told me. “Hopefully they don’t, and we take care of business here. If we don’t, then I’ll deal with those questions when they come up.”
• I had a big-league scout tell me that he thinks first baseman Justin Morneau, the defending National League batting champion, is in for another big year.
“Last year was huge for him,” the scout said. “I think he’s well past all of those concussion issues. His bat speed looks terrific. He’s still a very good player. “
Morneau, in the last year of his contract, is another player who will be on the trading block if the Rockies are noncontenders by late July.
• I’m very impressed with catching prospect Tom Murphy, and so is the Rockies’ brass. Stocky and tough, he certainly looks the part. He’s coming back from a rotator cuff injury, so that’s a red flag, but he’s a player to keep an eye on.
He was reassigned to minor-league camp Saturday, but Weiss continued to talk him up.
“His arm looks outstanding,” Weiss said. “It’s a shutdown arm behind the plate.”
• The national media are beginning to pay attention to third baseman Nolan Arenado. The writers who parachute into Rockies camp — though there haven’t been very many — make a beeline for Tulo and CarGo. But then they end up talking to Arenado. He has star power, on the field and off.
• My dark-horse candidate to have a positive impact in the bullpen is right-hander Brooks Brown. He throws hard with a nice mixture of off-speed pitches. Plus, he’s very cool on the mound.
• I arrived in the desert thinking the Rockies were looking at another 90-loss season. I hope I haven’t been seduced by spring training optimism, but now I’m thinking a 75-win season is realistic.
Patrick Saunders: psaunders @denverpost.com or psaundersdp
