SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. —
As he gazed 50 feet across the Rockies’ clubhouse to the spot where young pitchers Jon Gray and Eddie Butler sat side by side, connected at the hip like hope and optimism, veteran outfielder Carlos Gonzalez revealed a daydream of how Colorado could shock the baseball world and make a run at the National League playoffs.
“I think we do have some pitching talent here, especially in that little corner over there, with that Gray guy and Butler and Tyler Matzek. Those guys can be really good pitchers at this level. But they have to do it soon. We’re expecting them to show up tomorrow and be that guy,” Gonzalez told me Monday. “I’m counting on them like the fans are. I’m a fan from here, where I sit. C’mon. Let’s go!”
Fewer than 24 hours earlier, the Rockies made their first eyebrow-raising news of a sleepy spring training for a baseball franchise that’s often easy to ignore when Colorado cut ties with veteran pitcher Jhoulys Chacin, who won 38 games over six seasons with the franchise.
For Colorado, dumping Chacin was a revolutionary move.
The Rockies have forever valued loyalty over production, stubbornly holding on to prospects way too long or making delusional demands for homegrown players in trade talks.
So sit down in a comfy chair and contemplate this harsh baseball decision: New general manager Jeff Bridich paid Chacin $1.35 million not to pitch for the team.
Cynics, maybe even some within the Colorado clubhouse, might suggest the Rockies cut Chacin instead of patiently waiting for the 27-year-old veteran to regain his fastball velocity. Why? Kicking Chacin off the team in spring training allowed the Rockies to avoid paying the bulk of the money on his $5.5 million salary, a tidy savings of more than $4 million.
Are the Rockies cheap, or serious about winning?
There is one simple way to rebut the cynical answer.
Give Gray a spot in the starting rotation his excellent work in Cactus League competition has merited. Not quite two years after the Rockies selected him with the third selection in the draft, is Gray ready?
“The telltale sign for me is a guy that shows the capability of controlling his environment when he’s on the mound and when he’s not on the mound,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss explained. “Is he in control of what’s going on? Can he command the game? Can he command the situation? Is he able to slow the game down in the middle of a tough inning?”
With opportunity staring him in the face, the 23-year-old Gray demonstrated rock-solid composure during a start against Milwaukee on Monday, throwing four shutout innings, striking out two, walking nobody and touching 97 mph on the radar gun.
Yes, the Rockies have other options, notably David Hale, to replace Chacin in the starting rotation. But Gray is no dummy, realizing there’s a job for the taking. “It’s something I’ve thought about, but I didn’t let it eat me up,” he said.
Would the Rockies send Gray down to the minor leagues, not only for more seasoning in Triple-A, but as an economic decision to delay the start of his clock ticking toward free agency five years down the road? That is a move Colorado makes only if the franchise doesn’t give a hoot about Gonzalez and shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, whose window of opportunity to bring the playoffs back to Coors Field is quickly closing.
Tulo and CarGo do not care if Gray is under contractual control by the Rockies in 2020. Gonzalez and Tulowitzki want to win now. Or else. Or else what? They will be gone from Colorado in trade, whether it’s a trade demanded by a frustrated star or a move dictated by yet another rebuilding project.
Colorado showed guts in releasing Chacin. Doing the right thing is not always easy. “It is a risk,” Weiss said. “We’ve cut ties with a major-league pitcher. There’s a risk in that.”
Now we will find out if the Rockies have the nerve to double down on their bet by giving Gray a spot in the starting rotation.
If Colorado is truly playing to win in the tough NL West, let Gray take the mound as the starting pitcher in the home opener at Coors Field on April 10.
On the other hand, if the Rockies are not serious about winning in 2015? Buy a beer on the party deck, toast Tulo and CarGo, then kiss them goodbye.
Mark Kiszla: mkiszla@denverpost.com or
