Certain conversations stick with you.
Case in point: the discussion I had with a Rockies player way back in February.
“You know, I look around this clubhouse and I think we could be a pretty good team,” the veteran told me before the Rockies’ first official workout of spring training at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Ariz. “But I’m worried about the bullpen. It has got to get better.”
Six months later, worry has become depressing reality.
Once again, Rockies relievers are the worst in baseball. Once again, the bullpen is issuing too many walks (159, most in the National League), giving up too many home runs (40, second most) and sucking the life out of the team.
There are plenty of things wrong with the Rockies. The sometimes potent but often inconsistent offense has a .284 on-base percentage on the road, easily the worst in the NL. The rotation is woeful, but at least the starters pitched well enough over the past week to give the Rockies a chance to win. But then, manager Walt Weiss handed the ball over to the relievers, and the roof caved in. Colorado’s 4.76 ERA is not only the worst in the majors, it’s more than twice as high as the St. Louis Cardinals’ 2.26 ERA.
I know that losing promising closer Adam Ottavino to Tommy John surgery in May was a big blow, but Colorado’s inability to find — or develop — effective relief pitchers, year after year, is maddening.
Veteran Rafael Betancourt is a true pro and a warrior, but he owns a 5.94 ERA and has no business pitching late in games because he can’t finish off hitters.
John Axford, Ottavino’s replacement, pitched very well for a while, but now he also has imploded. Now we understand why Axford arrived at spring training without a major-league contract.
Left-hander Boone Logan — in the second year of a $16.5 million contract — is back on the disabled list with elbow problems. He has a 4.75 ERA in 48 appearances, but Friday he refused to blame his poor numbers on elbow soreness.
Weiss defended Logan, saying he’s done well against left-handed batters (.241 average, 1.20 ERA). But the truth is, when the Rockies signed Logan for big bucks — it was former assistant GM Bill Geivett’s idea — Logan was supposed to be a late-inning reliever against both right-handed and left-handed batters. Clearly, he’s nothing more than a lefty specialist, having thrown less than one inning in 21 of his last 22 appearances. His ERA vs. right-handed batters is 8.22.
Prior to spring training, Weiss told me: “I think we have accumulated some depth and some power in the bullpen, which I think we needed to do. I feel like we made a lot of headway. But, you know, your guess is always good in February.”
Weiss continues to express faith in the futures of Scott Oberg (6.05 ERA), Justin Miller (3.31), Tommy Kahnle (3.38) and others, but they have proven nothing.
Right-handers Miguel Castro and Jesus Tinoco, hard-throwing prospects acquired in the Troy Tulowitzki trade with Toronto, are part of the equation. So is Ottavino, but he might not return to form until late next season.
If I were general manager Jeff Bridich, I would tell owner Dick Monfort that it’s past time to spend the money or make the trades necessary to fix the Rockies’ chronic problem.
Patrick Saunders: psaunders@denverpost.com or twitter.com/psaundersdp
Spotlight on …
Bryce Harper, right field, Nationals
What’s up: While the Nationals have been one of baseball’s most disappointing teams, Harper has been sensational. The 22-year-old hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs Friday night in a loss at San Francisco, becoming the 26th player to hit at least 30 home runs in a season at 22 or younger. The Nationals begin a three-game series at Coors Field on Tuesday.
Background: Harper, with a .332 average, 30 homers, 73 RBIs, 1.102 OPS and a 7.0 WAR is the odds-on favorite to win the National League MVP race. Strangely enough, Harper has never put on a show in LoDo. In seven games (six starts) at Coors Field, he has hit just .259 with one home run in 27 at-bats. It could be very different this week.
Saunders’ take: Harper vs. the Angels’ Mike Trout. Given their ages and their talents, the comparisons are inevitable. Even Vin Scully, the Dodgers’ legendary broadcaster, measures one against the other. During his broadcast of the series finale between the Dodgers and Nationals on Wednesday, Scully called Harper “the Mike Trout of the National League. … However, the big difference is with his relationship with the press. Mike Trout, of course, is everybody’s friend.” Trout has also been the better ballplayer over the last four seasons. According to ‘s WAR metric, Trout is by far the more impactful player: 35.2 to 17. But Harper is having the best season of his young career — and his best is yet to come.
