Michael McKenry leads the Rockies in sincerity. He’s as straightforward as his position — and the Colorado catcher can see everything play out.
McKenry, who in August, knows the Rockies’ depth chart is now jammed with catchers. And he knows the team is headed toward a second-consecutive last place finish.
And he wants very much to return to the Rockies next year.
“I’ll be somewhere playing,” McKenry said. “But I hope it’s here. I want to see this through.”
The Rockies’ backup catcher the past two seasons, McKenry hit .315 behind Wilin Rosario in 2014 and .205 this year behind Nick Hundley. But his numbers otherwise are remarkably consistent.
The Rockies signed McKenry to a minor-league contract before 2014 after he was cut by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He gave Colorado a defensive leader behind the plate. And young Rockies pitchers grew to enjoy working with his game-calling.
McKenry, though, isn’t sentimental about wanting to play for the Rockies next season. He wants to win.
“This team has a good, core group,” McKenry said. “We can be good.”
McKenry will enter his third-year of arbitration. He earned a below-scale raise last offseason to make just more than $1 million this year.
But McKenry doesn’t have any more minor-league options. So if McKenry returns to the Rockies, it’s big leagues or bust.
“I like the idea of going all in,” he said.
McKenry is likely on the bubble for the Rockies next season. They may release him before arbitration — the deadline to non-tender a player is Dec. 2.
But it’s possible the Rockies may bring McKenry, Hundley and rookies Tom Murphy and Dustin Garneau, into spring training and let them sort it out.
Nick Groke: ngroke@denverpost.com or @nickgroke
