Denver Post reporter Nick Groke looks at five key questions facing the Rockies on the eve of the 2017 season.
1. Can a young rotation survive the season?
With 25-year-old at the top, the Rockies will field one of the youngest pitching rotations in their 25-year history. The average age of their starters is 24.8. Starters for the World Series champion Cubs last year averaged 31.6. The vaunted young Mets rotation? 29.2.
Kyle Freeland, 23, and Antonio Senzatela, 22, have never pitched in the majors but are in the rotation. , 27, started just 19 games. How they react to the ocean of outfield at hitter-friendly , and the wild swing from elevation to oceanside along the West Coast, where sights change and pitches react differently, will make or break the Rockies’ season.
It could be the most-talented rotation the Rockies have fielded in several years. But, are they ready this year?
2. How improved is the bullpen, really?
The Rockies’ relief corps posted a 5.13 ERA last season — the worst in baseball — and blew 28 saves. So Colorado general manager spent some money. He added right-hander Greg Holland, an elite closer with the Royals in 2013-15 before undergoing Tommy John surgery, at $7 million. He gave left-hander Mike Dunn a three-year deal for $19 million.
On paper, the Rockies are dramatically improved. Holland will be the closer. , healthy again after Tommy John surgery in 2015, will pitch the eighth inning. Dunn and Jack McGee have late-inning experience. has closing experience and a terrific fastball. Long-reliever had a team-best 2.58 ERA in relief last year.
“It’s sort of a real bullpen,” .
3. Will Carlos Gonzalez get traded?
The sweet-swinging right fielder is the heart of personality for the Rockies. But he is in the final year of a seven-year, $80 million deal that pays more than $20 million this season. Gonzalez said he would like to stay. The Rockies, he said, have not discussed a new deal.
Gonzalez, 31, remains one of the more powerful sluggers among National League outfielders, with 25 home runs and 100 RBIs last season. His trade value, then, could put him on the trading block before the July 31 deadline. That all depends on the Rockies’ prospects at that point. Are they in contention?
If the Rockies are 12 games back in July with no hope of making the playoffs, Gonzalez would be an obvious choice to trade to a playoff-contending team.
4. Can Ian Desmond play first base?
The Rockies’ marquee winter signing arrived in Colorado on a five-year, $70 million deal to play first base. A quizzical move, since Desmond has never played first base. He was a shortstop in Washington before he converted to the outfield in Texas.
Desmond suffered a broken hand in mid-spring when he was hit by a pitch, but the Rockies expect him to return in April. They love his versatility in the middle of the lineup, where he can hit for power and contact, handle a hit-and-run and smartly move around the bases.
But what about his defense? In the Cactus League, it was a work in progress.
5. Can the core players — , and — carry them?
proved an up-and-coming, home run-hitting shortstop as a rookie last year. And Gonzalez and Desmond are dangerous hitters. But the backbone of the Rockies remains at third base (Arenado), second base (LeMahieu) and center field (Blackmon). Between them there are five Gold Glove awards, four all-star nods, three Silver Sluggers and a batting title.
The trio led the team by Wins Above Replacement last season, a measure of overall value, combining for a 16.1 WAR according to Baseball Reference. As a leadoff hitter, Blackmon has evolved into a legitimate power threat, with 29 home runs last year. Arenado hit an NL-best 41 homers. LeMahieu’s .348 average was the best in the majors.
Their predictable reliability belies their real threat. They carry the Rockies.
