Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag.
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If Bill Schmidt does get the full-time GM job, do you think it would benefit him by bringing in outside talent to run the scouting-and-player development departments? Feels like “everything” staying in-house would be a bad look for the club. It would be nice to see some front-office talent from organizations like Tampa, Toronto and San Diego who have quality track records come in and supplement Schmidt. I think itap a bad move to stay with Schmidt, but with the Monforts I prep myself for whatever I don’t want.
— Carson, Englewood
Carson, from the people I’ve talked to it’s clear that Schmidt has the inside track for the job. That said, owner Dick Monfort will have to conduct a search, even if it’s preordained that Schmidt gets the job. Major League Baseball requires teams to consider female or minority candidates “for all general manager, assistant general manager, field manager, director of player development and director of scouting positions.”
I talked to a former MLB GM who believes that Schmidt would do a good job if he was allowed to hire his own staff. I believe Schmidt would be given the OK to do that, but I don’t know how far he would go outside the organization to build his team.
It’s clear that the Rockies need to beef up their analytics department, but will Monfort spend the necessary money to do so?
I’m on the record as saying the Rockies should go outside the organization for their next GM and get a fresh perspective.
As for owner Dick Monfort, he really does value loyalty. In my opinion, he doesn’t want to hire from the outside because it could shake up a lot of things.
Based on the current roster, who would you like to see in the outfield next year?
— Bill, Denver
Bill, if you’re asking about the “current” 26-man roster, I could see Raimel Tapia and Connor Joe sharing time in left, although Tapia would be “the starter.” Tapia might be given a shot in centerfield, but his routes to baseball are sometimes still iffy, in my opinion.
Charlie Blackmon would stay in the right field, instead of becoming the main designated hitter. As you probably know, the National League will likely begin using the DH next season.
Yonathan Daza, Garrett Hampson and Sam Hilliard would battle it out for the fourth and fifth outfield spots.
Ideally, my center fielder would be Hilliard. I love how he plays the position, he’s got great power and excellent speed. But until he cuts down on his strikeouts by handling breaking pitches better, he’s not a full-time starter.
I admit that I’m smitten with Joe right now. But he still has a lot to prove, because he only has 142 big-league at-bats. We’ll have to see what happens when pitchers get a full “book” on him.
It’s no secret that the Rockies need to add a power hitter and that could be an outfielder.
Hi Patrick, I am so appreciative of your amazing work, especially during all the limitations you’ve had to contend with! I have been perplexed at how frequently some in the national media express exasperation that the Rockies won’t just use the “rebuild” word since the Nolan Arenado trade. I think their choice not to use that word is very appropriate, and given the quality of their starting pitching, a full sell-off and rebuild seems ill-advised. I think a couple of impact bats could go a long way, and when I read some folks saying, “The Rockies are five years away at least,” that seems incongruous with their quality of play and the talent they have. Yes, the road record is abysmal and Jeff Bridich was egregious with his communication, so I understand people’s skepticism, but do you think the call to “just say rebuild” will soften and could the Rockies obtain the pieces to rebound sooner than expected?
— John, Los Angeles
John, thanks for the compliment. First of all, the “rebuild” narrative began when Arenado said it, not once, but a couple of times. I was the reporter who asked Bridich and owner Dick Monfort if the Rockies were in “rebuild mode.” They didn’t like my question, but it was fair and timely.
But you make a valid point. A full rebuild is something that the Cubs and Nationals are going through by trading off their star players. The Rockies have lost Arenado and are going to lose Trevor Story via free agency at the end of the season, but it’s not a complete teardown. That’s just not the way the Rockies do things.
However, I disagree with your contention that the Rockies are close to contending. If the Rockies are able to beef up their lineup with some quality power hitters during this offseason, and if they could add a solid reliever or two, the timeline toward contention would speed up. But as interim GM Bill Schmidt has repeatedly said, the Rockies are a “draft and develop” franchise. In my mind, that means that playoff contention remains a few years away.
Patrick, I love Connor Joe’s play and enthusiasm for the game. Do you think he’s played himself into a starting spot for the rest of the season? And what do you think are his prospects of being a major contributor for us next year?
— Ryan, Castle Rock
Ryan, I touched on this in another question, but I’ll expand a little bit here. As I wrote in my Sunday column, Joe has been my biggest surprise of the season. You are exactly right that he brings enthusiasm to the game. He’s got a good, solid swing, too. He’s still a little rough at first base but he’s flashed some skills in the outfield.
But you have to remember that he’s had only 142 big-league at-bats, so it’s too early to tell if he’s going to be a high-impact player.
I had a fellow “pressbox wag” tell me that Joe reminds him of Ryan Spilborghs, who was a solid outfielder with the Rockies and close to a full-time player in 2009-10.
When Raimel Tapia comes off the injured list, he’s going to need playing time, but I’m sure manager Bud Black will find a way to give Joe plenty of playing time. The Rockies want to see what they’ve got.
Hi Patrick, what do you see as the future of Joshua Fuentes with the Rockies? Is his late-season stint in the minors a sincere chance to hone his batting skills and a prelude to making him the regular starter at third base in 2022, perhaps with Ryan McMahon at second and Brendan Rodgers at shortstop? Or is it an obvious sign that the Rockies are already turning to other options at third?
— Karl Yambert, Lafayette
Karl, I don’t see Fuentes as the long-term answer at third base. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a terrific fielder but he needs to improve at the plate. He slashed .228\.261\.357. I think he understands what he needs to do to get back to the majors: become a more disciplined hitter. Ideally, I think the Rockies want to see McMahon at third. Actually, some in the organization think Rodgers will be better at second rather than short, but with Trevor Story leaving, Rodgers looks destined to play short.
Will the Rockies move their spring training to the Grapefruit League or at least schedule several games down there? Such games would get the team more ready for the baseball’s markedly different movement in thick heavy air.
— Tom Peck, Erie
Tom, that’s an interesting question, but it’s never going to happen. The Rockies have invested a lot of money in their complex and stadium at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale. It’s the home base for a lot of players during the offseason.
Plus, a lot of Rockies fans make the relatively short trip to Arizona for Cactus League games. They would not be nearly as motivated to travel to Florida.
Finally, spending six weeks in Florida is not going to have a lasting impact over the course of the season once the Rockies start playing their home games at Coors Field.
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