In splitting a four-game series against the Dodgers, the Rockies snapped a 10-game losing streak against their Los Angeles bullies.

As happy as that made the Rockies’ interim manager, that wasn’t what left Schaeffer positively buoyant. Rather, it was seeing the offense Schaeffer envisioned produce more unselfish at-bats, fewer strikeouts and aggression on the basepaths.

Home runs are great, of course, but Schaeffer doesn’t view them as a be-all, end-all. He wants an offense that not only dominates at Coors Field, but also gives the Rockies a fighting chance on the road.

“I couldn’t care less about that, to be honest,” Schaeffer said when asked about his players’ home run swings after shortstop Ezequiel Tovar went deep in Monday night’s series-opening win. “I care about guys who put the ball in play on a highly consistent basis. That plays in this yard.”

In that game, Colorado beat L.A., 4-3, on rookie first baseman Warming Bernabel’s hard-hit, walk-off groundball single to center.

Two days later, the Rockies dominated the Dodgers, ripping off 16 hits and knocking superstar Shohei Ohtani out of the game after four innings en route to an 8-3 victory. In the fourth inning, the Rockies smacked five consecutive hits off Ohtani.

It was a distillation of the approach Schaeffer wants to see every night at 20th and Blake.

“We had a good plan against (Ohtani) and we executed our plan throughout the game,” he said. “He went soft a lot, and it seems like the boys didn’t spit on the balls outside the zone. We kept him in the zone.

“They took the ball the other way, took what was given to them. That’s been a huge key for us. Taking the ball the other way and not trying to yank everything like we were doing earlier in the year.”

Schaeffer’s future in Colorado is uncertain. While the Rockies (37-91 entering the weekend) are no longer tracking toward setting the record for most losses in a season, they will undoubtedly lose 100 games for a third straight year. There is no guarantee Schaeffer will return, especially if the Rockies shake up their front office.

Colorado’s starting pitching is a mess with a 6.60 ERA and a .317 batting average against. A cleanup looks far away. But Schaeffer’s Colorado blueprint is clear, and he sees the Milwaukee Brewers as his template. The Brewers, with the 23rd-highest payroll in the game, entered the weekend with a major league-best 80-48 record.

“I like the way the Brewers play the game,” Schaeffer said.

There’s a lot to like. The Brewers are among the leaders in average (.258, second), stolen bases (138, second), and on-base percentage (.332, third). Their 20.5% strikeout rate is the fifth-lowest, and their 3.48 walks per game ranks fourth.

The Rockies have had several identities over the years, most famously the Blake Street Bombers. The 1996 Bombers remain the only team in major league history to hit 200 or more home runs (221) and steal 200 or more bases (201) in the same season. The 2018 Rockies, the last team to make the playoffs, batted .256, hit 210 homers and stole 95 bases.

Walt Weiss, who played shortstop for the Rockies from 1994-97 and managed the club from 2013-16, likes Schaeffer’s vision, but notes that it’s not unique in Rockies history.

“My thought, when I managed there, was that I wanted to overwhelm teams at Coors Field,” said Weiss, who’s served as the Atlanta Braves’ bench coach since 2018. “I wanted to be a multi-dimensional offense, and I wanted to push the tempo all of the time.

“I tried to make Coors Field the biggest home-field advantage in baseball. I always said that. The Rockies need to capitalize on that.”

Hall of Fame outfielder Larry Walker, a member of the Blake Street Bombers, says the key for the Rockies must be developing hitters in the farm system.

“You just can’t go out and purchase or (spend) a ton of money on players, or trade off a lot, because then you are left dry,” Walker said last September when he was in Denver to celebrate Coors Field’s 30th anniversary. “So the farm system needs to be built up a little bit to have that pool of young players that you can call up.

“I think, perhaps, they are running a little bit thin right now in that department. That����ap a process that����ap got to start. It doesn’t happen over a couple of years. It����ap going to take some time.”

Of course, now the question becomes, do the Rockies keep loading up on big, strong power hitters like first baseman Michael Toglia — a first-round pick in 2019 who was demoted to Triple-A Albuquerque because of his exorbitant 38.3% strikeout rate? Or like Charlie Condon, who’s slashing .258/.370/.469 with six homers in 36 games since his promotion to Double-A Hartford?

Or will the Rockies buy into Schaeffer’s vision of drafting and developing faster, athletic, put-the-ball-in-play players?

“A lot of how you play is based on your personnel, of course,” Weiss said. “You can’t put a square peg in a round hole, so you have to have the right personnel to play the type of game that the Brewers do.”

Dan O’Dowd, Colorado’s general manager from September 1999 through the 2014 season, says the Rockies need to find the right combination of on-base guys and power hitters.

“Very simply, they have to have guys that can hit and hit with at least average power at every position on the field, with a few aircraft carriers mixed in that can absolutely mash,” said O’Dowd, an analyst for MLB Network. “We were the Brewers in 2000, and a lack of power got us.”

The 2000 Rockies finished 82-80, and their non-pitchers hit .304. But Hall of Fame first baseman Todd Helton was the only real masher on the team. Helton hit 42 homers, while right fielder Jeffery Hammond was a distant second with 20.

Earlier this season, the Rockies were a disaster, and their offense had no identity, save for its ability to pile up strikeouts.

Through their first 18 games, they hit .209, led majors with a 29.6 strikeout percentage, ranked 27th with a 7.3 walk percentage, and were tied for 29th with 12 home runs. During a three-game series at San Diego from April 11-13, they were shut out in three consecutive games for the first time in franchise history. Colorado managed just nine hits (12 baserunners), the fewest in any three-game series.

Last season, the Rockies struck out a team record 1,617 times, the most in franchise history and the third-most in major league history. Clint Hurdle made it a priority to cut down on the Ks when he was brought back into the fold in April.

“It can’t be an elephant in the room that we aren’t going to talk about,” Hurdle said early this season. He was named the hitting coach after the team fired Hensley Meulens three weeks into the season, and then became the bench coach when Bud Black was fired and replaced by Schaeffer.

“Bottom line, I don’t think there is enough angst in the game about striking out,” Hurdle said. “I see it in our men, as a group. If you punch out 12 times in a game, you have watched the pitcher and catcher play catch in front of your dugout for four innings. Now you’re asking yourself to beat the other team with five innings of offensive baseball.”

The Rockies have improved their approach, albeit slowly. By the All-Star break, the team was slashing .230/.291/.378 with a 26.5% strikeout rate. Still bad, but better. Moreover, players started buying into Hurdle’s preaching and Schaeffer’s preferred style of play.

“When the second half came, we had a meeting and we said, ‘Hey, let’s flush the first half,’ ” said outfielder and leadoff hitter Tyler Freeman. “We said, ‘We’re not going to give at-bats away. The record may not show it yet, but we’re getting better, we’re really getting gritty.’ ”

Since the All-Star break, Colorado slashed .273/.320/.451 with a 21.5% K rate going into a weekend series at Pittsburgh. Schaeffer said the drop in strikeouts is the result of personnel changes and a better approach at the plate.

“It’s a combination of both,” he said. “Because we have certain guys up here now. You have (rookie) Kyle Karros at third and Bernable at first, and both of their biggest strengths are putting the ball in play. And they are replacing ‘Mac’ (Ryan McMahon traded to the Yankees), who’s a great player but a high strikeout guy (31.0%), and Toglia, who’s a high strikeout guy. Naturally, those strikeout rates are going to go down.

“But, yes, our approach has gotten better. It’s a testament to the work of our hitting coaches (Jordan Pacheco and Nic Wilson). The boys love working together with those guys. When there is a good collaboration going on, the sky’s the limit.”

Freeman is Schaeffer’s philosophy personified. He entered the weekend hitting .297 with a .372 on-base percentage. True, he’d hit just two homers, but his strikeout rate was a minuscule 9.6%.

Last year with Cleveland, he moved to center field but batted .209 in 118 games in a season shortened by a left oblique injury. He was in line for the Guardians’ starting second base job before the Rockies acquired him for outfielder Nolan Jones in spring training.

“My mentality coming into this year was getting back to who I am,” he said, admitting that he’d previously fallen into the trap of swinging for the fences. “I wanted to concentrate on doing the smaller things — bunting, stealing bases, little things like that, not worrying about the long ball. Coming over here with a fresh start was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. I found myself again.”

Freeman won’t have the All-Star impact that Charlie Blackmon did in 2017 when Blackmon won a batting title with a .331 average, 37 homers and 14 triples, mainly from the leadoff spot. But Schaeffer believes Freeman is the type of player the Rockies need to set the table.

“I love the way Tyler Freeman plays baseball,” Schaeffer said. “I love the way he puts the ball in play and battles, and uses the big part of Coors. There’s a lot of space out there for balls to drop in and go first to third. He plays that game well. He runs well.”

Schaeffer understands that in-the-gap triples, bloop doubles and soft singles are part of baseball in LoDo. He just wants to do it better than the opposition.

“You see it all the time here,” he said. “Our pitchers give up those hits because other teams put the ball in play. That’s what we need to do in our own ballpark — only better than the other guys. And, I think a big bonus for us is that that style plays on the road.”

When Schaeffer replaced Black on May 11, he already had his vision in mind.

“Since Day 1, since I stepped into this job, that����ap one of the things I’ve been preaching,” Schaeffer said. “For me, you just have to keep preaching it, and then see some good results on the field.

“It����ap part of our game now, and we can beat teams and score runs in different ways now, as opposed to just going station to station and trying to hit a home run. That����ap tough to do at this level.”

Turning it around

The Rockies began the season with the worst offense in the majors. Since then, the team has steadily increased its output. Following is a month-by-month look at the Rockies’ offense:

* Statistics through Aug. 21.

The Rockies’ rookie first baseman was named the National League Player of the Week on Monday. That’s a pretty big deal. The fact that Bernabel won the award for his very first week in the majors makes it a huge deal.

“I (thought) I could (succeed) as a player, but to do that in the first week, I think anyone can say that’s very surprising,” the 23-year-old Bernabel said.

Boston shortstop Trevor Story, the former Rockies All-Star, was named American League Player of the Week.

Bernabel, who made his debut on July 26, slashed .462/.462/.923 (12 for 26) with two homers, four doubles, a triple and seven RBIs over six games. The Dominican Republic native tied for the major league lead in extra-base hits (seven) and total bases (24); ranked second in slugging; tied for second in hits and doubles; and ranked third in OPS (1.385).

“It’s incredible, it’s special,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “That’s what every kid dreams of, to go out there and make a contribution and get accolades for it. It’s his first week in the big leagues, and he’s done everything to deserve it. I’m just happy for him. I know the boys are happy for him.”

In Colorado’s wild, 17-16 win over Pittsburgh on Friday night at Coors Field, Bernabel had a career-high four hits, drove in four runs, scored two runs, and fell a double short of hitting for the cycle. He became the second-youngest player in franchise history with four hits and four RBIs in a single game, trailing shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, who had four hits and four RBIs on June 8 last season at St. Louis.

Bernabel is the first Rockie to win the award since center fielder Brenton Doyle won last July. Bernabel is Colorado’s first rookie to win since Nolan Jones on Oct. 2, 2023.

Good news for Halvorsen. Closer Seth Halvorsen was all smiles in the clubhouse before the Rockies hosted Toronto at Coors Field Monday night. The right-hander had just received the results of an MRI on his right elbow, and the news was relatively good.

“All I can say right now is that I got encouraging comments,” said the 25-year-old Halvorsen, who had Tommy John surgery in 2019 after making four relief appearances as a freshman at Missouri.

Schaeffer was more specific about Halvorsen’s injury, saying that the hard-throwing right-hander “doesn’t necessarily need surgery.”

“It’s a mild flexor strain, which is a good report from an MRI,” Schaeffer said. “There is a chance he can pitch again this year. But he’s down for a little bit. I asked Doogie (head trainer Keith Dugger) if Seth would pitch again this year, and he said yes.”

Halvorsen abruptly left Colorado’s game against Pittsburgh on Saturday night after throwing just five pitches in the ninth inning. Halvorsen, whose fastball hit 103 mph earlier this season, is 1-2 with a 4.99 ERA over 39 2/3 innings this season. He’s struck out 36 and walked 21. He has 11 saves in 14 opportunities.

K-Free bumped. Lefty starter Kyle Freeland was initially scheduled to start Tuesday night against the Blue Jays, but his start was bumped back to Wednesday because he’s still dealing with a nasty head cold or possibly a sinus infection. Freeland’s illness limited him to three innings in Colorado’s 5-0 loss to the Guardians in Cleveland on Wednesday.

Right-hander Anthony Molina, currently pitching at Triple-A Albuquerque, is now scheduled to start Tuesday night’s game. Molina is 4-5 with a 6.59 ERA in 15 starts for the Isotopes.

Freeland is hopeful he’ll be near full strength by Wednesday.

“The virus, infection, whatever it is, got me good,” he said Monday. “I’m still a little short of breath. It’s kind of tough to get a deep breath, and I’m still trying to clear stuff out of my head, with the mucus and everything. But every day is better.”

Freeman, dealt from the Guardians to the Rockies for Nolan Jones in March, came up clutch in his return to Progressive Field in Monday’s series opener. The designated hitter had two hits and three RBIs, including the game-winning single in the top of the ninth as the Rockies put up four in the frame for an 8-6 comeback win.

“They were the enemy today, and it was fun putting it to them,” Freeman told Rockies TV.

The rally, punctuated by Freeman’s first career go-ahead RBI in the ninth inning or later, erased a disastrous seventh inning in which the Rockies turned a 3-0 lead into a 5-3 deficit in a matter of 15 minutes.

“That was a big-time character win for the boys,” interim manager Warren Schaeffer told reporters. “To be down 3-0, then go down 5-3, and then keep going those last two innings with some really good at-bats, with some small-ball getting the job done — that’s a huge character win.”

Prior to the Rockies’ rise from the canvas, starter Bradley Blalock put the club in a great position with a career-best outing. The right-hander threw six shutout innings, with seven strikeouts.

And beyond Freeman, rookie Warming Bernabel and catcher Hunter Goodman each had a homer and a double. Those two hitters underscored how the Rockies’ offense, which has consistently wilted in clutch moments this season, did the opposite on Monday.

After a two-and-a-half-hour rain delay pushed the game back, Blalock took the mound and delivered. He scattered six hits and had zero walks, while the Rockies offense did its part early to give him some cushion.

“I saw him commanding the ball, and I saw his changeup being really good tonight and being a difference-maker against a left-handed (dominant) lineup,” Schaeffer said.

Freeman, who entered the game ranked fourth in the majors in average at .302 among players with at least 200 plate appearances, continued his consistent season by driving in the Rockies’ first two runs. Freeman hit a sacrifice fly off Slade Cecconi in the third, then singled home another run in the fifth for a 2-0 Rockies advantage.

Then in the sixth, Bernabel took Cecconi deep 386 feet to left field. Bernabel, who debuted on Saturday in Baltimore, became the fifth Rockies player ever with two or more homers in his first three MLB games.

But the Rockies watched that 3-0 lead go up in smoke in the seventh.

Jake Bird, one of the best relievers in baseball through June, continued his recent fall-off. Bird ballooned his July ERA to 19.91 in nine games by walking two batters, then giving up a pinch-hit homer to Josh Naylor and another single before being pulled. The Guardians plated two more runs off Vodnik before he finally got the Rockies out of the jam.

But just when it appeared that Colorado was headed toward another letdown loss, the offense roared back.

Goodman hit his 19th homer of the season in the eighth off Hunter Gaddis, cutting the deficit to 5-4. Then came the fireworks in the final frame as the Rockies batted around to win the game. Cleveland was without its closer, Emmanuel Clase, who was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave earlier in the day as part of

The red-hot Bernabel started the frame against Cade Smith with a ground-rule double to left. The next pitch, Brenton Doyle laid down a sacrifice punt that Smith threw away down the right-field line, scoring Bernabel. After Smith drilled Kyle Farmer, Freeman delivered an RBI single to right that swung the lead back to Colorado, 6-5.

Freeman was pumped up going back into the dugout after the hit, doling out aggressive high-fives and hyping up his teammates with some yelling.

“We didn’t quit, and we kept picking each other up,” Freeman said.

Freeman’s knock ended Smith’s night, but not the damage. With Tim Herrin in, the Rockies added on with Mikey Moniak’s sacrifice fly and then Goodman’s RBI double to make it 8-5. Seth Halvorsen finished the game off with the save, yielding an RBI single to Jones before striking out Brayan Rocchio to end it.

Colorado improved to 28-78 with one of its better victories in a historically futile season. The Rockies are on pace for 120 losses, one short of the modern-day loss record of 121 set by last year’s White Sox.

The Freeman-Jones Trade

Comparing how Tyler Freeman and Nolan Jones have performed this season following the one-for-one trade in March. All stats are entering the game on Monday.

Tyler Freeman: .302 average, .386 on-base percentage, .788 OPS, 1 homer, -0.5 bWAR, 61 games

Nolan Jones: .217 average, .308 on-base percentage, .615 OPS, 3 homers, -0.8 bWAR, 95 games

Keeler: The Rockies need to give the Yankees the Bird. As in right-handed reliever Jake Bird, whose torrid opening nine weeks — 1.67 ERA from opening day through June 1— have rival teams curious if he can repeat it for the stretch run. Bird’s turning 30 in December, and his sweeper-sinker-curve mix, according to StatCast, this season. If you can miss bats at Coors, you can miss bats anywhere. The Yanks allegedly like guys with effective sweepers. You’ve already scouted their farm system in getting RyMac to the Bronx, and Bird is the kind of arm that usually brings back a low-minors lottery ticket on the pitching side. Let’s get scratching.

Renck: General manager Bill Schmidt, trying pointlessly to save his job, would love to get something for Austin Gomber. But other than his decent road numbers, the left-hander projects as a long reliever for a contender. Bird represents the latest example of the Rockies lacking self-awareness. He was oven-mitts-required hot the first two months of the season, and now, well, he’s not. Opponents are hitting .424 off him in his last eight appearances. So, be bold. Make young reliever Seth Halvorsen available. He has several years of control left before free agency. Throws 100 miles per hour. And could land multiple good players. Taking calculated risks is the only pathway out of the darkness.

���������:�� Like the Halvorsen idea, but I’ll raise you one righty. Can you name the Rockies’ staff ERA leader since May 1? It’s reliever Victor Vodnik. He’s young (25), cost-controlled, and his average fastball velocity (98.6 mph) as of early Monday morning ranked among the top 3% of any MLB pitcher this season, . Despite pitching at altitude, his flyball rate and ball-in-the-air rate are a healthy chunk below the league average. Contending teams who play in small yards — the Reds immediately pop to mind — could always use fireballers who know how to keep the ball on the ground.

Renck: This suggestion hurts, but hear me out: The Rockies should move Kyle Freeland. He has roughly $21.5 million left on his contract. The Rockies saved $36.5 million in the McMahon trade. Get creative — stop laughing — and eat $12 million to land one top prospect. Quantity over quality. Freeland owns a 4.18 ERA this month and has postseason and World Baseball Classic experience. He is Mr. Denver. But he deserves a chance to compete again and could be flipped for a younger starter.

���������:�� The Rockies throw millions in salary relief to get a local hero and fan favorite off the books? We’ve seen this movie before, my friend. I love it, so it’ll never happen. It’s more likely that Schmidt and the Monforts entertain offers on outfielder Mickey Moniak, the new Nolan Jones. Although yanking The Mick’s bat from this lineup would turn a dumpster-fire offense into a volcano of pure trash in no time.

Yet Moby Dick stands defiant along the bow of the S.S. Coors, harpoon at the ready. Only his white whale is a salary cap, and his ship is taking on water faster than the Pequod did in Herman Melville’s original text.

At Cinco de Mayo, the Rockies sat 17 games out of first. At 6-28, Monfort’s Rox are only a game ahead of the 1988 Orioles (5-29), who went on to lose 107 games; and two games back of the 2024 White Sox (8-26), who lost 121.

Monfort wants a cap the way Ahab wanted that whale. But come on — nobody’s obsessed about Major League Baseball’s economic model enough to trot out a 120-loss team on purpose. After all, that would take planning. Innovation, even.

“I’m not sure how much I buy that,”

“I think the team, and its ownership — it’s run pretty terribly. But honestly, I don’t think (Monfort is) vindictive that way. If this were the Reds, if that were (Cincinnati owner) Bob Castellini, I might’ve bought that.

“The Rockies are just in a weird place right now. Overall, it’s better run than it was three/four years ago. It’s just been so hard to dig out of that hole. And they haven’t had a ton go right.”

Don’t want to alarm Dan, but a ton of things could get worse. The 6-28 Rockies have eight series between now and June 1. Seven of those are against teams with winning records — Texas, at 17-18 as of Monday morning, being the lone “reprieve.”

Four of those eight are with clubs (Tigers, Yankees, Cubs, Mets) that led their respective divisions at the start of the week, starting with a three-game set vs. Detroit (22-13) that opens Tuesday night at Coors Field.

“I hope they have the worst season they’ve ever had,” longtime ex-Rockies fan and comedian Bob Meddles told me Monday. “I don’t see any other way to leverage Monfort out of there, unless it’s by complete and total humiliation.”

Bob’s rooting for 122 losses, which would beat the ChiSox’s record set just last year. Why go for broke when you can go for broken?

“To win that few games, you need to be awful, and you also have to have absolutely nothing go your way,” Szymborski said. “Not much has gone the Rockies’ way so far this year. At some point, you would imagine they’ll get some good fortune … they’ve kind of hit snake eyes on all these things. They’ve had a lot go wrong.

“Realistically speaking, if you could play the worst teams 162 games, it would be really hard to find that team with average luck that wins below 50 or so that often. You have to be bad and be ‘luck’ bad.”

And if you’re both, well, look out below. On May 5, Kyle Freeland and German Marquez were a combined 0-10. If the old Boston Braves’ pitching was described as “Spahn and Sain and pray for rain,” the slogan for the ’25 Rockies rotation might as well be, “Ryan (Feltner) and Chase (Dollander) and pass the mace.”

Fire Bud Black, you say. Why? If you’re forced to sit through this season, then so should he.

Szymborski had the ZiPS computer run through a new simulation of the rest of the Rockies’ season for The Post on Monday afternoon.

The AI gave the Rox a 14.3% chance to reach 121 losses and an 11.9%  shot of hitting 122 defeats or more.

On the other hand, those 121-loss odds are double what they were just last week (7%), Dan noted. And so are the chances of Colorado breaking the ChiSox’s record (5.2% a week ago).

“There are things to like about the organization,” Szymborski added. “But there are also some tough questions. Like, ‘When do you tell Kris Bryant this is not happening?’ When do you move beyond Ryan McMahon and trade him while he still has value?’

“They’re still cringe in how things are run. Obviously, their record is completely cringe. There are still things to like.”

And things that make you wonder. A lockout and a nuclear winter are looming on Dec. 1, 2026, when the current MLB collective bargaining agreement expires.

This is shaping up to be a big one, too. Never mind the usual gripes of owners vs. players. We’re going to have some billionaire-on-billionaire violence. Small-market owners vs. the owners of the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets. Teams with their own TV networks vs. those who got burned by the RSN collapse.

“On one level, at least they’re willing to try some of these minor-leaguers that they weren’t a few years ago,” Szymborski said.

“The Bridich administration would never have given Nolan Jones a real shot in the first place … I think this team is more willing to look at (young) players. The problem is, they haven’t really developed them to this point.

“Michael Toglia — the Bridich (front office) wouldn’t have even given him a shot at the majors. It would be Anthony Rizzo (at first base) on an awful contract. They seem willing to make some trades at the deadline. They haven’t spent an obscene amount of money on relief pitching. It was brutal there.”

Dude, it’s still brutal. And about to get worse.

Pose a Rockies- or MLB-related question for the Rockies Mailbag.

Not surprisingly, we have several questions regarding oft-injured designated hitter Kris Bryant, who’s off to a slow start.

How much longer do you think the Rockies will ride with Kris Bryant? With our young outfield depth, it’s getting disappointing seeing Bryant taking up a spot while he is underperforming and spending two-thirds of the year on the injured list. Is there a point this year when the Rox say enough is enough?

— Thomas, Norwood

Thomas, many fans share your frustration. Bryant is 0 for 10 with five strikeouts and two walks over his first three games. That’s a tiny sample size, but that slow start comes after he hit .129 (4 for 31) with one home run and one double in spring training.

He’s looked bad at the plate, too. Pitchers feed him pitches down and away, and he’s waving over the top. He’s also getting beat by fastballs. I’m told that Bryant’s bad back is OK. The explanation from the Rockies is that Bryant’s timing is off: late to the fastball and early on off-speed pitches.

Bryant is not taking any outfield time away from prospects because he’s just a designated hitter now. Still, he’s taking up a roster spot and playing time. The Rockies are not going to bail on his massive contract (four years left at $107 million), at least not yet, but I don’t understand why he’s hitting cleanup.

If the Rockies hold onto Bryant the entire season, they should sit him on the bench when he’s not producing.

Hi Patrick. For some reason, I thought about your dad and how great a newspaperman he was! He would be so proud of your work, which is great. I must admit I have given up on Kris Bryant. I hope he will take a longer-term buyout and let a younger player get an opportunity. His back keeps holding him back with no real hope of it holding up over a long season. At some point, let����ap move on. What are your thoughts? Is he on the bubble to not make the final roster? Or on a trajectory where the Rockies would make a move with him?

— Paul, Aurora

Paul, first off all, thanks for the kind words about my dad, the late Dusty Saunders. He’s been gone almost three years. I love the term “newspaper man.” He indeed was that. Unfortunately, those days are gone for good. In his later years, he despaired about what was happening to the newspaper industry.

Anyway, to continue the conversation about Bryant, there is no way he’ll take a “buyout” at a discount. The Rockies will give him a long leash before they say that enough is enough. I don’t know how long that leash is, but if Bryant isn’t producing by the end of April, they have cut him loose.

Back in 2022, during Bryant’s first season with the Rockies, a front-office person told me that the contract was “an albatross.” How right he was.

Hey Patrick, what are your thoughts on Mickey Moniak? It seemed like he was going to be an absolute stud coming out of high school, but his career never seemed to take off. Would this be his diamond-in-the-rough year, like Nolan Jones in 2023?

— Marshall, Parker

Marshall, I’m not sure what to make of Moniak. He did launch a pinch-hit homer on Sunday in Tampa Bay, but I don’t think the Rockies see him as a potential starter. General manager Bill Schmidt told me that the Moniak signing “gives us some quality depth on the bench,” but I would be shocked if Moniak becomes more than a role player unless there are injuries.

Moniak, a No. 1 pick by the Phillies in 2016, was traded to the Angels in 2022 as part of the Noah Syndergaard deal. He’s struggled to live up to the hype of being a top prospect, putting up just 0.9 WAR over his five seasons. He seemed to be turning things around in 2023, posting a .802 OPS and hitting 14 home runs in 85 games. But he struggled last season, slashing .219/.266/.380 with 14 homers over 124 games.

What have the Rockies done to address their differences on the road vs. home games?

— Nathan Ryno, Artesia, Calif.

Nathan, that has been a question for 33 years. The Rockies’ dilemma of hitting at altitude at Coors Field vs. hitting on the road has never been solved.

Early this season, the Rockies say they will be more aggressive on the bases, even though they have stolen just two bases in four attempts over four games. That relatively low number is primarily due to the team not getting on base enough. Colorado has enough speed and athleticism to play a version of small ball on the road, but they have to get on base first, and that’s been a problem. Through their first four games, the Rockies had struck out 44 times at a 30.8% clip. Only the Nationals (32.4%) had whiffed at a higher rate.

Two questions:

1. Why would the Rockies trade Nolan Jones for Tyler Freeman? After all, if Nolan Jones has a great season like in 2023, he could be crucial to the Rockies doing well with his offense and defense. Tyler Freeman has been a pretty average player and will probably not help too much.

2. Do you think that there is a chance that someone can make it to the Home Run Derby in 2025? Ezequiel Tovar, Brenton Doyle and Michael Toglia all hit over 20 homers in 2024 and still can improve a lot.

— Weston K., Golden

Weston, regarding the Jones trade, the Rockies concluded that he was never going to be the player he was in 2023. With the injury to Thairo Estrada, they needed infield depth, hence the trade. Long term, Colorado believes Zac Veen will surpass anything Jones would have done.

Regarding the Home Run Derby, the Rockies have no legitimate candidates. I suppose Toglia could get hot and sneak into the derby, but I doubt it.

It became the hot take of the year that the Rockies ditched the youth movement by choosing Nick Martini over Zac Veen, but I see Martini as the veteran bench bat and not a starter. It seemed that Veen was outplayed by another young player looking for a chance, in Sean Bouchard, and they decided Jordan Beck was ahead of Veen on the depth chart. If one of the two does badly, I’m sure Veen gets his shot. What did you think of the move? What would Patrick Saunders have done as Rockies GM?

— Isaac Bowen, Fort Collins

Isaac, my initial thought would have been to put Veen on the roster and start him as a corner outfielder. Why not give him a chance at the big-league level? If he fails, send him back down to Triple-A. I thought the Rockies were being much too conservative, as is often the case.

However, after talking to several people in the organization, I understand why the club is holding Veen back for a while. He doesn’t have many plate appearances in pro baseball, is a bit reckless on the bases and needs to fine-tune his defensive skills. During spring training, the Rockies thought he needed more seasoning. He missed some signs at the plate and had too many empty at-bats against established pitchers.

Plus, the Rockies believe Jordan Beck is more major-league ready. I predict Veen will be up sooner rather than later. By that, I mean we’ll see him before the end of May.

Can you please make sense of the Rockies’ plan for the outfield? I thought there was plenty of depth and a healthy mix of young guys and veterans pushing each other in spring training. And in the blink of an eye, they banished Zac Veen to Triple-A, shipped out Greg and Nolan Jones, and replaced them with underwhelming outsiders in Tyler Freeman and Mickey Moniak. What����ap the harm in throwing homegrown young guys into the fire for a losing franchise with a 0.001% chance of making the playoffs this season?

— Dan, Denver

Dan, you make some good points. See my responses regarding Veen and Jones above. The key question is, why aren’t the Rockies going all-in with their youth movement? To reiterate, they gave up on Jones being their starter in left field and don’t think Veen is quite ready for the majors.

Did the Rockies miss out on this young man? Isaac Collins was a Brewers Rule 5 claim from the Rockies.

— John Paul, Denver

John, I’ll admit I didn’t pay attention to Collins’ career after Milwaukee selected him in the first round of the Triple-A portion of the Rule 5 draft in December 2022. But, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal article you sent me,

Time will tell if the Rockies “missed out” or not.

Hi Patrick, thanks for all your informative information all season. Will the Rockies ever give up on Tyler Kinley and Kris Bryant?  Do you think Dick Montfort will ever hire a president for the team. Thanks so much.

— Allan Bock, Boulder

Allan, Kinley has good stuff and it’s too early to give up on him as a set-up man. He’s not the only reliever hit hard in the first four games. See above for my thoughts on the Bryant topic.

Two-time Gold Glove center fielder Brenton Doyle always had a roster spot. Jordan Beck had one, then didn’t, and now he does.

Journeyman Nick Martini probably always had one; now, he definitely does. The Rockies saved a spot in left field for Nolan Jones until they traded him. Sam Hilliard appeared to have a place as the fourth outfielder, but as it turned out, he was just keeping a seat warm for Mickey Moniak, who joined the team at the last minute.

Many fans thought prospect Zac Veen was a lock to make the roster. He never was, though his time is coming.

This brings us to Sean Bouchard.

Remember him? Good. Because, next to Doyle, the 28-year-old Bouchard could be Colorado’s most productive outfielder. I call him the Rockies’ best-kept secret.

“I like the sound of that,” Bouchard said with a chuckle when I shared my opinion. “I obviously have confidence in myself when I’m healthy. I have always felt like I have been overlooked here and there. But at the end of the day, you can only control so much. You can only go out and play.”

Therein lies the problem. Colorado’s ninth-round draft choice out of UCLA in 2017 hasn’t been able to stay on the field.

“It was super frustrating because they were things I was unable to control,” he said. “I mean, last year, I stepped on a base wrong and sprained my ankle because Jonathan India (then with the Reds) was standing on the bag. I was out for over two weeks. It’s little things like that, here and there, that were out of my control.”

Bouchard debuted in June 2022, and in 27 games, he hit .297 with three homers and a .954 OPS. For the stat geeks, there was this:  Bouchard posted a .454 on-base percentage, the fifth-highest by a major league rookie since 1901 (minimum 95 plate appearances).

During spring training 2023, expectations were high until Bouchard sustained a left distal biceps tear and was limited to 21 late-season games. Even then, he produced, putting up a 1.056 OPS with four home runs and seven RBIs in 43 plate appearances.

Manager Bud Black projected extensive playing time for Bouchard last season. But a persistent oblique injury in spring training scuttled those hopes, and he was demoted to Triple-A Albuquerque. He hit well for the Isotopes, slashing .324/.418./.643 with 11 homers and 29 extra-base hits in 46 games.

But he scuffled in a 31-game stint when he got called up by the Rockies, batting  .187 with one homer in 31 games (108 plate appearances). To cap off his lousy 2024, he had postseason surgery to repair a fractured hamate in his right hand.

“Sean will be the first to tell you, we’ve got to keep him on the field,” Black said early in spring training. “He’s been nicked up a little bit in his career, even as a minor leaguer. But there’s a fundamental hitter in there that����ap appealing.”

There’s a lot about Bouchard that appeals. He plays a solid corner outfield, is smart and does the little things well.

“I’ve always joked that I think I’m above average in a little bit of everything,” he said. “I kind of fit the classic ‘jack of all trades, master of none,’ right?

“The idea of not having a standout tool — like the speed of Brenton Doyle or the arm of Brenton Doyle — is fine. Because I think being consistently good is great.”

Consistency, Bouchard said, is ultimately the biggest separator.

“I think I have proven to be a consistent player at every level I’ve played,” he said. “That’s who I am as a person and a player.”

Bouchard prides himself on baseball basics: advancing runners, throwing to the right base, making pitchers work overtime.

“I try to find little things to help the team win,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be the crazy 500-foot homer or throwing 10 guys out at home. That’s not the skill set that I have. I might not show up on SportsCenter or whatever. I might not make all the sexy plays.

“But if you understand who you are, you can help the team. And by the end of the season, those things start adding up. That’s the kind of player I am.”

It’s not what he hoped.

Meanwhile, the Rockies will open their regular season on Friday afternoon against the Rays at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Many thought Veen deserved a spot on the Rockies’ 26-man roster after a strong spring training, including scores of fans. What does Veen think?

The corner outfielder, rated as Colorado’s No. 8 prospect by MLB Pipeline, paused for a long moment and chuckled at the question before answering.

“I guess there is really, kind of, no reaction,” he said in a phone interview. “I guess I kind of figured I was going to stay all through camp and make the team, or I was going to have to go play in Albuquerque for a little bit.”

Veen, 23, the ninth overall pick in the 2020 draft, put up solid numbers this spring. But it wasn’t enough to convince the Rockies’ brass to put him on the roster. The staff wants Veen to become a better situational hitter, shorten up his long swing, make more contact against big-league pitchers and mature as a pro.

Plus, he’s still a bit of a newbie. Injuries limited Veen to 65 games (270 plate appearances) over the last two seasons. In Triple-A late last season, he had just 92 plate appearances.

“He will go to Triple-A to hone his skills,” Black said. “Zac hit .220 in Triple-A, and there are still some things he needs to focus on.

“The strikeout rate was a little high here (29.6%) facing major league pitchers in Arizona. Zac realizes that (there’s) probably a little more time needed in the minors before he potentially gets an opportunity. Hopefully, he’ll force that by how he plays.”

When the Rockies traded presumed starting left fielder Nolan Jones to Cleveland for backup infielder and part-time center fielder Tyler Freeman, Veen appeared to have a chance to make the big-league team. Instead, the Rockies went with 23-year-old Jordan Beck, Sean Bouchard, 28, and veteran Nick Martini, 34, to pair with two-time Gold Glove center fielder Brenton Doyle.

During Cactus League play, and including Tuesday’s exhibition game against the Twins in Fort Myers, Fla., Veen hit .270 (17 for 63) with two home runs, a triple, four doubles and 11 RBIs. He posted an .812 OPS. He pushed the envelope on the basepaths, stealing nine bases. He walked seven times but struck out 21 times.

“I would say I had a very good and exciting camp,” Veen said. “I learned a ton. Being able to be around my teammates was a very big thing for me. And being around the coaching staff was also a very big thing.”

General manager Bill Schmidt saw growth — and room for more growth.

“(Veen) showed a lot of positives in this camp and improved from last year,” Schmidt said. “But as I told Zac, it����ap about improving his consistency in a number of areas.”

One of those areas is putting together more competitive at-bat vs. front-line starters. Ten of Veen’s 17 hits this spring came in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings when he was matched against second-tier or minor league pitchers. However, Veen’s first home run of the spring came against the Giants’ Justin Verlander, a future Hall of Famer.

“We talked about all of the things I need to work on, including being able to drive the run in and move runners along,” said Veen, who hit .333 (5 for 15) with runners in scoring position. “It’s definitely a big part of my game that I can improve upon.”

In short, the Rockies don’t think Veen is ready for prime time, which is why they went with Bouchard and Martini to begin the season. But the club did include him on their trip to Florida for their final exhibition game to give him a taste for the big leagues.

“They wanted me to be with team and experience the travel and see what the charter flight is like,” he said. “It was to get the whole experience. That was the idea.”

Veen hopes he’ll be experiencing the big leagues full-time — sooner rather than later.

“Taking the flight to Tampa and being in the locker room with all of the guys and just seeing everything and feeling like I was a part of things was plenty of motivation,” he said.

Keeler: My momma taught me to always be wary of two things: 1.) Zero-down mortgages; 2.) The Abby Greer Award given to the Rockies’ “spring training MVP.” Our hometown 9 presented Veen with the latter on Friday, had the 23-year-old pose for a bunch of very nice pictures with it, then demoted him on Sunday. Smart major-league front offices make personnel decisions based on who a player should be over the next 4-18 months. The Rockies make their moves based on who a player was 18 months ago — probably because that’s to process the files. This is all very on-brand, actually. Sad, but on-brand.

Renck: After an injury-marred minor league career, Veen delivered in spring training. He has elite bat speed, and pure speed. He hit .279 with a .353 on-base percentage and nine stolen bases in 61 at-bats. By stashing Veen in Triple-A the first few weeks the Rockies can keep him under team control for an extra season. This looks like manipulation, suppression, whatever you want to call it. Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt told Patrick Saunders that Veen needs to “improve his consistency in a number of areas,” OK. Sure.

Keeler: Ah, yes. Service time games — the only games the Rockies know that they can consistently win. Meanwhile, Sam Hilliard (nice guy, they’re all nice guys, it’s the Rockies Way) went into Monday’s game with the Brewers hitting .125 in the spring with a .478 OPS in hitter-friendly Arizona, but by golly, he’s good to go. Kris Bryant: .143 average, .600 OPS, bring on the Rays! The Rockies have the Nuggets’ problem, only lamer: A manager who doesn’t love playing kids and a front office who, for cost and planning purposes, keeps shoving kids down said coach/manager’s throat. Which is how you get a season of watching Jurickson Profar sort of stagger around left field in Coors on one good knee.

Renck: The Rockies can counter with this: Veen is 23 and has 92 plate appearances in Triple-A. But here is the rub: Veen heads to the farm to make room for 34-year-old Nick Martini and backup center fielder Sam Hilliard, who has struck out 25 times in 48 Cactus League at-bats. Martini hit .212 last season, which means he profiles as the next Jake Cave, someone who will be just good enough to take away at-bats from prospects. And then you trade away Nolan Jones for super utility player Tyler Freeman? If Veen is not ready defensively — because there is no other reason for Hilliard to be on the team — then say it. Otherwise, play him.

Keeler: You can take off of the Rockies, but the Rockies can never quit being the Jake Cave of MLB: Watchable once a week; fun in small doses; try-hard scrappy with a limited and fading skill set; flashing a situational, occasional tease of power. Alas, their flaws become more apparent — and their scars more exposed — the more times you’re forced to watch them. The Rox are a platoon franchise, best paired with some other baseball roster that’s more competent to serve as a palate cleanser. Or with a $3 draft to act as a chaser while Schmidt serves Denver up another round of very dry Nick Martinis.

The most significant move came Sunday when manager Bud Black announced that veteran Nick Martini, 34, made the team while outfield prospect Zac Veen did not. Veen, 23, part of the Rockies’ youth movement, will begin the season at Triple-A Albuquerque.

The Rockies hope Veen will be motivated by the move, accept the challenge to improve several aspects of his game and, eventually, knock down the big-league door. They also want to ensure that he gets at-bats every day.

“He’s showed a lot of positives in this camp and improved from last year,” general manager Bill Schmidt said. “But as I told Zac, it’s about improving his consistency in a number of areas.”

Outfielder Jordan Beck, who struggled mightily early in camp, showed enough power and promise at the end to win a roster spot. The Rockies also kept veteran outfielder Sam Hilliard on the roster, mainly as a pinch-runner and defensive backup. He’s the Rockies’ best option in center field when two-time Gold Glover Brenton Doyle needs a break.

Saturday, Colorado acquired utility player Tyler Freeman from Cleveland for Nolan Jones, who entered spring training penciled in as the Rockies’ starting left field. The Rockies needed depth after starting second baseman Thairo Estrada fractured his right wrist and is out for six to eight weeks.

Here is a look at the club’s final roster decisions:

• Veen had a solid camp, hitting .298 with a .884 OPS, two homers, and nine steals. However, the Rockies brass saw Veen struggle against proven major league pitchers in the Cactus League and also believe he needs to put the ball in play more. Plus, they think he needs more seasoning after two injury-filled minor-league seasons.

“He will go to Triple-A to hone his skills,” manager Bud Black told MLB.com. “Last year in Triple-A, Zac had 90 (plate appearances), and actually Zac only had 270 (plate appearances) in the minor leagues last year.

“Zac hit .220 in Triple-A, and there are still some things he needs to focus on. The strikeout rate was a little high here (19 in 64 plate appearances, 29.7%), facing major league pitchers in Arizona. Zac realizes that there’s probably a little more time needed in the minors before he potentially gets an opportunity. Hopefully, he’ll force that by how he plays.”

• Freeman, 26, will share time at second base with Kyle Farmer until Estrada returns. Both veterans could enable third baseman Ryan McMahon and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar off their feet from time to time. Freeman can also play center if need be.

Freeman had a weak offensive season with the Guardians in 2024, slashing .209/305.321 with seven home runs and 14 doubles in 188 games. The right-handed hitter batted .308 with two home runs in his first 15 Cactus League games.

• Martini entered Sunday slashing .389/.511/.556 with two homers and four RBIs. He’d struck out only six times in 45 plate appearances. He certainly doesn’t have Veen’s upside potential, but the Rockies believe he brings veteran stability to the outfield. Sean Bouchard, Martini and Beck will get the starts in left and center.

“Nick Martini showed very well,” Black said. “He brings an element to our club not unlike what Jake Cave brought last year, as a fan favorite that Jake Cave became. Sean Bouchard had a good spring and Brenton Doyle will man center.

Bouchard hit .370 with a 1.108 OPS, three homers and four doubles.

• Beck has a lot of potential but has yet to fulfill it.

He opened camp with high expectations but struggled with the bat. Only a week ago, he looked bound for Triple-A. But Beck turned it up over the last few games, despite his disappointing .217/.238/.473 slash line.

“Jordan Beck made a little bit of a push here lately with four home runs,” Black said. “He’s playing good defense. He had the experience coming up last year. Unfortunately he broke his hand, but we think he’s ready to make that next step of development.”

• Hilliard has had a lousy camp — there is no getting around that. He entered Sunday slashing .109/.196/.261 with a 49% strikeout rate (25 Ks in 51 plate appearances). But the veteran, left-handed hitter swatted two homers in his last four games, salvaging the final roster spot. He made the team based on his speed and defensive abilities.