Sean Keeler: Did Rick Blaine Did Sam and Jonah Baldwin deserve Annie? Did Will Thacker deserve Anna Scott? Dang right, they did. It never ceases to amaze me the degree to which Major League Baseball will chase the cute at the expense of the obvious. Goodman is a tater factory on two legs and has no business being snubbed for this event. I mean, Jac Caglianone (15 HR)? Bryce Harper (20 HR)? Hey, we get it — Colorado is the Siberia of MLB, especially to the power brokers on both coasts. But is the derby about rewarding the best at their craft? Or is it about selling Netflix subscriptions? I think we already know the answer to that last one, my friend.

Renck: The Rockies remaining invisible nationally is not a new story. They are the only team in the Mountain time zone, often viewed as a flyover franchise except on those occasions when Coors Field plays without gravity, and the teams combine for 25 runs and 30 hits. Naively, I thought that Larry Walker and Todd Helton entering the Hall of Fame would dull some of the bias, but those were reprieves, not trends. We are right back in 2007, when Matt Holliday was robbed of the MVP trophy and Troy Tulowitzki lost Rookie of the Year to Ryan Braun. Goodman should have been in the derby. He had his dad lined up to throw to him. He wanted to do it. He hits lasers and moonshots. He was dealing with a wrist injury over the last week, but it would not have prevented his participation. At the end of the day, he got hosed because God forbid the competition didn’t include two Phillies — Kyle Schwarber deserves it, Bryce Harper not so much — and a Yankee (Ben Rice).

Keeler:  I can buy the argument for Rice (29 jacks). And the White Sox aren’t giving Rockies fans hope right now, if not for Mune Murakami (20 HR in 60 games) absolutely exploding out of the gate. But stacking the competition with a pair of hometown Phils at the top feels like half a cheesesteak bridge too far, dude. Yeah, sure, I get it — you cater to the locals when it’s an exhibition. But you’d sell that bad boy out (I’ve seen Day take swings up close, by the way. Dude rakes.)

Renck: Here is what really irks me. For those who want big names like Schwarber, Harper and Rice because they play for high-profile teams, whatever. I don’t like it. But I get it when Netflix wanted to turn this into a miniseries with a side of drama. That does not explain taking Kansas City’s Jac Caglianone and the Cardinals’ Jordan Walker. I wanted the Rockies to draft Caglianone. I have no issue with the player, but his 15 home runs match Mickey Moniak’s. He is going because he puts on a show in batting practice. As for Walker, he was this close to starting the year in Triple-A. His rebound is a nice story. But is it really better than a catcher with 27 bombs at the break? The answer is no. Full stop. Whoever excluded Goodman needs to be Johnny Benched.

Keeler: For Goodman to swing more national love going forward, there are probably only two sure-fire ways to land it. One, the Rockies need to get on about 17 heaters in the second half and join the NL Wild Card race — only 13.5 games out with 64 games to go, baby!. Or two, and this is more likely, Hunter needs to go full Cal Raleigh from here on out. He’s hit 22 of those 27 dingers as a catcher. Want to move the needle? Move Javy to No. 2.

The Rockies catcher was named to the National League team when . This year’s 96th Midsummer Classic will be played on Tuesday, July 14, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Goodman, 26, is only the second Rockies catcher in franchise history to be named to the NL team, along with Elias Díaz (2023). He’s also the first Colorado player to earn a second straight selection since 2019, when Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon and Trevor Story all appeared in consecutive games.

Entering Saturday night����ap game against the Giants, Goodman has 27 home runs — tied for second in all of baseball. And he’s doing it while playing catcher every single game, while the Astros’ Yordan Alvarez (27) and the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber (30) are only swinging the bat as designated hitters.

Goodman’s 27 home runs have put him in rare company in franchise history. Only Hall of Famer Larry Walker had hit more homers for the Rockies through 85 games than Goodman entering Tuesday. Entering Saturday night’s game against the Giants, Goodman had nine games remaining to surpass Walker’s mark of 27 homers before the All-Star break.

“The last few weeks I’ve gotten a lot of good pitches to hit,” said Goodman earlier this week. “I’ve been able to capitalize on those. It goes through spurts where there’s some weeks, you’re not getting a lot of good pitches. And there’s other weeks where you’re getting a good bit of good pitches to hit. And I’ve been able to capitalize on those recently.”

Goodman’s 13 homers in June led the majors. His power game also travels. Only nine of his 27 homers have come in the thin air of Coors Field. He’s mostly donned the resplendent faux-fur purple coat that the Rockies break out for home-run celebrations on the road.

Of Walker’s 27 homers before the All-Star break in 2001, 14 came on the road. Goodman’s 18 road homers ahead of the All-Star break are the most in franchise history, breaking a previous record set by Walker in 1997.

When asked to explain his unusual home-road splits on Tuesday, Goodman didn’t have any deep thoughts.

“I don’t really have an answer for it right now,” Goodman said. “I’d love to perform at home. I’d love to. As the season goes on, I think it will get better. I try not to worry about it. As long as I’m doing my job, it’ll work itself out.”

Goodman ranks first among all catchers in home runs, total bases (172), runs scored (56), slugging percentage (.550) and extra-base hits (41). He ranks second among NL catchers in hits (44) and third in RBI (50). He’s the second player in franchise history to have at least 13 home runs in a single month, along with Troy Tulowitzki, who belted 15 home runs during September of the 2010 season.

“There’s a lot that goes into it,” Goodman said of his approach this season. “Some of the stuff I’ve been doing in the cage has helped. Every day is a different plan of attack for whatever pitcher is on the mound. Guys throw different pitches, attack you different ways. You’ve got to know how they’re going to attack you and figure that out and look for a good zone for you to see the ball in.”

But if someone’s willing to hand him stupid money, some crazy return, for those sexy wheels? Here’s the keys, brother. Go nuts.

“I really like my car. I’m not looking to sell my car,” told me by phone Friday. “But if someone came up to me and said, ‘Man, I sure like your car, I’ll give you $60K for it,’ for some reason, I might do that. But I’m not looking to do it.”

If a contender is from their farm system for Goodman, the Rockies catcher who’s hit more home runs before the All-Star break (27) than any Colorado player since Larry Walker in 2001, then heck yes, you bite. You’d be nuts not to.

The problem? Szymborski says he can’t see any franchise, including the oft-discussed Yankees, that would be willing to meet that asking price for the sweetest ride on 20th & Bleak.

“Teams hang on to top-top prospects a lot more greedily than they used to,” Szymborski continued. “Although Hunter Goodman is really good, you’re not going to get two top-60 guys. (If you could), you do it.”

Goodman’s 26. and is reportedly under team control through 2029. He’s on pace to hit 50 jacks while paradoxically doing most of his damage (18 of 27 homers) away from Coors Field.

“I think (Goodman’s) bat will play anywhere,” “(But) I don’t think he’s going to be a guy that’s going to hit 40 home runs somewhere else. It may be that this is as good as it gets. This may be his peak. If somebody bowls you over with an offer, I think you take it. If not, I think you wait to do this at a time where a team is desperate enough to where you can really make it work for your organization.”

at minus-2 heading into the weekend, while T as a plus-2 through 484 2/3 innings behind the plate. So that’s a wash — a playable, decent glove with an All-Star bat. A bargain who won’t turn 30 until October 2029.

The Rox still may not be any darned good by then, which is the No. 1 argument for dealing Goodman now. But that’s also why the new(ish) braintrust of Walker Monfort, Paul DePodesta and Josh Byrnes can afford to be choosy. Goodman’s the fattest goose they can take to market. If they shoot, they can’t afford to miss.

“I think I would actually be inclined to hang on to him,” Szymborski noted. “The Rockies could get a lot of value for him, but this is a team that’s finally getting the idea that they need to throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks. I think they could actually come together as a decent team in a few years.

“There’s still a lot of things to like. So it’s not necessarily a good time to trade (him). Also, catcher is a deep position around the league. So I would probably hang onto him. I would see the case for trading him, too, but he’s not going to bring back a superstar return.

“The problem is that The (Jeff) Bridich Era put the team in such a hole where they have little MLB talent and very little MILB talent. It’s hard to build from nothing.”

Which is why you can’t swap him for nothing, either. It’s easy to look at the suddenly-contending White Sox, who were somehow worse in ’24 (121 losses) than the Rockies were in ’25 (119 losses), and get stars in your eyes. Yet there are some significant circumstantial differences between the Pale Hose revival, the best story in baseball, and rebuilding purple pinstripes into a power again.

For one, the South Siders play in MLB’s version of the NFC South — and shock injuries to Detroit ace Tarik Skubal and to what feels like 70% of the Royals’ roster suddenly threw a crapola division into wide-open chaos. For another, after the Yankees and Rays, the American League this year is hot garbage compared to the Senior Circuit. For yet another, the White Sox microwaved themselves off the mat by dealing young, front-line starting pitching (Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito), with the Garrett Crochet-to-Boston haul somehow bringing back three solid starting bats into the ChiSox’s current lineup.

The Rockies don’t have anywhere near that level of cost-effective surplus of arms at present. And while the conversion of Antonio Senzatela from failed starter to late-inning weapon has been a revelation, set-up men typically don’t bring back much on the trade market.

Outfielder Mickey Moniak could help a lot of going-for-it clubs in need of a lefty bat, but he also went into this past Friday hitting .219 with a .689 OPS outside of Coors. Which means, whatever your buddy thinks the Rox would get for Mick The Stick, take away a prospect from that package, or drop said prospect down a minor-league class.

In the meantime, arguments for keeping Goodman now keep whispering like angels from the opposite shoulder. Even with a livelier ball and a three-outcome approach, 40-home-run catchers are rarer than the Wagyu at A5 Steakhouse. What kind of message are you sending to the clubhouse if you’re flipping a two-time All-Star in his prime? What kind of message are you sending to a fan base that’s been beaten down and conditioned to expect the worst?

“I think it’s dangerous asking your fan base to be even more cynical than it already is by trading a guy away at the point where he’s suddenly of value to other teams,” Jaffe said. “But I think you always have to be listening.

“If someone offers you the next Paul Skenes, I think you make that (trade). Always. But I don’t think anybody’s going to be offering that. They’re going to be trying to convince you that getting two A-ball prospects and a grab-bag catcher is going to be enough of a return.”

It isn’t. The Rockies have gone down this road recently at least twice before and whiffed on both occasions. The Nolan Arenado Giveaway of 2021 will go down as the nadir of franchise history and the worst deal in Denver that didn’t involve Russell Wilson. In July 2015, Colorado landed Jeff Hoffman, Jose Reyes, Miguel Castro and Jesus Tinoco for Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins, and again, the kids that came back amounted to bupkis.

Don’t settle. Set the bar high. Yankees farmhands Dax Kilby and Elmer Rodriguez would look awfully good in purple. But if the Bronx Bombers aren’t willing to go that far, close the briefcase, pack it up and move on to a suitor who’s serious. Or more desperate.

“Everybody has a price,” Szymborski said.

And you don’t move Goodman until a contender is hungry enough to meet yours. Not while the Mazda’s got that many miles left in the tank.

The two childhood friends from the Miami area lacked for reinforcements. That����ap life if you’re a Marlins diehard, especially when you live on another continent.

In his crisp teal cap with the original Florida Marlins logo and a custom-made black Jose Fernandez jersey, Pellerano was easy to spot Tuesday night sitting behind home plate — a Fish out of water among Rockies purple, cobalt blue and pink.

But taking in Coors Field for the first time after visiting some 20 other MLB stadiums, he said he felt right at home. If anyone can relate to downtrodden Colorado baseball fans, it����ap those from South Florida — the fraternal twins of .

“Brothers in arms, right?” Pellerano said, referencing a line from Walt Weiss, the former Rockies shortstop and manager who owns the distinction of playing for both expansion teams, starting with the Marlins in 1993 before joining the Rockies from 1994 to 1997. “We don’t have a lot of hardcore fans, because of probably a lot of spurning. And Miami is kind of a winner’s hype town. A lot of people jump on the hype train. When your team’s consistently good, they support you in droves.

“But if you’re bad and the ownership is actively not trying to improve the team, over and over, there’s only a few baseball psychos in every city, you know what I mean? And I’m one of them.”

Denver certainly has more than Miami. The Marlins have consistently ranked near the bottom in , drawing an average per-game crowd ranging between 7,934 and 14,356 fans. Once one of MLB’s best draws, the in attendance this season while trying to avoid the stain of a fourth-straight 100-loss season.

But to look at the two franchises, it����ap a lot like looking in the mirror. The unconventional when they arrived. The two franchises have nearly identical all-time winning percentages — the , the . The gruff Jim Leyland, one of baseball’s true gems, managed both franchises during a Hall of Fame Career. And, of course, home fans in both cities have become resigned to stadium takeovers by visiting fan bases — Cubs, Yankees, Cardinals, Red Sox — in two cities that attract many transplants.

The way Pellerano talks, he sounds a lot like loyal Rockies fans who can’t quit root, root, rooting for the home team, despite all the losing. The Marlins finished June with an MLB-best 20-6 record, and even after dropping the last two games of this week’s four-game series, they sit just .

That’s despite a payroll of just $80,392,535 — the second-lowest in baseball — while playing in the same division as the Mets, who have baseball’s richest roster at $

But Pellerano has seen enough broken promises from ownership, teardowns, fire sales, and beloved homegrown players traded or lost to free agency to get too hopeful about the future of Miami baseball.

“I don’t believe you should own a major league baseball team if you’re going to view it as strictly a baseball proposition, given how many people are emotionally affected by that team’s success or the way it����ap run,” he said.

So high, so low

That����ap not to say that there haven’t been some incredible highs. Despite neither team ever winning its division in 34 seasons, the Marlins have won two World Series, while Rockies fans still savor Rocktober in 2007 when the franchise won 21 of 22 to claim the NL pennant.

But the excitement generated from that inaugural 1993 season when the Rockies set and the Marlins drew a franchise-record 3,064,847? It feels like forever ago, said Debbie and Michael Kendrick of Basalt.

Both were at the Rockies’ electric home opener in 1993 when Eric Young led off with a home run. They were there in 2007 for Game 4 of the World Series when the Boston Red Sox ended that magical run with a clean sweep. Michael loved the Rockies so much that he worked as an usher for three seasons.

But that love has been tested ever since the Rockies’ last postseason appearance in 2018. Three 100-loss seasons and the prospect of a fourth had kept them away from the ballpark until Thursday, when they arrived with grandsons in tow.

Bringing the two boys to their first big-league game outweighed the couple’s dissatisfaction with the franchise’s trajectory.

“They’ve got to not only get talent but keep talent,” Michael said. “It����ap a difficult business. I wouldn’t want to be in it.”

“Our family has not been coming to baseball,” Debbie said. “Literally, our son wouldn’t join us because we feel like the Monforts need to put some money into training and keeping pitchers once they get them.”

It����ap not just the losing, Debbie said, but the lack of competitiveness in recent years. Especially last season’s debacle, when the Rockies lost 119 games and had a run differential of -424, the worst in modern Major League history.

“They don’t have to win,” Debbie said. “But you have to go there with the idea that they might.”

Rockies fans talk about losing homegrown stars like Nolan Arenado, Troy Tulowitzki, Ubaldo Jimenez and Troy Tulowitzki the same way that Marlins fans talk about losing Miguel Cabrera, Josh Beckett, Christian Yelich, and Giancarlo Stanton.

Debbie said she was devastated when the at the trade deadline for prospects.

She couldn’t fathom how the franchise was so quick to part ways with a talent that it had discovered at 15 in the Dominican Republic and had developed into an ace pitcher.

“I was like, ‘Why would you get rid of Ubaldo?’” she said. “I forget that it����ap ‘Moneyball.’”

The ones that got away

As Brad Pitt, playing Billy Beane, said in the film version, both franchises have been .

“Every time they have a good team, every time they’ve won the World Series, they’ve always dismantled the team,” said Andy Armas, who was born in Miami but now lives in Denver.

“It����ap just like the Rockies, right?” said Jose Miranda, another South Florida transplant. “We bring them up, and they sell them. Same old (expletive) next season. And next season.”

Miranda was at Tuesday’s game with his friend from back home, Ernie Diaz. Diaz said there are always a few Marlins fans who show up at Rockies games when Miami is in town.

“There’s a handful. We’re two of those five,” he joked.

Like Armas and Pellerano, Diaz said his fandom stuck with him as a boy growing up in South Florida. He’s been stuck with it ever since.

“I became a Marlins fan in 97,” he said. “I remember my family would make a big deal about the postseason. I remember doing Angels in the Outfield as a kid. And when we won the championship in 2003, that cemented my fandom.”

“The biggest thing for me is the atmosphere at the ballpark. If you’re not winning games, it����ap a really tough atmosphere to watch a baseball game. Over the years, we have had a lot of talent. The closest we ever got was that Jose Fernandez death. We had a really stacked lineup, and him being our ace, we had a really good chance of competing, but ever since then it����ap been tough to put a really good team on the field.”

Nick Klein, who grew up in Miami and Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, moved to Denver in 2019. He said he became hooked as a fan in 2003, at 7, during the Marlins’ World Series run.

“The experience is really summed up by the old ball park, which is Pro Player Stadium, where the Dolphins play,” he said. “You’d just go to one of those games on a summer day and it’d be a hellscape. And you’d be sweating. It����ap a 70,000-seat stadium with 10,000 people in it. Even with winning the World Series, you kinda got how depressing Marlin fandom is.”

‘Not optional’

Despite it all, Pellerano said he’s grateful for every chance he gets to take in a baseball game. He returns to the United States during the winter holidays and in the summer. He always plans his summer trips around seeing his beloved Fish.

Aside from his daughter’s birth, his two greatest memories are of being at clinching World Series games. He was at Pro Player Stadium in 1997 when Édgar Rentería hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning of Game 7 to clinch the Marlins’ first title. And he was at Yankee Stadium in 2003 with his father when Josh Beckett shut down the Bronx Bombers with a five-hit, complete-game shutout, stunning the Yankees faithful.

“I lived in New York and I have my feelings about Yankees fans that aren’t super positive,” he said. “So, them being silenced in the biggest moment. Because they try and intimidate you with all their World Series championship videos before the game. And that team was undaunted. Josh Beckett was fierce. It was a crazy move by Jack McKeon to pitch him on four days’ rest. Because he knew if it went to seven, they’d probably lose. That was awesome.”

Klein said he didn’t empathize with Rockies fans, now that he’s in Denver, because the experience of being a Marlins fan is more brutal.

“At least they get people to show up to their games,” he said. “They still put out a good gameday product, and I think going to the games is actually what matters.”

Pellerano said he admired Rockies fans for sticking with their team, despite all the losing. It’s the same way he feels about his fandom, psycho or not.

“It����ap not optional,” he said. “If you’re a true baseball fan, you know it����ap not optional. Your connection with the sport and the game is something beautiful. And baseball is a beautiful game that can sometimes transcend the day-to-day. For me, I feel the same feeling that I feel about a baseball game as I do by the ocean. If you live in a city and were born in that city, you have to love that team. I’m sorry, if you change teams, except for a few extenuating circumstances, you’re a poser baseball fan.”

Griffin Conine hit a three-run homer off the third-deck facade in right field and righty Sandy Alcantara improved to 6-0 in June as the rallied for a 10-7 win over the on Monday night.

Trailing 5-2 in the fifth, Otto Lopez started the inning with a solo homer. Conine entered the game as a pinch hitter and smashed a changeup from Victor Vodnik (2-3) that went an estimated distance of 433 feet to send the Marlins on their way to a seventh straight win over Colorado.

It was Conine’s first homer since April 8. He returned from the 60-day injured list on June 21 after being sidelined with a .

Alcantara (9-4) went 5 2/3 innings and surrendered five runs. The right-hander became the third pitcher in team history to finish 6-0 in a calendar month. The accomplished the feat in May 2016 and Chris Hammond in June 1993.

Miami finished with eight extra-base hits, including a two-run double from Leo Jiménez in the second and a bases-clearing triple from Javier Sanoja in the seventh. Sanoja also had a double and a single. He had a chance at the cycle in the ninth and popped out.

Hunter Goodman crushed a solo shot in the seventh for his 13th homer in June. The only other Rockies player to homer at least 13 times in a calendar month was Troy Tulowitzki with 15 in September 2010.

Rockies starter Sean Sullivan allowed five runs over 4 2/3 innings in a no-decision.

TJ Rumfield began a three-run second inning with a single that extended his hitting streak to 12 games.

Up next

The Marlins will throw righty Eury Pérez (3-6, 4.41 ERA) on Tuesday night. Colorado has yet to name a starter.

___

AP MLB:

Cole Carrigg’s off to a pretty solid start in his MLB career, but why was he promoted instead of Charlie Condon or Zac Veen? Was he just playing that much better than them? Is it to manage their service time in the majors? A little of both? Thanks.

— Marshall, Parker

Marshall, since you submitted your question, Carrigg has been sensational. It’s not about service time.

In the Rockies’ excruciating loss to the Cubs on Monday night, he drove in all four runs and hit an eighth-inning, three-run home run that should have stood as the game-winner.

Carrigg plays with a swagger and an edge, and in that regard, he reminds me of Troy Tulowitzki as a rookie. I asked one of Tulo’s former teammates if he shared my opinion.

“I see some,” the teammate responded. “Tulo wasn’t on the razor’s edge of out of control like Carrigg.”

Anyway, to your question, the Rockies front office sees a lot of things that fans don’t see, and that I don’t see or consider. Paul DePodesta, the president of baseball operations, recently told me that they take a hard look at “the process” a player has in the minors as a major part of their decision on when to promote a player.

Carrigg has proven that he was ready. I think promotions for Condon and Veen could very well depend on what happens as the trade deadline nears.

Patrick, I heard you’re leaving soon. It’s been a pleasure reading your coverage all these years. The Denver sports community is losing an absolute legend. What are some of the most memorable moments of your career?

— Ryan C., Aurora

Ryan, thanks for your kind comments.

Leaving The Post after nearly 28 years is a hard and emotional decision, but it was time. The buyout I was offered made me accelerate my retirement timeline. The baseball beat, particularly covering a losing Rockies team over the last few years, has been a grind. Plus, the industry is changing fast, and I’m becoming a bit of a dinosaur.

I have far too many memories to mention here in any detail, so I will list a few: Rocktober; covering all three of the Broncos’ Super Bowl title wins; watching Nolan Arenado play third base; spending time in the dugout talking baseball and music with Bud Black; being at Todd Helton’s house in Tennessee when he got the call that he was elected to the Hall of Fame; working with some incredible colleagues, especially Kyle Newman and Troy Renck; crazy, fun times in the press box with the crew; covering games at all 30 major league ballparks; having Coors Field as my office on perfect summer nights; and forming a friendship with MLB.com’s Thomas Harding, with whom I’ve had a bromance for 25 years.

I’ll be writing a farewell story soon, so keep an eye out for it.

Did you expect T.J. Rumfield to be our breakout star this season? I certainly didn’t, but, boy, is it nice to have a solution at first base after so many years of failed experiments. Do you think he’ll win the Rookie of the Year award?

— Mike, Denver

Mike, I was excited about Rumfield after seeing him play in spring training and reading the reports on his skill set. As I wrote in February: “T.J. Rumfield was a big-league first baseman trapped in Triple-A limbo.”

But I have been surprised by the quality of his at-bats; he’s been hitting like a seasoned veteran. His glove work at first base has been outstanding.

However, I don’t think he’ll be named the National League’s top rookie, for a few reasons.

First, he plays in Colorado for a team with the worst record in baseball and he’s not going to get much attention from the baseball writers who vote for the award.

Second, he plays his home games at Coors Field, which will automatically disqualify him in the minds of some voters. That’s a shame, because he’s hit just as well on the road as at home. At Coors, he’s slashing .263/.353/.449 (.802 OPS), with five homers and 22 RBIs. On the road, he’s slashing .287/.359/.465 with four homers and 12 RBIs.

Third, there are several strong candidates, led by Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt, Reds first baseman Sal Stewart, and Mets right-hander Nolan McLean.

Are you surprised, disappointed, or comfortably numb by how the Rockies have performed so far this season?

— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.

Comfortably numb? You must be a Pink Floyd fan.

Anyway, I’m not sure my characterization is on your list. I would say mildly encouraged, but the state of the pitching staff is a huge concern.

Hey Patrick! Who do you think has the best shot at becoming our lone representative at the All-Star Game? I thought it was going to be Mickey Moniak before he went on IL. I feel like our best shots are Hunter Goodman, Antonio Senzatela or Tomoyuki Sugano.

— Ryan, Aurora

Ryan, the Rockies will have only one representative, and it’s going to be Goodman for the second consecutive season. As I write this, he’s slashing .255/.327/.537 (.864 OPS) with 27 RBIs.

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

This is the first time in a long time that I feel good about the future of our team. What do you think is the most optimistic yet realistic expectation we should have? I feel like 70 wins is the ceiling, and a couple of our prospects emerge with solid seasons, like Zac Veen and Chase Dollander. What do you think?

— Marshall, Parker

Marshall, your optimism is refreshing. I do feel like there was a new energy at spring training, and the players have bought into the Rockies’ new direction under Paul Depodesta, the president of baseball operations, and manager Warren Schaeffer.

To reach 70 wins, the Rockies would have to improve by 27 games from their 43-119 record. That would be a quantum leap, and I don’t see it happening. You have to remember that Colorado was outscored by 424 runs last season.

The infamous Chicago White Sox went from 41-214 in 2024 to 60-102 in ’25. If the Rockies lose only 102 games this season, that would be progress.

Renck: What’s new with Rockies pitching staff? Chase Dollander will show you

I think Dollander will improve markedly this season, though he's not a lock to break camp as a member of the starting rotation. I don't believe that Zac Veen will make the 26-man roster out of camp, and I don't know if he'll make a big-league impact this season.

The three young players I'm most intrigued by are third baseman Kyle Karros, first baseman TJ Rumfield, and utility player Ryan Ritter.

And, of course, the Rockies need comeback seasons from shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and center fielder Brenton Doyle, whom I wrote about on Sunday.

Rockies’ rebuild in 2026 depends on Gold Glove performances by Ezequiel Tovar, Brenton Doyle

Great spring training reports and insight into 2026. I was looking over the Rockies' players who made the World Baseball Classic rosters. The only one of note was Ezequiel Tovar playing for Venezuela. Tovar is one of the best-performing Rockies so far. I am not sure who to come to the ballpark to really get a glimpse of stardom (from the home team, of course), who do you see being worthy to pay to see, and who might emerge at this year's Troy Tulowitzki or Nolan Arenado?

— Robert Emmerling, Limon

Thanks for the compliment, Robert; it's appreciated.

I don't see anyone bursting on the scene as Arenado did in 2013 when he won a Gold Glove as a rookie, or as Story did in 2016 when he mashed 27 home runs and hit .273 in 97 games. Story likely would have been the rookie of the year if he hadn't torn ligaments in his left thumb and missed the rest of the season.

But, to answer your question, I'll go with third baseman Kyle Karros. He's capable of Arenado-like plays, and I think he's going to become a force at the plate, too.

I'm kind of blown away that the oldest hitter on the Rockies' roster is 28. That has to be a record for the youngest offense. They know Kris Bryant is not going to be there. It appears to be a poor decision by the GM and the manager not to have a veteran professional hitter mentoring these kids. No team does this. Why didn't they pick up a Randal Grichuk or Justin Turner, Tommy Pham, or Rhys Hoskins, all still available? The Rockies just keep doing things nobody else in MLB does. Why?

— Harvey, Denver

I totally disagree with you, Harvey. The Rockies brought in Willi Castro, 28, to be a veteran catalyst on the team. Given the team's payroll constraints right now (they owe Bryant $27 million this season) and with a labor war looming, it wouldn't have made sense to spend money on an over-the-hill veteran hitter. The Rockies need their young players to play.

I think you're going to see growth from players such as Jordan Beck, Kyle Karros, and TJ Rumfield. Where the Rockies desperately needed some veteran stability was in their starting rotation. They addressed that issue by signing Tomoyuki Sugano, Jose Quintana, and Michael Lorenzen.

Can Rockies fix swing-and-whiff offense from disastrous 2025? New hitting coach keeps it simple

Has covering the Rockies gone from one of the worst beat jobs to one of the most interesting? They've gone from unwilling to change (and change from being horrible) to willing to try anything new with a cutting-edge coaching staff and upper management that went from never doing or saying anything to Moneyball 2.0 at altitude, where moves are frequently made and always explained in depth by Paul Depodesta. It also seems like a much more interesting mix of players this spring than in the past five years. Are you enjoying the switch as a reporter as much as I'm enjoying it as a fan?

— Isaac Bowen, Fort Collins

Holy cow, Isaac! Hold your horses!  I love your enthusiasm and optimism, but I've become much too cynical to jump on your bandwagon (wow, I used three cliches in three sentences).

I will say this: things will be more interesting. I'm thankful for that, and it should be fun to watch this team improve. But it's not one of the most interesting beats in baseball. Covering a team in the thick of the race in August and September is what I hope for before I retire.

He was interested in becoming the long-term GM. He didn’t believe the Rockies needed “rebuilding.” And he said Job No. 1 was to “Get everybody pulling on the rope in the same direction. Not only the players, but the whole organization.”

Then there’s this: “At the end of the day, I realize we need to win games.”

Schmidt was named the long-term GM on Oct. 2, 2021, but his vision of what the Rockies could become has never materialized.

Now, as the Rockies near the end of the worst season in franchise history and remain on track for one of the worst seasons in big-league history, it’s clear Schmidt’s tenure has been a failure. Colorado entered the weekend with a 40-107 record (on pace to lose 117 games), and the team had a 224-407 record on Schmidt’s watch, a .355 winning percentage that is by far the worst of any Colorado GM.

The Rockies have not publicly commented on Schmidt’s future, but it appears likely that he will be fired or reassigned at the end of the season.

When the club fired longtime manager Bud Black after the team opened the season with a 7-33 record, owner Dick Monfort issued a statement that read, “Our play this season, especially coming off the last two seasons, has been unacceptable. While we all share responsibility in how this season has played out, these changes are necessary. We will use the remainder of 2025 to improve where we can on the field and to evaluate all areas of our operation so we can properly turn the page into the next chapter of Rockies baseball.”

“Unacceptable” and “evaluate all areas of our operation” were key points in that statement, and they surely apply to Schmidt — not just Black and the players.

The following is an analysis of Schmidt’s tenure as GM:

Free-agent signings

Relative to many major league teams, the Rockies have been minor players in baseball’s free-agent game during Schmidt’s tenure. The exception was the spring 2022 signing of Kris Bryant to a seven-year, $182 million contract, the largest in franchise history.

Bryant has played in just 11 games this season and only 170 in his first four seasons with the franchise. He has been worth a minus-1.6 rWAR over that time and hit only 17 home runs. His chronic lower back condition — the team calls it “lumbar degenerative disc disease” — could mean that his career is over. Regardless, the Rockies still owe Bryant $27 million in 2026, ’27 and ’28.

Schmidt initially envisioned Bryant as the Rockies’ “aircraft carrier,” but national baseball pundits almost universally panned the signing immediately after it was reported. While it was Monfort who pushed for Bryant to come to Colorado, there’s no indication Schmidt pushed back on the deal, either.

Schmidt’s other “major” free-agent signings:

• Outfielder Juricson Profar, 2023, one year, $7.75 million.

• Right-handed reliever Alex Colome, 2022, one year, $4.1 million.

• Right-handed starter Jose Urena, 2023, re-signed, one year, $3.5 million.

• Utility player Kyle Farmer, 2025, one year, $3.25 million.

• Second baseman Thairo Estrada, 2025, one year, $3.25 million.

Whether it was because of injuries (Estrada) or poor play (Profar), none of those deals yielded a big return.

It should be noted that Monfort’s desire to sign Bryant to a mega-deal, coupled with his decision to reduce the club’s 40-man payroll from $171 million in 2023 to $122.3 million this season, hindered Schmidt’s efforts to build a better team.

The Rockies have rarely been active in free agency, even before Schmidt’s tenure, but the GM’s inability to mine the margins of the market for productive players didn’t help.

Contract extensions

Schmidt, who served as Colorado’s head of scouting since 2007 before his promotion, certainly believes in the players he drafted or acquired. During his tenure as GM, he extended the contracts of several players, most notably left-hander Kyle Freeland and third baseman Ryan McMahon in the spring of 2022, and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar during spring training 2024.

Tovar’s seven-year, $63.5 million extension appears to be a big win for the Rockies and is easily one of Schmidt’s best moves. The other extensions are more questionable.

Three days after signing Bryant, Colorado signed McMahon to a six-year, $70 million extension, revealing Schmidt’s blueprint.

“We don’t have all we need yet, but we have quality pieces,” Schmidt said at the time. “Let����ap tie them up and move forward.”

A month later, the Rockies signed Freeland to a five-year, $64.5 million extension. The 32-year-old remains with the team as a steady, veteran presence in Colorado’s historically bad rotation. McMahon was traded to the Yankees in July for prospects. Though he was Colorado’s lone All-Star in 2024, his high strikeout rate and streaky hitting prevented him from ever becoming the player the Rockies envisioned.

The Freeland and McMahon signings ended Schmidt’s most active stretch as a GM. In the fall of 2021, after the Rockies lost star shortstop Trevor Story and right-handed starter Jon Gray to free agency, Colorado brokered long-term deals with right-hander Antonio Senzatela (five years, $55 million) and catcher Elias Diaz (three years, $14 million), and also re-signed first baseman C.J. Cron for two years ($14.5 million).

Dias and Cron were both All-Stars, but the Senzatela extension has aged poorly. A knee injury at the end of the 2022 season and Tommy John surgery in July 2023 cost him dearly, and he’s been bad since his return. This season, the 30-year-old was 4-15 with a 7.15 ERA in 24 games (23 starts), and batters were hitting .356 against him when he was demoted to the bullpen in August. Senzatela has one year remaining on his contract and is set to earn $12 million in 2026.

Reliever Daniel Bard’s contract extension also backfired on Schmidt. In late July 2022, just ahead of the trade deadline, Bard inked a two-year, $19 million contract to stay with the team through 2024. He was a solid closer at the time, and teams were interested in acquiring Bard. But he was also 37 with a history of the yips.

Bard’s control issues resurfaced in 2023 when he posted a 4.56 ERA across 49 1/3 innings while walking more than 21% of opposing hitters. Injuries wiped out the second season of the deal.

Trade or no trade

Schmidt’s first summer as GM included two major decisions. The Rockies did not trade Story or Gray, both impending free agents. Instead, the Rockies offered Story an $18.4 million qualifying offer, which he declined. As compensation, when Story signed a six-year, $140 million deal with the Red Sox, the Rockies received the 31st overall pick in the 2022 draft and selected Florida outfielder Sterlin Thompson, now the club’s 16th-ranked prospect.

The Rockies were hopeful they could retain Gray. During the final week of the 2021 season, they approached him with an offer thought to be three or four years in the range of $35 million to $40 million. He turned it down, entered free agency, and the Rockies got nothing when he walked.

Such inaction at the trade deadline has been a hallmark of the organization. While that’s also been true during Schmidt’s tenure, he has strengthened the big-league roster and farm system by making some solid moves over the last two years.

On the current roster, right fielder Tyler Freeman, closer Victor Vodnik and right-handed starter Tanner Gordon were all acquired via trades. Players on the 40-man roster acquired via trade are right-handers Bradley Blalock, Luis Peralta and Jeff Criswell.

At this summer’s traded deadline, the Rockies made multiple trades for their future, shipping McMahon to the Yankees for two prospects; trading reliever Jake Bird to the Yankees for two more prospects, and dealing veteran right-handed reliever Tyler Kinley to Atlanta in exchange for minor league right-hander Austin Smith.

It remains to be seen if any of those trades will pan out

Draft and develop

Before Schmidt became GM, he had been the point man for many drafts as the head of the scouting department since 1999.

During his tenure, several notable players were drafted, including Troy Tulowitzki, Jeff Francis, Brad Hawpe, Garrett Atkins, Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, Freeland, Gray, Story and McMahon.

But there’s been a landslide of early-round disappointments in recent years, including second baseman Brendon Rodgers (third overall, 2015), right-hander Riley Pint (fourth, 2016), infielder Ryan Vilade (48th, 2017), lefty Ryan Rolison (22nd, 2018), and first baseman Michael Toglia (23rd, 2019). The jury is still out on outfielders Zac Veen (ninth, 2020) and Benny Montgomery (eighth, 2021).

Catcher Hunter Goodman (109th, 2021) and center fielder Brenton Doyle (129th, 2019) were picked later in the draft but have emerged as pillars of Colorado’s future.

Still, over the past nine years, the Rockies have had five top-10 picks and nine others in the top 42, and those 14 picks have combined for -1.7 bWAR.

Former GM Jeff Bridich had the final say on several of those picks, but Schmidt had the final word starting with the 2022 draft. Early results are solid. His selections include right-hander Gabriel Hughes (10th, 2022) and first baseman Charlie Condon (third, 2024), both of whom could debut next season.

Already on the big-league roster are right-hander Chase Dollander (ninth, 2023), infielder Ryan Ritters (116th, 2022) and Kyle Karros (145th, 2023), and outfielder Jordan Beck (38th, 2022).

Change on the horizon?

When Schmidt replaced Bridich in early May 2021, he provided stability to a dysfunctional front office. There was, however, an expectation that the Rockies would conduct a search outside the offices at 20th and Black for a permanent GM.

That didn’t happen. After a 10-18 start under Bridich, the Rockies went 64-69 after Schmidt took over. That was good enough to convince Monfort and then-team president Greg Feasel to keep Schmidt in place.

“It was what he did over the four months, and then it just kept building, and I mean, really, he didn’t give us a choice,” Feasel said at the time. “I mean, the intent was that we were going to go outside.

“But, I mean, how many times do you need to be hit over the head with a bat? And he was the right guy for us at the right time.”

Three 100-loss seasons later, the Rockies have hit a new low in their 33-year history. Will someone from the outside have the talent, vision and guts to tackle the challenge of a rebuild? Will Monfort and his son Walker, the team’s executive vice president, cede power to an outsider?

Some candidates with ties to Colorado might be considered. Thad Levine, who was in the Rockies’ front office from 1999 to 2005 before becoming assistant GM of the Texas Rangers and GM of the Minnesota Twins, would be a good fit. So would Seattle Mariners GM Jerry Dipoto, who pitched for the Rockies and served two stints in their front office, or perhaps Mariners assistant GM Andy McKay, who was Colorado’s minor league peak performance director from 2012-16 before joining Seattle as farm director.

Whatever happens, front-office changes in LoDo appear inevitable.

Rockies general managers, by record

The Rockies have only had four general managers in their 33-year history, and none of them posted a winning record during their tenure. The best of the bunch, as measured by winning percentage? The very first one, Bob Gebhard.

Just because the Rockies promoted Walker Monfort to executive vice president does not mean that baseball’s worst team is moving in the right direction.

They need to repo the franchise, not a nepo hire.

If the Rockies aspire to mediocrity in five years, then this move makes sense. And when team president Greg Feasel officially exits at season’s end, they will be better for his absence.

But Monfort, who is humble enough to know what he doesn’t know about baseball, will not make a difference without bringing in an outside mentor. The Rockies must hire an external president for baseball operations, a window left open with Walker’s new title (Former Rangers, Twins and Rockies executive Thad Levine should be a candidate).

Walker, remember, has learned under his dad, Dick Monfort, and Feasel. That doesn’t inspire confidence.

You know what would? If the first directive to his father is to fire general manager Bill Schmidt. Feasel’s exit needs to be a domino, not a single tree falling in the forest behind the center field fence at Coors Field.

Everyone knows Schmidt will get canned. The only question is when. All layers of insulation are gone with Feasel on the way out and manager Bud Black pink-slipped. Schmidt has proven he is not good at his job, which extends beyond the record to a roster that features roughly nine to 12 big leaguers on a given night.

The MLB draft and trade deadline remain the two most important days to reshape a franchise. It makes no sense to leave Schmidt in charge of these decisions. He lost that privilege with too many empty early-round picks and letting Jon Gray and Trevor Story walk in free agency.

The Rockies will argue that Schmidt should stay for the draft on July 13 because, unlike good general managers, he immerses himself in the process. That should be left to scouts and their directors, which it is in effective organizations. But Schmidt was forever in charge of the selections and continues to be involved by all accounts.

Keeping him in place empowers the silo thinking that has doomed this franchise (and yes, that is why Walker Monfort’s new title deserves extreme skepticism). Schmidt has whiffed too many times to be in a position of power. He needs to go, and take assistant GM Zack Rosenthal with him.

Scouts surely know Schmidt will get axed, which normally would create freedom to take chances. But if Schmidt stays in the room and on the text chain, it will prevent them from disagreeing or veering from his mindset.

If you want the food to taste differently, you hire a new chef. You don’t sprinkle salt and pepper.

There is nothing to be gained by Schmidt staying, other than Dick Monfort staying loyal for all the wrong reasons.

And the trade deadline on July 31 only strengthens the argument for Schmidt����ap dismissal.

He has a history of operating out of fear, afraid to make seismic changes. He is not completely to blame. The Rockies, for years, have cultivated a leadership style of CYA and self-preservation. Better to sit tight and play the victim than take a risk with independent thinking and innovation.

Baseball industry folks insist that Schmidt is serious about making trades this July, looking to ship out Ryan McMahon, German Marquez, Austin Gomber and possibly even Jake Bird. For McMahon, it is a year too late, but he could fetch a decent prospect because of his power and defense. Marquez and Gomber have minimal value and Bird, the Rockies’ best chip, likely will be kept because this is how Schmidt operates (see Daniel Bard, Brent Suter).

So again, why do they need him around?

Schmidt is not in a high-stakes staredown with franchise icons like Troy Tulowitzki and Nolan Arenado. He is playing at the penny slot machines. Anyone in pro scouting and baseball operations — ideally, a fresh set of eyes from a consultant — can execute these moves. Heck, a few more teams might call if Danny Montgomery, the assistant GM of scouting, is in charge.

Regardless, Schmidt should not be the one charting the future.

For all of my criticism of Feasel and Schmidt, Dick Monfort put them in positions where they were not capable of doing the job or challenging authority. This mess is on him more than anyone.

Walker Monfort must take that into consideration. Don’t act like you hit a triple because you were born on third base. This job, more than any other time in franchise history, demands humility and transparency.

Walker has always been open to new ideas. And he has strong opinions. That cannot change now because of his new title. If anything, that part of his part personality must be amplified because the obvious question lingers: Will he become a yes man to his dad like so many before him?

The Rockies finally did something Thursday that almost hints at self-awareness. But this first step off the porch will be another rake in the face without a complete overhaul and Dick Monfort empowering the front office to make decisions without his influence.

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

Hi Patrick! Longtime fan of the mailbag. I have been boycotting this team since watching upper management squander DJ LeMahieu, Troy Tulowitzki and Nolan Arenado, and getting nothing back for any of them. In my view, it doesn’t matter what hot young prospects we hit on; ownership and our general manager don’t know how to build a franchise in the most basic ways. Given that, what hope is there that Dick Monfort sells the team (none?) or appoints a qualified outsider as head of baseball operations (as opposed to organizational nepotism)? How bad would things have to get? They can’t get much worse!

— Sam, Denver

Sam, I’ve had recent conversations with several people who used to be with the organization and genuinely care about the Rockies. They are discouraged and embarrassed about what’s happening.

Knowing that Dick Monfort is not going to sell the team and is also reluctant to make sweeping changes, one savvy baseball person offered suggestions. According to him, the Rockies should:

• Hire a strong, independent baseball mind from outside the organization to do a thorough evaluation of the franchise.

• Examine all departments, including front office, scouting, manager, player development, big-league coaching, analytics, and even ticket sales.

• Evaluate the organization for the remainder of the season and then implement necessary changes.

• Hire a new team president to oversee baseball operations; someone who has the power to take most baseball decisions out of Monfort’s hands. Perhaps the new president is the person hired to evaluate the organization, or maybe it’s someone else.

Hey Patrick, I’m a lifelong Rockies fan and recently, as I think we all can agree, it����ap been quite disheartening.

I love our players, our ballpark, and childhood memories with my family at 20th and Blake. Now I proudly represent Colorado in New York City amongst a sea of Yankees and Mets fans. However, lately I’ve been asking myself: Who am I rooting for?

It����ap feeling like I am rooting for an organization that doesn’t care about me as a fan at all. Which leads me to my ultimate question: What can we, as fans, do? I’ve heard whispers about boycotting games. I’ve refrained from buying a sleek new City Connect jersey until I feel the team is headed in a better direction in order to “vote with my dollar,” but even that all feels pointless.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. Somebody has to change something: Could the fans be the ones to inspire a more competitive culture? Can we demand that ownership increase the analytics department?

Thanks for your time!

— Erik, New York City

Erik, I don’t usually respond to such lengthy opinions/questions. However, you effectively summarize the feelings of many fans who have reached out to me.

I don’t have any real answers to your questions. I am not an advocate of boycotting the team because it would hurt the workers at Coors Field, as well as the businesses around the ballpark. Also, it’s not my place to tell fans how to spend their money, but I completely understand why some fans have given up on a team on its way to a seventh consecutive losing season and started this season 4-24 through Monday night.

Should the Rockies increase the size of their analytics department? Yes. However, I’m unsure how anyone can “demand it.”

Zac Veen is now performing worse, statistically speaking, than Jordan Beck, the man who was sent down to create room for Veen. Should we expect the two of them to change places again? Question two: Do you have any good news to share about Thairo Estrada’s status?

— John Godfrey, Sebastopol, Calif.

John, your question was submitted before the Rockies recalled Beck and sent Veen back down to Triple-A Albuquerque.

It was clear that Veen was not ready to face major league pitching. The Rockies knew that but when Beck struggled so mightily to begin the season, the club figured promoting Veen was worth a shot. Let him test the waters.

But Veen was consistently getting beaten by fastballs up in the zone. In 12 games, he hit .118 with one home run and two RBIs. He struck out 14 times in 37 plate appearances (37.8%). He was also unsteady in the outfield. The demotion to Triple-A was needed.

Beck seemed to have found his swing during his short stint with the Isotopes. When he returned, he was timing up fastballs much better and put together a nice hot streak, getting a hit in six of eight games, batting .346 (9 for 26) with one triple, five home runs and nine RBIs.

At this point, Beck is a better overall player than Veen.

As for Estrada, he was recently placed on the 60-day injured list, but he’s making steady progress as he recovers from his fractured wrist. I don’t have an exact timetable for his return, but it will be in May.

Like many, I have been shocked at the inability of many Rockies players to make contact with fastballs in the strike zone that are catching a good chunk of the plate. We know they can’t acquire good hitters (Kris Bryant, Daniel Murphy, Ian Desmond …) but do you have any sense on if the failure of young Rockies hitters is more from a scouting/drafting side or does it have more to do with a failure to coach and develop players along the way? Or will we forget this question when Zac Veen, Jordan Beck and Michael Toglia are 2026 All-Stars?

— Isaac Bowen, Fort Collins

Isaac, the Rockies’ inability to hit fastballs and put the ball in play is maddening, to you, me, manager Bud Black, the front office, etc. The Rockies’ 28.3% strikeout rate is the highest in baseball.

In comparison, the Padres’ strikeout rate is 18.4% and the Dodgers’ is 22%. Plus, the Dodgers have hit 46 home runs vs. 24 by the Rockies.

It’s a massive problem without a simple solution. Perhaps Clint Hurdle, the new interim hitting coach, can make a difference, but he won’t turn things around in a few months.

In my opinion, the Rockies have done a poor job of drafting players who profile well at Coors Field. Or, if they did pick the right players, those players haven’t developed as the team hoped at the major league level.

However, make no mistake, the players themselves must also be held accountable. There is a stubbornness, or simply an inability, among many players to make the necessary adjustments. Michael Toglia and Ryan McMahon come to mind. Brenton Doyle is an exception. After a tough 2023 season (.203 average, 10 home runs, 35.0% K rate), he made significant adjustments in his swing and improved dramatically in 2024 (.260, 23, 25.4%)

Is Scott Servais a candidate to replace Bud Black?

— Garland McGarvey, Coon Valley, Wis.

I have not heard that. Nor have I heard that Black will be fired, though it wouldn’t shock me or anybody if he is. I have no idea if Servais would be a good fit for the rebuilding Rockies.

I would think that if the Rockies are going to make significant changes, both general manager Bill Schmidt and Black would be fired, a new GM would be hired, and he would play a major role in hiring the next manager. That would be the logical way to do it — if the Rockies clean house.

By the way, Servais was in his ninth season with Seattle when he was fired by the Mariners last August. He was the majors’ second-longest-tenured manager with the same team, along with the Dodgers’ Dave Roberts, and behind only the Rays’ Kevin Cash. Servais was 680-642 with the Mariners.

What is going on with Michael Toglia? The strikeouts are high, of course. However, it looks worse with the at-bats he’s giving. Is he being too stubborn to make adjustments to increase his contact rate? Lastly, if improvements do not materialize, is there any chance the Rockies could move on from him next season?

— Jason, Visalia, Calif.

Jason, great question. I’ve been hard on Toglia because he has so much potential. The Rockies believe that, too. The fact that he’s a terrific first baseman and a switch-hitter makes him a tantalizing talent who has a lot left to prove.

Toglia has hit much better lately. Over his last 10 games (entering Tuesday night), he was slashing .294/.342/.412 with one home run and six RBIs. His strikeout rate was 23.7%.

However, for the season, Togila is slashing .214/.257/.316 with two home runs, 11 RBIs and a strikeout rate of 39%.

Toglia has a long swing and “long levers,” so he is strikeout-prone. I do believe he’s stubborn, especially when it comes to shortening his swing and altering his two-strike approach.

With the hiring of Clint Hurdle, is it possible he’s being put in the position to take over as manager, perhaps as an interim bridge to a new manager or a more permanent one?

— Colin Orr, Castaic, Calif.

Colin, there was a lot of speculation about that when Hurdle was hired as the interim hitting coach, replacing Hensley “Bam Bam” Meulens. It’s possible that Hurdle could step in as manager if Bud Black is fired, but I don’t believe that’s the reason Hurdle was hired. I also don’t think Hurdle wants to be the manager of the future, nor do I think he should be. If Black does get fired, the Rockies need to hire someone from outside the organization.

What letter grade do you give the Rockies for their effort and record after one month of the season? Better yet, why that grade?

— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.

Ed, the effort is a solid B. The players are trying hard, but the team lacks talent and experience. The results are a solid F. There is no other grade you can give a team that opened the season 4-24, joining the 2003 Tigers, 1988 Orioles and 1936 St. Louis Browns as the only teams since 1901 to lose at least 24 of their first 28 games.

After 32 years, assuming the Monforts keep control of the team, what year would you honestly predict that they will first win the division? What odds would make you want to bet that they will EVER win the division under current ownership?

— WGLarry, Denver

WG, or is it Larry? Anyway, that’s a loaded question. I have no crystal ball, so let me put it this way: The Rockies’ best shot to win a division title would come sometime in the 2030s when, or if, Major League Baseball expands to 32 teams and realigns the divisions. If the Rockies were no longer in the NL West with the Dodgers, perhaps they could win their first division title.

Is it tough to report on a team that is this bad year in and year out?

— Rece Lampe, Fort Collins

Rece, the answer is yes, for several reasons. First of all, when a team is as bad as the Rockies have been, interest (and readership) goes down. Secondly, most players, who are already guarded when talking to the media, become even more guarded. Plus, it’s challenging to find players to talk to in a losing clubhouse. Third, it’s not nearly as much fun to write about a losing team. Ultimately, covering baseball is a grind, regardless of a team’s performance.

Having said all of that, I have to remind myself that I have a pretty cool job. I was reminded of that on Monday night when I took a group of University of Colorado students to the game at Coors Field (I teach a sports journalism class at CU). Witnessing their level of excitement reminded me that I have a cool job. But it would undoubtedly be more fun covering a 100-win team versus a 100-loss team.