Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag.
Pose a Rockies — or MLB — related question for the Rockies Mailbag.
Answer this multiple choice question on the early season exit for Nolan Arenado:
1: Actually hurt not able to play?
2: Better not to have more negative year-end stats to impact potential trade value?
3: Need to evaluate either Ryan McMahon or cousin (Josh Fuentes) at third for any or all potential options?
4: GM and player relationship has hit the toilet?
Or all of the above?
— Bob Clancy, Denver
Wow, now I’m getting edicts and instructions from readers! It’s been a tough summer.
I’m kidding. Kind of, sort of.
Anyway, I’m going to take your questions one by one.
1. Arenado is hurt and the shoulder injury has bothered him more, and for much longer than any of us knew. If the Rockies were legitimately in the playoff hunt he would have tried to play through the pain but I’m not sure he would have helped a struggling offense. It was wise for him to sit.
2. There is no truth to this question. One abbreviated season is not going to diminish his trade value. His track record trumps this slump. He’s only 29 and still in the prime of his career.
3. Again, this is not the reason Arenado is sitting. The Rockies know what McMahon can do and Fuentes is getting plenty of playing time at first.
4. I don’t know if you can say the relationship between general manager Jeff Bridich and Arenado has “hit the toilet.” From what I’ve been told it’s more like a chilly co-existence. I don’t think Arenado getting shut down for the season has anything to do with his relationship with the GM.
I would imagine teams won’t be willing to give up equal value for Arenado due to his large contract in today’s environment. Any chance the Rockies keep him for another year until they get an offer they like? Conversely, his value goes down if you wait another year. Seems like a lose-lose situation.
— Pete, Denver
Pete, as I wrote in Monday’s paper after Arenado sat out the home finale at Coors Field, we might have seen him play his last game in a Rockies uniform. But the emphasis is on “might.”
Because you’re right, baseball’s financial landscape has changed because of the coronavirus pandemic and I don’t know if another team will trade for Arenado and pay him $35 million in 2021 with his contract allowing for an opt-out after the season. Someone I know and trust on the Rockies says it’s a 50-50 proposition a trade goes down.
To your point, if the Rockies are going to trade Arenado next year, it would most likely be before the trade deadline so they could get something rather than just letting Arenado walk at the end of the season.
Finally, I used to be convinced that Arenado would walk after 2021 if he didn’t get traded, but now I’m not so sure because on the open market he’d probably not get anything to equal his current contract. After 2021, the Rockies would still have to pay him $167 million over the next five years of his current deal. Would anyone else match that?
I should preface this question with the acknowledgment that I am a HUGE Arenado fan, but I found Kevin Pillar’s comments interesting after Game 1 in San Francisco. Do you think Arenado’s intensity and expectations weigh heavy on the rest of the team? I know, tiny sample size, but they played well the two days he wasn’t there. They just hope his frustrations aren’t leaking toxins into the clubhouse. Love the guy, just wish he would take some of the pressure off himself and play ball loose.
— Kevin, Monterey, Calif.
Kevin, I think that’s a fair question. For those who missed it, this is what Pillar said after Monday night’s game when asked about winning at San Francisco:
“I don’t know if it was getting out of the ballpark (Coors Field), facing a different team, I don’t know what it was. But the feeling in the dugout before the game, even lunch with these guys in the food room, and during stretching, batting practice just felt different, for whatever reason.
“I don’t know if with Nolan (going to the IL), maybe the pressure of this team to perform kind of disappeared a little bit. Guys maybe sense that the end is coming, that we’re within one week from either going to the postseason or going home, but everyone seemed to be in a really good mood today — maybe it was the fresh air coming off the coast today.”
First of all, I don’t think Arenado’s grievance with the front office has leaked and spread to the other players. I’ve actually asked a couple of players about this (off the record) and they told me that it is not the case.
Does Arenado’s intensity make other player tense up? I don’t think so. But his inability this season to drive in runs from the No. 3 of No. 4 spot in the order was a big reason for the struggles of Colorado’s offense. A few big hits here or there from Arenado would have taken the heat of some of his teammates.
Why does it seem that Rockies’ pitchers cannot sustain respectable winning percentages for multiple years? The acquisitions of a relief corps — Wade Davis, Bryan Shaw and Jake McGee — didn’t reap benefits. So what now? One wonders if sustained winning is believable at 20th and Blake. Thanks for covering a very difficult season on many levels. Cheers!
— Robert Emmerling, Parker
Hey Robert, the tone of your question tells me that you already have an inkling of the answer I’m going to give you. I know fans don’t like to hear that pitching at altitude is an excuse for poor performance, but there is no denying that pitching in Denver takes its toll — mentally and physically. A former Rockies reliever once told me that once he left Colorado he realized that pitching at Coors was like “pitching on the moon.”
The bottom line is that pitching in Denver is like no other challenge in baseball. Having said that, I don’t think that’s the only reason the trip of high-priced relievers flamed out. But I do believe that a player like Davis, who was used to having his pitches behave a certain way, started working harder to get the ball to break. Pitching at altitude puts a huge strain on pitchers’ arms and shoulders.
After the failures of Davis, McGee and Shaw, I wonder if quality relievers will steer clear of three-year contract with the Rockies in the future, or if the Rockies will even think about offering those kinds of deals again. The Rockies paid $106 million for the trio and none of the three finished out their contracts in Colorado.
I am officially done with the Rockies. I have been a diehard fan since the beginning. But Dick Monfort and his trusty sidekick Bridich have officially blown this season and the team. Arenado is gone, either via trade or after next season. If Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon are smart they will not stick around for long. Until Monfort relinquishes control, this team will be a disaster after disaster with a sprinkle of “wow look at us” season in between. OK, I am now off my soap box.
— Del, Lamar
Well, Del, I let you speak your mind. Since there really is no question raised, all I can add is that I think it would be smart for the Rockies to go outside the organization and hire a team president to work between Monfort and Bridich and add fresh perspective to the team. Will that happen? I doubt it.
Monfort is very involved with the team and I’m not sure he’ll give that up. One prominent agent told me that Monfort is the most hands-on owner in baseball, for good and for bad.
Patrick, I know you’re limited in your ability to do tough articles on the team because of your relationship as a beat writer, so you may not be in a position to do this. It seems that every time this season the Rockies have faced a crucial defensive inning, they’ve gotten blown out because Carlos Estevez was brought in.
Last week’s Dodgers’ game — where we were tied 2-2 in the seventh and down 7-2 after he pitches 1/3 of an inning — is simply the most recent. It seems like over and over, in the defensive innings that has determined the fate of the team, his performance has not just been disappointing, it’s been insurmountably bad. He doesn’t just give up a run or two, he gives up tons of them. When he’s pulled, we aren’t even in the game anymore.
On offense, there are lots of culprits. For pitching, while everybody has a bad outing here and there, it seems like his have been both extremely impactful and epically bad. If you could review that, maybe in a season retrospective, I’d love to see if that’s correct.
Thanks, as always, for the great job you do covering the team I love.
— Allen, San Antonio
Allen, you’re correct that I can’t hammer the team I cover, at least not like a columnist does, but I hope I’m reasonably tough and critical of the team. There are those, including some people in the Rockies organization, who think I’m too negative and too critical. And there are fans who think I’m not nearly tough enough. I guess it depends on perspective.
Anyway, in regard to Estevez, I think he’s one of the biggest disappointments of the season. He’s got great stuff – a fastball that reaches 98-99 mph and a hard slider – but his command got worse as the season went on.
In four appearances in July, Estevez had a 0.00 ERA and a .133 batting average against.
In 12 games in August, the right-hander had a 5.11 ERA and a .308 average against.
In eight games in September he has a 20.65 ERA with a .452 average against.
Clearly, opposing hitters have been teeing off on him.
I think manager Bud Black stuck with him in high-leverage innings longer than he should have, but in defense of Black, he hasn’t had a lot of better options.
I’d like to see Brendan Rogers get another shot at playing with the Rockies this year. Do you think he will get called up shortly?
— Buddy Buder, Windsor, Conn.
Buddy, with just seven games left in the season (I’m writing this before Tuesday night’s game at San Francisco) I doubt Rogers gets another chance this year. He remains a big question mark because he’s seen so little playing time at the major league level.
With all of the postponed games this season, due to COVID-19 and racial injustice, will there be time to make up all of the postponed games?
— Judy Frieman, Denver
Judy, most teams have made up their games via doubleheaders, but the Tigers will finish up having played only 58 of 60 games. All of the other teams, I believe, will end up playing all 60 games.
Patrick, when you mentioned a few bright spots in your Sunday column, you left out Fuentes. Why?
— Steve, Centennial
Steve, it was simply an oversight on my part. Which is weird because he’s become one of best players on the team to cover, and because I recently wrote a lengthy feature on his baseball roots and how’s he’s come out of the shadows to be an everyday player.
He’s not only performing very well at first base and at the plate, he has the kind of fun, infectious personality that can help loosen up a team. Fuentes has certainly paid his dues and I’m sure it hasn’t been easy being referenced as “Nolan Arenado’s cousin,” but now he’s making his mark all on his own. It’s great to see.
Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag.
Pose a Rockies — or MLB — related question for the Rockies Mailbag.
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