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.
No surprise that we lead off this week’s Rockies mailbag with two questions about Nolan Arenado, who’s become the “Human Trade Rumor.”
I just saw a hot stove topic that the Dodgers are kicking the tires on a possible Nolan Arenado trade. As much as I would hate to see Arenado go, especially to a divisional team, this would make sense. Arenado and Jeff Bridich are way past talking terms regardless of what reporters say. Arenado will get to play for a contender year in and year out, Rockies will get a stockpile of prospects in which only one or two will pan out and the Rockies will get rid of them anyway. And owner Dick Monfort gets to keep the team average or below average for the next few years.
Obviously I hope I am wrong with my last couple of reasons. But want your thoughts on if you think this would be a good deal for the Dodgers, Rockies or both.
— Del, Lamar
Can you talk through the logistics of an Arenado trade? Is getting him to waive the opt out in his contract to get more in return for a trade a realistic possibility?
— Bradley Buchner, Asheville, N.C.
Bradley, how is Ashville? I’ve heard great things about your city but I’ve never been. It’s on my bucket list. And Del, it’s pretty cool that the Lamar High School football team is in the Class 2A state finals.
Now, on to your questions.
As I’ve written before, a major key to an Arenado trade would be for him to waive the opt out. If a trade were worked out to the right team – remember that Arenado has a full no-trade clause – I believe he would waive that clause in his contract.
But, as I’m sure you’re aware, the size of Arenado’s contract is a major hurdle for any trade to take place. He’s owed $199 million over the next six years. Would the Rockies take on some of the salary for the right deal? Perhaps.
There was a lot of noise about a trade to the Dodgers, especially after former MLB general manager Jim Bowden made a bold prediction.
“Nolan Arenado will be a Dodger by Christmas,” Bowden said on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM. “I spoke with the Dodgers and they are obsessed with getting a right-handed bat, preferably a third baseman. They have been engaged with (general manager) Jeff Bridich of the Rockies.
“Arenado is planning on opting out of his contract with the Rockies in a year, (shortstop) Trevor Story is a free agent in a year, and the Rockies have serious financial issues after the pandemic. The trade talks between the Rockies and Dodgers are real. I think it’s going to happen.”
I’m not buying the Arenado-to-Dodgers trade. People I have talked to, including those close to Arenado, have said they can’t envision Monfort trading his star third baseman to a team within the division.
Finally, I will leave you with this from J.P. Hoornstra, my friend from the Orange County Register. He recently wrote:
“For the Rockies, the practical concerns begin with their internal budget and how Jeff Bridich feels about his job security. Bridich is the second-longest tenured GM/president of baseball operations in the National League West. (A.J. Preller became the Padres’ GM two months before Bridich arrived in Denver. One week later, Andrew Friedman took the Dodgers’ job.) What’s the surest way he can make the Rockies’ fate appear worse than it is overnight? By trading his best player to the best team in the division. If the Rockies decide they can’t afford to keep Arenado under contract, the Dodgers are the last team I would expect to get him in a trade.”
Patrick, with changes coming to MiLB, what does the farm system structure look like for the Rockies in 2021 and beyond?
— Judy Frieman, Denver
Judy, that remains in a state of flux. I asked farm director Zach Wilson to address your question and he said he didn’t want to comment until final decisions have been made.
As I’m sure you are aware, the Grand Junction Rockies are no longer Colorado’s rookie-league team, having become an independent team in the revamped Pioneer League.
I’m pretty sure that Triple-A Albuquerque will remain the Rockies’ highest-level farm team, but after that, nothing is certain. There have been reports that the Rockies will have their Class-A Advanced team moved to Fresno, Calif., and drop Lancaster but that’s not a certainty.
I believe the Rockies will stay tied to Double-A Hartford and Class-A Asheville, but that’s not a certainty. Major League Baseball is trying to “regionalize” minor league teams.
I wish I had a better answer for you.
That Jeff Hoffman-Robert Stephenson trade would’ve made huge headlines five years ago. Do you think a change of scenery could be beneficial to both pitchers? Stephenson looks like he could be a strikeout machine if he ever grows into his potential.
— Ryan, Castle Rock
Ryan, that’s a great question.
Hoffman is a curious case. He has terrific talent but has not been able to harness it the way the Rockies envisioned he would. He can throw a 96-98 mph fastball and has a big curve, but he’s lacked consistent command. He’s allowed too many innings/games to spin out of control.
The Rockies tried a lot of things, including tweaking Hoffman’s delivery.
I do think it was time to trade Hoffman and I believe a change of scenery will do him good. Perhaps no longer having to deal with pitching at Coors Field will help him. Then again, the short left-field porch at Great American Ballpark invites home runs.
Will Hoffman ever be a top-notch, front-of-the-rotation starter? I don’t think so. I do think he can become a No. 4 or No. 5 starter, but I think his future is in the bullpen.
As for Stephenson, the Reds’ first-round draft pick (27th overall) in 2011 looked like he had finally blossomed in 2019 when he posted a 3.76 ERA and had 81 strikeouts over 64 2/3 innings out of the bullpen.
But he regressed in the shortened 2020 season. He had a 9.90 ERA and gave up eight home runs in 10 innings. There were questions about whether he would make the Reds’ roster in 2021.
Still, the Rockies have liked him for quite a while. Here’s what Rockies GM Jeff Bridich had to say:
“We’ve been paying attention for a while, and it hasn’t been difficult because he’s been a high-profile guy for a long time. As we look to the past, to 2019, in a very small sample size, but a good sample. Mr. Robert Stephenson had a good performance against us at Coors Field. He’s always had a lot of talent. He’s always had a lot of weapons. I think this is a classic potential change of scenery where there are maybe some different voices and different relationships for both guys and have something click for both of them.”
Given (owner) Monfort and Bridich’s record of overt contempt for fans, star players, media, complete and utter on field failure, and lack of interest in improving the on field product, why should Rockies fans still be interested? The response to Sean Keeler’s recent column calling Bridich out was overwhelmingly supportive of Keeler (not that there’s a way anyone could disagree), and Dick and Jeff need to be made aware of how badly they have destroyed their fan base and burned all goodwill they once enjoyed following the two playoff teams. This franchise is in a dire situation until Bridich is gone.
— Carl, Colorado Springs
Carl, I usually don’t run rants like yours in my mailbag, but because there was so much reaction to Keeler’s column, I wanted to chime in.
First, I received numerous emails from fans wondering why I had not “called out” Bridich the way Keeler did. First, fans need to understand that Keeler is a columnist and I am a beat writer. He can go places with his opinions where I cannot. Plus, I have to have some semblance of a working relationship with Bridich and the Rockies front office. Although I will say that Bridich, who does not like dealing with beat writers, has made that increasingly difficult.
However, I don’t think it’s accurate or fair to say that Monfort and Bridich have “overt contempt” for fans, media, etc. I do think Monfort cares a lot about the franchise and its place in Colorado. While it’s fair to disagree with how Monfort runs the franchise, or about how much faith he’s placed in Bridich, I don’t think it’s fair to say Monfort has “overt contempt.”
Good job on reporting on the Rockies. Quick question. I just saw that Theo Epstein just stepped down as the president of baseball operations for the Cubs, citing that a person in that job is good for 10 years. How would he do if he was offered that same job here and if Monfort actually cared about winning? Epstein brought both the Red Sox and the Cubs back to winning ways, so why could he not do that with the Rockies?
— Del, Lamar
Del, Epstein is not coming to Colorado, so the point is moot. In a fantasy world, Epstein would help mold a winner in Colorado. He’s certainly smart enough and he has excellent connections within the game. But it’s not happening.
Patrick, the MLB attendance report for 2019, indicates the Rox finished sixth. How can you say that they are in a money crunch if teams like Toronto (22nd), the Chicago White Sox (23rd) and Cincinnati (19th) are all in for signing free agents. The Rox are mentioned nowhere in any signings. What did they do with all that money? Why are teams that draw a lot less in attendance trying to sign free agents that we can use, but are not interested in? Examples are the catcher (James) McCann and the lefty (Brad) Hand. Has ownership taken the baseball receipts and used them for their real estate venture across the street?
— Harry, Greenwood Village
Harry, first of all, thanks for being such a loyal reader and thanks for all of your emails.
You are right with your facts. The Rockies drew 2.99 million fans to Coors Field in 2019, far better than the Reds (1.81 million), Blue Jays (1.75 million) and White Sox (1.63 million).
However, it’s not correct to say the Rockies have not spent money.
In 2019, the Rockies’ overall payroll was $157.1 million, ranking 11th in the majors. It was far more than the Reds ($128.4 million, 17th), Blue Jays ($113.4 million, 21st) or White Sox ($91.4 million, 26th).
As it stands now, before many trades or signings have taken place, the Rockies have a projected payroll of $132.2 million for 2021. That ranks eighth.
So the problem is not how much money the Rockies have spent, it’s how they have spent their money and how they will manage money going forward. Keep in mind that Arenado ($35 million in 2021), Charlie Blackmon ($21.3 million) and Story ($18.5 million) all have big money coming their way this season.
Yes, the Rockies’ new TV contract will begin in 2021, but it’s not as lucrative a deal as some other teams have.
We’ll see how this all shakes out.
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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