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.
Hi Patrick, April 26 will be a date to remember in Rockies history. With Jeff Bridich finally gone, hope is on the horizon. I do have a few questions after reading the Rockies’ official statement. First, the Rockies did not name who was going to be interim general manager. Who do you think will fill the role? Second, will the interim GM have the ability to make roster moves this year to try to compete or is this year pretty much done and the Rockies set for the year until next year? — Victor, Alameda, Calif.
Victor, those are key questions, though I’m not sure I can answer all of them at this time. But I’ll give it my best shot.
I expect that the Rockies will announce the interim GM on Wednesday or Thursday. It will be someone who is already in the front office. The top candidates are scouting director Bill Schmidt, assistant GM Jon Weil (in charge of player personnel) and assistant GM Zack Rosenthal (he handles contracts and the business side of baseball). Perhaps, for the short term, it’ll be a team effort.
Given that the Rockies have some big personal decisions on the horizon – trading shortstop Trevor Story and right-hander Jon Gray top the list – I’m thinking that Weil and Schmidt are the favorites. They need someone who has a solid feel for other teams’ prospects.
The interim GM will have the ability to make roster moves, but I expect that the moves will be made with an eye toward the future, not this season. To me, Bridich’s departure is another clear indication that the team is in rebuilding mode.
With Jeff Bridich gone, does that change the equation on Trevor Story? In other words, does the likelihood of his leaving increase/decrease/stay the same? If there are negotiations on a deal, do you think owner Dick Montfort would handle that or leave it to the interim GM and president/CEO Greg Feasel? Lastly, do you think there was one triggering incident that led to Bridich’s departure or an accumulation of things? — Dave G., Fort Collins
Dave, your question about Story is a good one. In fact, just today I was talking with somebody about Story’s future.
I’ve been puzzled as to why the Rockies have not traded Story yet. My buddy pointed out that with no minor league season last year, and the minor league season not beginning this year until May 4, the Rockies have not had an opportunity to properly scout the prospects they might be interested in. That makes sense.
I do think the Rockies will attempt to trade Story before the end of July, but they need to make sure they get a decent return. I would say his trade status is about the same. I don’t see him re-signing with Colorado.
The interim GM will have a central role in any deals and will spearhead the search for trade partners. Monfort, I’m sure, will continue to have the final say. At this point, I don’t know how involved Feasel will be in personnel decisions. Hopefully, we’ll be able to interview him in the coming days to get a better sense of his duties.
Patrick, who are the top candidates to take over as general manager now that Jeff Bridich is gone? It doesn’t make sense to promote from within (like they did with Bridich) given that his track record was pretty miserable. I’d love to see a rising assistant GM from a potent small market team like Tampa Bay get a shot here. — Miles, Parker
Miles, it’s difficult to speculate right now about who will be the new GM of the future. I do think the Rockies need to go outside their own building and get a fresh perspective. I believe they will do that.
One person who’s already being talked about is Minnesota Twins GM Thad Levine. In fact, USA Today national baseball writer Bob Nightengale went so far as to call Levine “the leading candidate.”
Wrote Nightengale: “Levine spent six years with the Rockies before leaving for the Texas Rangers in 2005, and is widely respected by Monfort and the rest of the organization. He was one of the top candidates for the Philadelphia Phillies’ president of baseball operations vacancy but pulled himself out of the running before it was filled by Dave Dombrowski.”
Some other names the Rockies watchers have suggested include: • Dan Evans, the former Dodgers GM (2001-04) who lives in Boulder and had has some expertise in analytics. • Michael Hill, who was the Rockies’ player development director from 2000-02 before he joined Miami’s front office and was part of the 2003 World Series championship team. Hill was the Marlins’ GM from 2008-13 and was president of baseball operations from 2014-20. • Randy Flores, who’s the Cardinals director of scouting. Prior to joining the Cardinals front office, Flores founded OnDeck Digital LLC, a tech startup that assists in the instruction and evaluation of amateur players via customized in-game video streaming and data integration.
While Dick Monfort and Jeff Bridich will forever remain on my naughty list, I’m having more fun pulling for this scrappy group of Rockies players than I thought I would. I’ve got two questions:
The Rockies have lost what, 10 games so far by two runs or fewer? Are the Rockies just Nolan Arenado (and preferably an experienced lefty reliever as well) away from being 13-8 instead of 8-13?
And assuming they don’t repeat the plotline of “Major League” and continue to have one of the worst records in the National League, when can we expect the youth movement this year? I know their lineup is already young, but I’m excited to see higher ceiling prospects like Colton Welker play over guys who look more likely to turn into solid bench bats, like Josh Fuentes. — Issac Bowen, Wellington
Issac, to your first point, I don’t necessarily agree that losing close games in baseball signifies that a team is “close” to being a good team. Others might disagree, but for me, losing close games illustrates a team’s weaknesses, i.e. lack of clutch hits, a suspect bullpen, not making the key plays.
I don’t think having Arenado would have made much of a difference — so far — this season. As I write this, he’s hitting just .244 with four homers, 12 RBIs and an OPS of .731. His average with runners in scoring position is .250. I think Arenado will be more productive, but he’s not been great for a Cardinals team that is just 11-11.
Colorado’s Ryan McMahon, by comparison, is hitting .274 with seven homer, 13 RBIs, an OPS of .870 and a .250 average with runners in scoring position.
As for the younger players, I’m also excited to see what they can do. I expect Welker will get a call-up in mid-summer, and I’m eager to see Brendan Rodgers when he returns from his hamstring injury. He looked really good in spring training.
Hey Patrick, the game I grew up loving seems to be long gone. I miss the days of pitchers going deep into games, hard slides at second and long for extra-inning baseball without American Legion rules. Analytics have destroyed the game and it’s sad players and managers refuse to adjust to situations. If teams are going to shift, lay a free bunt down. It’s just as good as a walk and will put pressure on the defense. It is hard to hit a three-run homer with no one on, but I see guys try it all the time.
With all the destruction Ron Manfred has done to America’s Pastime, what is it you miss most from the good ol’ days? — JB, Englewood JB, I agree with part of what you say, but I understand the need for change. Baseball has always evolved and will continue to do so: Dead-ball era vs. the live-ball era; adjustments to the height of the mound and the strike zone; allowing African American, Latin and Asian ballplayers to play, and thrive in the majors; steroids and then banning steroids. I could go on and on.
But the things I miss are stolen bases, offensive speed and starting pitchers going deep into games. I love watching the best hitters face the best pitchers three or four times in a game. Home runs are fine, but give me a 4-3 ballgame with one or two homers, a key steal, great defense and solid pitching.
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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