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Why the World Baseball Classic is Awesome By Nolan Arenado | March 9, 2017 | The Players’ Tribune

Last September, right near the end of the season, we traveled to the Bay Area to play the Giants. It was our final road

series of the year. The season hadn’t gone as we had hoped, but we wanted to finish strong, and I was super pumped for

those games. I always look forward to playing at AT&T Park, because the Giants are usually good, and those guys have

won multiple World Series titles. So when we’re in San Francisco, I want to do everything I can to show that we can go

toe-to-toe with that team.

Heading into that series, honestly, I was hoping to get a sweep. The Giants are one of our biggest rivals, and they were

making a frantic run toward the playoffs. So I was looking to spoil their plans.

We were all determined to go out and send those guys home for the off-season. I had it all planned out in my head. It was

gonna be great.

P H O T O B Y A L E X T R A U T W I G / M L B

P H O T O S / G E T T Y I M A G E S

MEDIA CLIPS – March 9, 2017

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Little did I know that two guys in the other dugout would be having none of it.

In the first game of the series, we were tied 1–1 early on and things seemed to be going O.K. But then Posey drove in a

run to break the tie. Two innings later, he hits a bomb … and after that things just snowballed. In the eighth, Brandon

Crawford tripled in two runs. It was his second triple of the night. Dude had four hits that game.

We lost 12–3.

So much for that sweep.

Posey and Crawford just flat-out killed us. And we were on the road, so of course everything you heard about when you

turned on the TV or the radio that night and the next day was, four hits, Posey home run, two triples for Crawford. It was

the worst. I was sick of hearing about those guys. It was like, Enough already. Give it a rest!

As a Colorado Rockie through and through, I still don’t like the Giants at all. But now those dudes are my

brothers.

I didn’t want to hear their names ever again. But, you know, sometimes things change over time.

It’s now six months later, and guess what?

For the next few weeks, I’m the biggest fan of Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford on the planet.

They’re still on the Giants. And, as a Colorado Rockie through and through, I still don’t like the Giants at all. But now those

dudes are my brothers.

Welcome to the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

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In my family, the World Baseball Classic is a big deal.

N O L A N A R E N A D O

P H O T O B Y A L E X T R A U T W I G / M L B P H O T O S / G E T T Y I M A G E S

So, yeah, I can’t lie, I’m really excited about the chance to take the field with Buster Posey at the WBC. It’s going to be

awesome to be his teammate. And the same goes for Crawford. That guy’s one of the best shortstops in the game. It’s

gonna be cool to share the left side of the infield with him.

But now that I think about it, you know what? It’s not just Giants players. I’m pumped to be able to play alongside tons of

guys from lots of other MLB teams that I totally hate, too. Giancarlo Stanton is someone I talked to a lot about the WBC

before I decided to play. He has me super hyped for it. So it’ll be cool to take the field with that guy. And Andrew Miller,

Christian Yelich, Paul Goldschmidt, Daniel Murphy. The list goes on and on.

To be around guys like that — some of the best players in the game — for an extended period will be an incredible

experience. And I’m going to soak it all in. As soon as we all got together as a team and pulled on those Team USA

jerseys, we became brothers. And I’m going to give them everything I have.

In a few weeks … that brotherhood will be over, of course. Done! I go right back to the grind, and doing all I can to find

ways to beat those guys all over again. So, yeah, there’s no need to worry, Rockies fans. Make no mistake about it: As

soon as this thing’s over, all those guys will go back to being my competition again.

Until then, though, this is going to be a blast. And I plan to enjoy every minute of it. This tournament is going to be special

for me.

P H O T O B Y G E T T Y I M A G E S

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In my family, the World Baseball Classic is a big deal.

My dad was born in Cuba and my mother’s family is Puerto Rican. But my parents are both extremely proud to be

American citizens, and they raised me to take pride in being from this country. I grew up in Southern California, not too far

from Dodger Stadium. And my entire family loves baseball.

We’ve been huge fans of this tournament from Day One.

It was basically like a gigantic Super Bowl party, but we had it for the final of the World Baseball Classic.

When I was 14, Cuba made it to the championship against Japan. Now, mind you, I grew up hearing stories from family

members about how awful it was to live under communist rule. That’s something that my parents and grandparents and

aunts and uncles have always talked to me about. They made it clear that I should be proud to live in this country because

so many of the freedoms we have here do not exist in Cuba. But despite the negative views of the Cuban government, my

family members still root like crazy for the Cuban national baseball team. And that was definitely the case in 2006 during

that inaugural World Baseball Classic final.

It was pretty crazy. We had a big old party for the championship game at my aunt’s house in Orange County. It was my

aunts and uncles, cousins, my parents, family friends. And everyone was reppin’ their Cuban colors. There were Cuban

cigars being smoked out in the backyard, and lots of homemade Cuban food. It was basically like a gigantic Super Bowl

party, but we had it for the final of the World Baseball Classic.

P H O T O B Y S T E V E

G R A Y S O N / W I R E I M A G E / G E T T Y I M A G E S

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When Cuba lost that game, it was a tough one for my family. I remember the team got down early but then kind of clawed

back into it as the game went on. So everyone at my aunt’s place was sure things were setting up for this super dramatic

happy ending. They could feel it. We were all ready to go nuts.

Then Japan scored a bunch of runs in the ninth to put it away, and that was that. The party vibe died down in a hurry, and

I just remember a couple of my family members being really sad. It was like their team had lost the World Series. This

meant something to them. It was important. They took it hard.

Three years later, in 2009, I went to see South Korea play against Venezuela in a WBC semifinal at Dodger Stadium. I

was a senior in high school at the time. Me and a couple of my buddies got tickets right down by the field, on the first base

line, and it was so cool to be that close to Miguel Cabrera. I remember I watched him really closely to see if I could learn

anything. What I recall most from that game, though, was being blown away by the entire atmosphere. The energy in that

stadium was just unreal. The fans were crazy intense, and they were almost evenly split — half were pulling for

Venezuela and half were rooting for South Korea.

The colors in the stands were unlike anything I’d ever seen at a baseball game. Huge sections of the stadium were baby

blue for South Korea. Then there were other parts of the stadium with lots of yellow, red and blue. It was so cool to see

two very different cultures go at it both on the baseball field and in the stands.

P H O T O B Y P A U L S P I N E L L I / W B C I / M L B

P H O T O S / G E T T Y I M A G E S

I still think about that game often, and I can’t wait to experience that energy as a player. I know there will be a point during

that first game when I’ll be like, Wow, I can’t believe that I’m wearing the Team USA colors right now and hearing the

national anthem play. I’m sure I’ll have the goose bumps going.

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And the really cool thing for me is that if we play well and advance to the championship, that last game will be back home

in SoCal.

I’m telling you, there’d be so many members of my family at Dodger Stadium for that one. It’d be crazy.

We’d roll deep. No doubt.

And I’m sure that this time around, even if Cuba makes it to the final, everyone in my crew will be screaming their heads

off for Team USA.

Pretty much everything about this tournament is going to be awesome.

But it’s one thing to do something because it’s fun, and a completely different thing to take part in something because

you’re looking to win.

I’m playing in this tournament because I love baseball, and I love my country. I want this team to do something that hasn’t

been done before.

P H O T O B Y A L E X T R A U T W I G / M L B P H O T O S / G E T T Y I M A G E S

I’m taking this super seriously. And I know for a fact that my teammates are, too. Baseball is our national pastime, and the

U.S. has never won this tournament. That’s gotta change, and we’re going to do all we can to make it happen.

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It’s not going to be easy. We’ve got the Dominican team, Venezuela, Japan and the list goes on and on. The field is

stacked.

Plus, it’s going to be a unique challenge to play against people from all over the world. It’s not like in the majors, where

you kind of have a book on everyone. In preparing to play certain teams, it seems like we’ll almost have to wing it a bit.

But it will be good practice for those times during the major league season when a young pitcher comes up from the

minors, or when I’m facing someone for the very first time in my career and I just need to learn on the fly.

And that actually brings me to an issue you often hear people talk about when the WBC comes up — that it may

negatively impact how players are able to prepare for the major league season.

I have to be honest … at first I had my concerns about that, too, because you hear all this stuff about how you might have

to ramp up a little quicker once the WBC ends. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that it was sort of a

nonissue for me. When I look back on last year’s spring training, and really every spring training I’ve been to, I can’t think

of one where I didn’t go all out. So I always ramp up fast.

I’m ready to go out and play as hard as I can during the next few weeks. I want to make my family, Denver and

our country proud.

During the spring, the coaches and instructors will sometimes tell you to take it easy, and to not really push yourself too

much. But I don’t really know how to take it easy. It’s just not my thing. The only way I feel I get better is to go hard and

play intense every game I’m in. So my view is that playing in some really intense games early on will help me get ready

for the season faster.

And aside from the on-field preparations, there’s no doubt in my mind that my body will be ready when the major league

season starts. I worked out harder than ever this off-season. I made sure to eat well, and I pushed myself in training so

that whatever this tournament asks of me, my body will respond.

I’m ready to go out and play as hard as I can during the next few weeks. I want to make my family, Denver and our

country proud.

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So I’m hoping to see tons of Team USA fans out at these WBC games rooting me on and showing us some love. It would

mean the world to me. But, hey, apologies in advance if our team makes it to L.A. for that final and tickets are tough to

come by because the Arenado crew already bought them all up.

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Black, Rockies hope bullpen improves in one-run games

Colorado lost six games when leading after eight innings in '16

By Daniel Kramer / MLB.com | March 8th, 2017 DENVER -- A small-ball strategy at Coors Field hasn't quite been conventional through the years, but new Rockies

manager Bud Black isn't ruling out the approach heading into his first season.

Such strategic run manufacturing could hinge on the Rockies' pitching. In the midst of posting an MLB-high 5.13 ERA,

Colorado's bullpen weathered injuries to Jake McGee, Chad Qualls, Jason Motte and Adam Ottavino.

The Rockies were also 12-20 in one-run games last year for a .375 win percentage, third worst in the Majors, and they

lost six games when leading after eight innings, tied for third worst. Colorado hired Black in part because of his experience

managing at Coors Field when he was the Padres' skipper from 2007 through early '15.

Yet, as Black alluded, the margin between best and worst in one-run games isn't nearly as imbalanced as one might

assume. Twenty clubs finished within five games above or below .500 in one-run games in 2016.

"You'll find that most teams, it's pretty close," Black said. "The Rangers were, I won't say were an anomaly, but more than

the standard. I thought there would be a greater difference of teams with winning records or teams with losing records,

that gap."

The Rangers posted a .766 winning percentage in one-run games (36-11) -- a modern-era MLB record -- with a bullpen

that posted a 4.40 ERA, second worst in the American League. Yet their relievers were 27-6 with a 1.69 ERA and 27

saves in their games decided by one run. Texas complemented this with a remarkable showing in high-leverage hitting

situations, posting an 8.15 Clutch score, according to FanGraphs -- by far the Majors' best.

Clutch score measures how much better or worse a player does in high-leverage situations than he would have done in

a context-neutral environment, where zero is average and 2.0 for a team is considered excellent.

The Rockies had MLB's third-highest offensive Clutch score at 3.58, but they also finished with the Majors' worst pitching

Clutch score among relievers, minus-6.74.

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Clutch scores stem from the Win Probability Added (WPA) metric, which is context neutral and highlights the change in

Win Expectancy from one plate appearance to the next, crediting or debiting a player by how much his actions increased

his team's chances of winning.

"Not only is that a function of your offense executing, but it's also your bullpen," Black said. "For every time you don't

score, your [relievers] had better put a zero up. And if you don't put a zero up, you know what that is? An 'L' -- a loss."

Rockies relievers also allowed a .320 Batting Average on Balls in Play, MLB's second highest, and of those, 33.7

percent were classified as hard hit, according to Baseball Info Solutions, which determines the metric based on hang time,

location and general trajectory, but not exit velocity. It puts even more of an onus on defense -- particularly at cavernous

Coors Field, where the outfield gaps are the widest in the Majors.

Colorado believes it has an improved bullpen from a year ago after an offseason to get healthy and by bringing in free

agents Mike Dunn and Greg Holland, who has been throwing with no limitations this spring but has yet to appear in a

Cactus League game as he returns from the Tommy John surgery he underwent in October 2015.

Daniel Kramer is a reporter for MLB.com based in Denver. Follow him on Twitter at @DKramer_. This story was not

subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Pipeline report: Prospects in Rockies' camp By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com | @JonathanMayo | March 8th, 2017

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Remember when the concept of homegrown pitching development and the Colorado Rockies

seemed to be in direct conflict with each other? The Rockies think it's a thing of the past, too.

Three-fifths of last year's big league rotation was actually drafted, signed and developed by the Rockies. Jon Gray, Chad

Bettis and Tyler Anderson all showed they can compete in Coors Field and around Major League Baseball.

"It's definitely been a focus over the last few years," Rockies senior director of player development Zach Wilson said about

developing pitching. "I think the addition of Mark Wiley, our director of pitching operations, has been substantial in terms of

the next steps in our development process. I think the pitching-coaching staff we have put together, their attention to

detail, their passion, their energy behind what they've done, has been a big step in the process. But certainly, at the end

of the day, the players have to take ownership of what's going on."

What's been going on has been an effort to no longer make pitching in Coors Field seem like the insurmountable obstacle

it once was. It's a psychological hurdle, no doubt, but one that the successes of last year's staff certainly helps make

possible to step over.

"You don't hear about the elevation anymore," Wilson said. "It's not something that we talk about because nobody in that

clubhouse cares. Nobody in the front office cares.

"We understand it's a part of our reality. But part of who we are, if you have the right mentality, if you climb up the back of

that mound with a certain amount of fearlessness and intent, it doesn't matter where you're pitching, whether it's Coors

Field or Petco Park or anywhere else. That is the mindset these big league pitchers have right now. That is the mindset

that is going through our minor league system as well."

There is a definitely a trickle-down effect. Jeff Hoffman, the organization's No. 2 prospect, got up to the big leagues last

year and knows what it takes to compete there. So did No. 4 prospect German Marquez. Kyle Freeland should get his

first crack at it this season, and he's learning from the others in big league camp this spring. It filters all the way down to

2016 first-rounder Riley Pint, who's been in Arizona for months getting ready for his first full season.

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"When they get a true meaning of pitching for us, and not just the things they hear from the outside, when they hear it

from us, when they hear it from guys like Jon Gray and Tyler Anderson, guys who have had success here now, and they

hear from us what's important from a pitching development standpoint, they get it," Wilson said. "They know through that

process they're going to be able to succeed three, four, five years down the line when they're pitching in Denver."

Rodgers continues work on versatility

When Brendan Rodgers was taken No. 3 overall in the 2015 Draft, some felt he'd eventually have to move off of

shortstop. But most thought the move would be to third, as he would outgrow shortstop, his position in high school and

during his pro debut.

Instead, Rodgers shifted over to play second base, along with getting reps at short, during his first full season that saw

the No. 15 overall prospect hit .281/.342/.480 with 19 homers and 73 RBIs. But the move wasn't because he can't

handle short anymore. It's by design and something the Rockies have clearly done before.

"Brendan is such a natural, instinctual athlete and baseball player, people knew he could move over to that side of the

diamond and pick it up pretty easily," Wilson said, adding that it's a more natural move to second for a shortstop than to

third initially. "But increasing versatility for him is going to be an important part of his career. As he gets close to the Major

League level, you never know where the opportunities are going to be. It's no different than what we did with Trevor

Story."

Story had seen time at second, short and third in the Minors and it turned out the first opportunity for him to stick in the big

leagues was at his original position. Look for Rodgers to follow a similar path and be ready for any spot based on the

need once he is ready.

Breakout candidates

In many ways, Ryan McMahon's 2016 season seemed like a lost one. He struck out more than 160 times, hit just .242

and saw his OPS drop by nearly 170 points with his move to Double-A. But the Rockies see it as a learning experience --

particularly dealing with the oddity of Hartford being on the road for the entire season -- one that will help the club's No. 8

prospect bounce back in 2017.

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"I look at 2016 as a huge success and I'll tell you why," Wilson said. "He played every day on the road. When you don't

have a good sleep pattern, you don't have consistent eating habits, you don't have consistent workouts, that's not easy to

deal with. On top of that, he was 21 years old in the Eastern League where the average age I think is 24. On top of that,

he was learning a new position at first base. Three pretty heavy factors for a young kid playing in Double-A to have to deal

with.

"Even with all that, there was enough power, and it's going to continue to come. There were a lot of extra base hits

involved. He also had the same amount of RBIs he had in 2015. He drove in runs, which is something he'll have to do at

the Major League level."

Another breakout candidate from that Hartford club is right-hander Rayan Gonzalez, No. 22 on the list. After a subpar

2015 that included time on the disabled list, he bounced back with a strong year out of the Hartford bullpen in 2016, then

pitched very well in the Arizona Fall League to earn a spot on the 40-man roster. He looks poised to take another big step

forward, as he has been dealing in big league camp. Keep an eye on him as a bullpen arm that could help out in Denver

this season.

Jonathan Mayo is a reporter for MLBPipeline.com. Follow him on Twitter @JonathanMayo and Facebook, and listen to

him on the weekly Pipeline Podcast. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Q&A with Rockies prospect Riley Pint

Colorado's No. 3 prospect discusses offseason, touching 100 mph

By Jonathan Mayo / MLB.com | @JonathanMayo | March 8th, 2017

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Riley Pint was the Rockies' first-round pick in the 2016 Draft, taken No. 4 overall. The right-hander

from the Kansas high school ranks is preparing for his first full season after pitching briefly in the Rookie-level Pioneer

League during his summer debut. He is ranked No. 51 on MLBPipeline.com's Top 100 Prospects list and No. 3 on

the Rockies' Top 30 Prospects list.

MLBPipeline.com: What was your offseason regimen like, and how was it different than you thought it would be as you

prepare for this year?

Pint: It's been tough. I've been out here in Arizona since November. They've been pushing us hard, just trying to get

some weight on me. I think we've done a really good job since I've been here, we've been going at it pretty much five days

a week. They've done a great job. I've had a great time out here and hopefully it translates to the field. It's been a lot of

weight training. Just eating healthy, eating the right foods. Taco Bell was the go-to for sure, but I don't eat it anymore.

MLBPipeline.com: You didn't throw a ton in your pro debut. What were your takeaways from your time in the Pioneer

League?

Pint: You just can't groove fastballs in there. They're going to hit it. They're going to catch up to however hard you're

throwing. You have to mix your pitches well and locate your pitches, instead of just throwing your fastball right down the

middle. That's probably been the hardest thing for me, just learning how to be more of a pitcher and not just a thrower

anymore. That's what we've worked on since instructs and now early in Spring Training, working on hitting your spots and

not just blowing it by somebody. You have to actually pitch.

MLBPipeline.com: Was there an a-ha moment, when you threw a fastball and a guy crushed it and you thought, 'Huh,

that worked in high school'?

Pint: There was one time, in Billings I think, it was one of the only home runs I gave up. He hit one. It was an 0-2 fastball

down and away and he just kind of flicked his bat out there. I thought, "I probably shouldn't throw that 0-2 anymore." I

should've thrown a different pitch. It's definitely a learning curve. You see the stuff you did in high school, it works. Now at

this level, it doesn't work, so you have to adjust a lot and figure out something else to throw.

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MLBPipeline.com: As a power pitcher, is there a balance you're learning to strike between being a pitcher, and not being

a thrower, but not giving up any of the velocity?

Pint: I think I've done a pretty good job early on at instructs and early this year, just working on not really giving up

anything, just being more focused on locating and not just throwing it. Focusing on a spot and hitting the spot, not just

throwing the ball, which is what I did in high school. Now, I'm more focused on a spot and looking to execute the pitch. I'm

just trying to slow everything down a little bit. I was kind of rushed, even back in Grand Junction.

MLBPipeline.com: People have made a big deal about how you can throw 100 mph as a teenager. I know it's something

you're used to, but how much attention do you pay to that now?

Pint: It doesn't really bother me. If it happens, it happens. Right now, I'm just focused on getting people out. Radar guns

don't really mean anything to me right now. With Spring Training, people will be focusing on what I throw and everything,

but as long as I'm getting people out, I'm going to be happy with it.

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Rockies’ Carlos Gonzalez hopes WBC can help Venezuela rise above its troubles Gonzalez: “It’s not a secret what our country is going through” PATRICK SAUNDERS | psaunders@denverpost.com | The Denver Post SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Carlos Gonzalez spends his summers in Denver, not far from Coors Field. He spends his off-

seasons in Orlando, Fla. The Rockies’ all-star right fielder has cashed in on his baseball talents to create a comfortable

life in the United State for his wife and three children.

But he remains a proud Venezuelan, despite the social and political turmoil that has gripped his native country. That’s one

of the reasons why Gonzalez felt compelled to play in the World Baseball Classic and represent his homeland.

“It’s not a secret what our country is going through,” Gonzalez said. “You know the dangers, there’s a lot of things going

on there. But also it’s a country full of varying people and a lot of talent, so playing in the WBC is a great way for us to

stand up, and try to do the best we can to try to win the tournament.

“You know, make everyone proud. Because at the end of the day, I’m playing for my country.”

Venezuela begins pool play on Friday against Puerto Rico in Jalisco, Mexico. Team USA, featuring Rockies third

baseman Nolan Arenado and left-handed reliever Jake McGee, begins pool play Friday against Colombia.

Gonzalez, who grew up playing youth baseball in Maracibo, Venezuela, only returns to his homeland once or twice a year.

Venezuela is a troubled country. The country’s murder rate is among the highest in the world. The economy, overseen by

a socialist government, is so crippled that the average shopper spends 35 hours a month waiting in line. That’s three

times more than in 2014.Yet by playing baseball in a worldwide tournament, Gonzalez and his teammates hope to bring

some pride to Venezuela.

“(The WBC) means a lot in Venezuela,” Atlanta outfielder Ender Inciarte told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I love my

country and I love my teammates from Venezuela. We want to win it all. In Venezuela we have tough fans over there, and

they don’t want to see us coming back to spring training (early). We want to win. We have a solid lineup. Anytime you

have Miggy (Miguel Cabrera), you have a solid lineup.”

Venezuela’s team is loaded. In addition to Gonzalez, Cabrera and Inciarte, the team also boasts batting champion Jose

Altuve, pitcher Felix Hernandez and catcher Salvador Perez. There are high expectations that Venezuela will perform

better than it did in the past.

Venezuela finished third in 2009, its best finish to date.

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“I’m really excited,” Gonzalez said. “We get to play in front of a big crowd in front of a lot of Latino fans, so I know it’s

going to be loud. We are in a tough pool, but I like our chances. We are really a strong team with a lot of talent. We have a

lot of players that can carry any team, so the plan is to just try not to do too much. I think last time, we tried to do too

much. We have to tell each other to try and not be a hero. Just do our jobs and we’ll be fine.”

WBC Primer

The fourth World Baseball Classic began this week and will conclude with the championship game on March 22 at Dodger

Stadium in Los Angeles. Games will be televised by the MLB Network.

Rockies in WBC

3B Nolan Arenado, Team USA

• LHP Jake McGee, Team USA

• RF Carlos González, Team Venezuela.

Rockies minor leaguers in WBC

• RHP Rayan Gonzalez, Team Puerto Rico

• SS Scotty Burcham, Team Israel

• RHP Troy Neiman, Team Israel

• INF Daniel Castro, Team Mexico

• C Robert Perkins, Team Australia

• In addition, Hartford Yard Goats Double-A manager Jerry Weinstein is managing Israel

Pool play schedule, Team USA, at Miami

• Vs. Colombia, 4 p.m. Friday

• Vs. Dominican Republic, 4:30 p.m. Saturday

• Vs. Canada, 5 p.m. Sunday

Pool play schedule, Team Venezuela, at Jalisco, Mexico

• Vs. Puerto Rico, 7 p.m., Friday

• Vs. Italy, 7 p.m. Saturday

• Vs. Mexico, 8 p.m., Sunday

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Colorado Rockies: 3 Things You Should Know on March 9

by Kevin Henry 4 hours ago | Roxpile.com

I’m back in Colorado after five days in sunny Arizona with the Colorado Rockies. If you missed any of Rox Pile’s

spring training coverage, click here to catch up on everything from who is emerging as a potential fifth starter

candidate to why Bud Black and Rockies management are liking the team’s depth at catcher.

As much as I would’ve loved to have stayed in the Valley of the Sun, it was time to get back to the Denver area and see

the snow-capped Rocky Mountains. While making the trek back from Phoenix, I checked out three articles of interest to

Rockies fans. See what you think of them.

Kyle Kendrick Cut?

It’s pretty amazing to think about, but Colorado’s Opening Day starter from 2015, Kyle Kendrick, could be on the cutting

block by the Boston Red Sox heading into the regular season, according to this article.

That’s quite a drop for Kendrick, but many of us who watched him serve up a league-high 33 homers in 2015 understand

why the Red Sox may be hesitant about him breaking camp with them.

You Had One Job, Bullpen

Did you know the Rockies lost six games last season when leading after eight innings? Of course you did. In fact, the

thought of it still makes you sick to this day. I get that completely.

In this article from MLB.com, you can check out some stats as well as read between the lines on some reasons why

Colorado’s bullpen may be better in 2017. Trust me, after talking to Bud Black several times at spring training, he

completely believes the bullpen will be better this season. That could make the difference between a disappointing season

and a potential playoff run.

CarGo’s Pride

Carlos Gonzalez is a proud Venezuelan and knows that not everything is well in his home country. He’ll wear his home

country’s colors in the upcoming World Baseball Classic and he’s proud to do it.

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2017 Preview: Colorado Rockies

By Bill BaerMar 8, 2017, 5:10 PM EST | Hardball Talk | NBC Sports

Between now and Opening Day, HardballTalk will take a look at each of baseball’s 30 teams, asking the key questions,

the not-so-key questions, and generally breaking down their chances for the 2017 season. Next up: The Colorado

Rockies.

The Rockies’ offseason is summed up best with punctuation: the question mark. The club signed Ian Desmond to a five-

year, $70 million contract in December. That isn’t the strange part. The strange part was signing a player who had been a

shortstop and an outfielder, but never a first baseman, to play first base in a market flush with first basemen. And the

Rockies forfeited their first-round draft pick to sign Desmond, who had rejected the Rangers’ $17.2 million qualifying offer.

Desmond is a pretty good player. Per Baseball Reference, he has been worth between 2.0 and 4.0 Wins Above

Replacement in each of the last five seasons. He’s versatile. He has speed and power. He has some intangibles that

certain teams, especially the Rockies, value highly. But Desmond is not a player that should be making teams jump out of

their boots to sign and move him to the least impactful defensive position from more important positions like shortstop and

outfield.

The odd signing aside, the Rockies look poised to at least be interesting in 2017. They have too many good outfielders,

which is like a rich person complaining that he has too much money in his wallet for it to close. Veteran Gerardo Parra is

the least impressive of the bunch after logging a .671 OPS across 381 plate appearances last season. As David Dahl is

currently battling a back injury, Parra could open up the season as the Rockies’ regular left fielder. Dahl, soon 23,

impressed with a .315/.359/.500 line in 237 PA after making his major league debut last season.

Charlie Blackmon returns to center field. As he plays in baseball’s most hitter-friendly park, his offensive achievements

tend to be underappreciated. Blackmon, though, posted a nearly identical OPS on the road compared to home, .926 to

.939. Overall, he hit .324/.381/.552 with 29 home runs, 82 RBI, 111 runs scored, and 17 stolen bases in 641 PA. If

Blackmon has another typical season, he should merit consideration at least for the NL All-Star team.

Carlos Gonzalez had another typical year in right field. The three-time All-Star hit .298/.350/.505 with 25 home runs and

100 RBI in 632 PA. As he’s aged and dealt with injuries, he’s not quite the MVP-caliber player he used to be, but he’s still

an impact player. The Rockies may consider dealing Gonzalez by the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, however,

because he’s in the last year of his contract.

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Moving back to the infield, Nolan Arenado returns to the hot corner. Despite leading the league in home runs and RBI in

each of the last two seasons, Arenado finished eighth and fifth in NL MVP balloting. This past season, he batted

.294/.362/.570 with 41 home runs and 133 RBI in 696 PA. Unfortunately, he plays in an era that is rich with talented third

basemen and that, along with Coors Field being his home for half the season, cause him to be a bit underappreciated.

Arenado, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner, is among the best defenders at any position, not just his own. It’s hard to

see anything but another monster year for Arenado in 2017.

24-year-old Trevor Story will once again handle shortstop duties for the Rockies this season. He was the talk of the town

when he ended his first month in the majors last year with a 1.019 OPS, 10 home runs, and 20 RBI. Of course, he cooled

off a bit and wound up missing time with a torn thumb ligament, but he still finished with outstanding numbers, good

enough for a fourth-place finish in NL Rookie of the Year balloting. As far as NL shortstops are concerned, Story is

heading into the season as arguably in the top-five.

As if the Rockies didn’t have enough offense, they have the reigning batting champion at second base in D.J. LeMahieu.

The 28-year-old paced all of baseball with a .348 average along with a .416 on-base percentage, a .495 slugging

percentage, 51 extra-base hits, 66 RBI, 104 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases. And he played solid defense. LeMahieu

was the Cubs’ second round pick in the 2009 draft and went to the Rockies in December 2011 in the Ian Stewart trade.

The Cubs haven’t whiffed on deals much lately, but that was a big one.

Tony Wolters and Tom Murphy will handle catching duties for the Rockies. The two are battling it out this spring for the

right to start regularly. Wolters is better defensively while Murphy has the better bat. It’s difficult to say at this point who

the favorite is, but catching is usually a position where defense and intangibles carry a little more weight than they do at

other positions.

The Rockies’ starting rotation doesn’t really inspire confidence. Four spots are spoken for with Jon Gray, Chad

Bettis, Tyler Anderson, and Tyler Chatwood. Jeff Hoffman and German Marquez are competing this spring for the

No. 5 spot. Anderson and Chatwood had great showings last season, each finishing with an ERA under 4.00. Bettis and

Gray were north of 4.50, as were Marquez and Hoffman. Pitching in Coors Field is tough and it’s just not going to be the

Rockies’ strength, at least this year.

Adam Ottavino is the favorite to open the season as the Rockies’ closer. The right-hander returned from Tommy John

surgery in July and posted a 2.67 ERA with a 35/7 K/BB ratio in 27 innings through the end of the season. He misses bats

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quite frequently and has good enough control where he can legitimately be one of the league’s better closers, but he likely

won’t see as many save opportunities as he would on a more competitive team.

Greg Holland, 31, inked a one-year, $7 million contract with the Rockies in January after missing the entire 2016 season

due to Tommy John surgery. He’s still working his way back and has yet to make his Cactus League debut. Despite

several years of closing experience, this is why Ottavino is very likely to be the Rockies’ closer to begin the season.

However, if Holland shows he can be effective early on, he might give new manager Bud Black a choice to make in the

ninth inning.

Jairo Diaz also underwent Tommy John surgery and is expected to return around late May or June. He was effective in

limited action back in 2015, owning a 2.37 ERA in 19 innings with an 18/6 K/BB ratio. The rest of the bullpen includes a

handful of veterans in Chad Qualls, Mike Dunn, Jake McGee, and Jason Motte. Dunn, a lefty, inked a three-year, $19

million contract back in December and is likely to serve as the set-up man ahead of Ottavino.

The Rockies aren’t far away from being competitive, especially if some of their prospects like Hoffman and Marquez live

up to expectations. However, in the NL West, the Dodgers and Giants are going to be tough to overcome. It’s going to be

a two-horse race in that division for most of the year.

Prediction: 79-83 record, 3rd place in division