For the first time in over a month, Colorado isn’t in first place. Over the last two weeks, the Giants have found themselves and the Rockies have fallen off a cliff. They’ve gone from comfortably confident to desperately overwhelmed.
Yesterday’s five run outburst aside, it’s difficult to remember the Rockies ever going through an offensive stretch this bad. Last year’s team couldn’t hit a lick on the road, but they had no problem producing at home. This year’s squad can’t hit anywhere. They’ve made a habit of turning very average pitchers into elite performers.
A familiar and unfortunate sight lately. (Hyoung Chang/ The Denver Post)
This current slump is eerily reminiscent of the Rockies’ meltdown last September when they dropped thirteen of their final fourteen contests. Aside from their starting pitching, nothing is working. They can’t hit and their bullpen can’t hold a lead. Not to mention, their ace is a discombobulated mess. At this point, the question must be asked: can the Rockies contend? Honestly, I still think they can, but they need to make changes in several different areas.
This off-season the Rockies made a bunch of noise, but did very little to improve. In fact, the additions of Jose Lopez and Ty Wigginton probably made them a little worse. Not surprisingly, both guys have picked up where they left off after very poor performances in 2010. Their play combined with that of Ian Stewart has left a vacuum at the hot corner.
In playoff runs of 2007 and 2009, one of the Rockies’ biggest strengths was their depth. Their bench played an integral role in their success. Even last year their bench was solid. But, this season it’s become a liability. Jason Giambi is north of forty and doesn’t appear to have anything left in the tank. Ryan Spilborghs is playing the worst baseball of his career. Currently, the only productive players on the bench are backup catcher Jose Morales and journey man Alfredo Amezaga, but they don’t inspire much confidence either.
In addition, the Rox are carrying dead weight in the bullpen with Franklin Morales and Felipe Paulino. Paulino was acquired because he throws hard, but, if the Rockies had done their homework, they would’ve known that big league hitters actually feast on his heat. Morales, once considered the Rockies’ top prospect, has been very lucky this year. He hasn’t pitched well, but his ERA is a respectable 3.21 because of a fortuitous .189 BABIP. The real Franklin was on display yesterday. Yet, Jim Tracy insists on using both pitchers in high leverage situations. Last week, Paulino racked up three loses in five days.
This happened three times on Thursday. (Hyoung Chang/ The Denver Post)
It would be a shame if the Rockies let these flaws hold them back. They have baseball’s most precious commodity: starting pitching. Even without Ubaldo, they’re top three starters have been very solid, keeping them in just about every ball game. Also, it’s doubtful that Cargo and Tulo will continue to slump for the entire year. Both players will eventually hit. The Rockies have a great nucleus, but their foundation is cracked.
So, how do they fix it? First and foremost, they have to address their third base situation. At the very least, they need to find replacement level production at the hot corner. It’s incredibly sad that they’ve reached this point, but it’s their reality. If the Rockies thinkTy Wigginton’s return from the DL will solve the problem, they’re kidding themselves. There has been much discussion about Wiggy’s slump to start the season, but his production is pretty much on par with what he’s done over the last couple of seasons.
That leaves the Rox with two options at third. They can either solve the problem from within or they can make a trade. As an internal solution, the Rockies could bring up Josh Fields or Chris Nelson from Colorado Springs. Nelson is having a career year, but he’s not a realistic option at third. He’s only played fifteen career games at the hot corner. Fields was once a promising prospect with the White Sox, but washed out a couple of years ago. His career track record suggests that he’ll be less productive than both Ian Stewart and Ty Wigginton.
A trade is the most intriguing option, but it’s also a pipe dream. Unless something changes, there are no decent three baggers on the market. Over the past week, I’ve heard rumors about David Wright and Ryan Zimmermann. As far as I can tell, this is just wishful thinking on the part of Rockies’ fans. It doesn’t make sense for the Mets or Nationals to dump such valuable commodities. Of course, if either guy does becomes available, the Rockies better jump on it quicker than Carlos Beltran on an Ubaldo fastball.
Jose Lopez has been a black hole of production. (Aaron Ontiveroz, The Denver Post)
The bullpen is an easy fix. Colorado Springs’ relievers, Matt Daley and Rex Brothers, have been outstanding this year. Daley has produced in the bigs before. His promotion should be a no brainer. The Rockies are taking things slow with Rex Brothers, but he’s probably a future closer. At this point, what’s the harm in using him over Franklin Morales?
As far as the bench goes, it’s time for a shake up. I love Jason Giambi. I first met him nearly fifteen years ago when I was a bat boy in the Texas Rangers’ visiting clubhouse. He was one of the nicest, most gregarious players I ever had the pleasure meeting. However, his days as a productive baseball player are over. His classic whip-like stroke has slowed considerably and he’s no longer an offensive threat. The Rockies would be better served with more versatility and athleticism in that role.
The Rockies are talented group that have shown they can be successful. But, there are holes to fill. Management hasn’t done a good job. They have undeserving players on the big league roster simply because they’re veterans with options. There is no accountability with that kind of mentality. When poor play is accepted, it spreads. It’s time for Dan O’Dowd to make some tough decisions and fix the problems that he failed to address this past off-season. If he doesn’t, there will be no Rocktober this year.
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3 comments
Kenneth Boden
May 13, 2011 at 3:36 PM (UTC -6)
It surprises me that the only position player surpassing expectations is Todd Helton. Go figure… Well, Todd Helton and Johnny Sparkplug.
I don’t have a solution at 3rd base, but if we can trade Ian Steward for something – anything (expectations are low, but I would trade for a well seasoned bat boy with sage advice) – I say make the trade. My worry is that Ian Steward is the new Garret Atkins and the longer we hold him, the less likely we are to get something in return. A platoon of Wiggy and Chris Nelson at third? How would Herrera do at third with Chris Nelson at second? Are any of these acceptable options as a stop gap until something comes from a trade?
As for the bench, and this pains me to suggest this, but Charlie Blackmon should replace Spilly. I don’t have an option for Giambi. I was surprised when they brought him back this year, and I just assumed that the Rockies had enough talent on their bench to warrant the presence of another wily veteran who could extract excellence from the younger players. In hind sight, Bull Durham stories are best left to Hollywood.
I’m puzzled why Franklyn Morales is still with the team. If there is a rational baseball-related explanation, I would like to hear it. In all fairness, however, he has decreased his balk rate this year… which is… ummm… encouraging?
Finally, I have a few comments about Ubaldo. His facial expressions from his first start onwards have varied from exhaustion to stunned resignation. He looks more like the kid in the school play who forgets his lines and much less like a kid going out to have fun playing ball. Granted, Ubaldo is a little hard to read, but I haven’t once seen the placid look of confidence in his face like last year as he swaggered off the mound between innings. I worry that between innings he’s going to wonder into the wrong dug out. The guy just seems lost.
Logan Burdine
May 14, 2011 at 11:33 AM (UTC -6)
Great points, Ken. Hopefully Wiggy can give them something.
Garry Walker
May 16, 2011 at 3:05 PM (UTC -6)
I’m a diehard Rockies fan, albeit a bit displaced now that I’m working in DC, and it is way tough to watch them lose games the way they are now. The Rox off-season moves and 25-man roster decisions were both pitiful. Management gets a big fat F for all of it. To name just a few: 1. Letting Clint Barmes get away — there’s the solution at 3B or 2B. 2. Acquiring Lopez and Wiggington — what part of their last 2 seasons did management miss? These two can barely hit their weight, and neither one is a decent fielder. 3. Chris Nelson should be on the 25-man roster — see item 2 above. 4. How much time are they going to give Ian Stewart to start producing? They should have seen this coming based on his poor performance last year. Has he had an eye exam recently? There are NL pitchers that are swinging the bat a helluva lot better than he is. It’s about time they sent him down to AAA. Hopefully he can figure it out down there. Remember when the Rox had to choose between Stewart and Jeff Baker. Hmmm, not looking so good now is it. 4. Ryan Spilborghs? He hits a hot streak about once a year. We would be much better off with Jay Payton as the 4th outfielder. 5. And don’t get me started on the bullpen. I about choked on my oatmeal when I saw that they signed Paulino in the off-season. What part of his big league career warranted even thinking about this clown? Wasn’t his ERA around 7.00 last year? Hard-throwing?! Big deal. Most ML hitters can adjust to heat, especially when it’s the only thing the pitcher can throw for strikes. He’s horrible, like throwing gasoline on a fire. And Morales is not even a AAA level talent. He gets worse every year. About as reliable as the spring-time weather in the Rockies. And Street needs to pull his head out of his *** on his pitch selection. 6. Last year at this time I was thinking Ubaldo for Cy Young. Wow!! Where, when, why and how did his train get derailed? Looks like an alien took over his body and mind. Never seen anything like it. Where is the pitching coach in all of this? Our starting staff would be excellent if only our ACE(?) could figure it out. 7. I dig Jason Giambi but he is so far over the hill it’s not even funny. Should have kept Hawpe instead, and let him spell Helton (still a stud at 37!!) at 1B and play some OF now and then. It’s all a lot easier to analyze 2 1/2 months into the season, but hey, some of this stuff should have been no-brainers.