This is an awful picture but it seems to represent the Rockies season so well
Juan Nicasio was in the midst of a throwing program and the team was beginning to formulate a time table for his return to the team…and then it was discovered he has fluid buildup in his knee and required surgery. He injured his knee about a month ago and didn’t need surgery, just rest, but now he is out until at least September. With the way this season is going for the Rockies I don’t see any reason they would have him pitch for the team again this year.
This got me thinking; going into the season how would I have ranked Rockies players based on skill and importance to the team, and of those players who has missed significant time due to injuries?
Here are my top 10 Rockies prior to the start of the season:
- Troy Tulowitzki
- Carlos Gonzalez
- Jhoulys Chacin
- Dexter Fowler
- Todd Helton
- Drew Pomeranz
- Michael Cuddyer
- Jorge De La Rosa
- Juan Nicasio
- Jeremy Guthrie
That top 10 is sort of the best players on the team (Tulo and CarGo) and a mix of guys the Rockies needed big years from to contend (Chacin, Pomeranz, Nicasio and Guthrie).
The list would obviously look different today.
Now let’s take a look at time missed.
Tulo never saw June and probably will not be back with the Rockies until September. We knew the pitching would struggle this year, it was painfully obvious to us here on BSB, and if you told us that Tulo would miss three solid months this year I would easily have put the Rockies in the basement of the NL West.
Chacin couldn’t hit the broad side of Dinger early in the year and was sent to the minors after five starts. He reportedly has a “nerve issue” in his right chest (sounds like an excuse of some sort). I thought Chacin should have been the Opening Day starter for the Rockies and I understand he was terrible but if you take away a team’s #1 or #2 starter before the end of the first month of the season it’s going to hurt.
Pomeranz also spent time in the minors – about 2 months – and left another major hole in the Rockies rotation.
There were many reports coming into the year that De La Rosa could be ready to join the Rockies by early June. These were optimistic reports but it sounded like before the All-Star break was a definite maybe. Well, DLR started to throw, maybe too early and is still recovering and he won’t pitch until at least September, either. But I can’t see him throwing for the Rockies at all in 2012. What’s the point?
Now Nicasio is going to miss a few more months and Guthrie also missed a few starts due to his inability to ride a bike. Toss in Ramon Hernandez and Tyler Chatwood to guys who have or are spending time on the DL.
Many teams deal with injuries, some worse than the Rockies (check out how many pitchers the Kansas City Royals have lost this year to Tommy John surgery), but for a team that needed a lot to fall into place in 2012 to have a chance the exact opposite has happened.
For the fun of it, here are my current top 10 Rockies (active):
- Carlos Gonzalez
- Dexter Fowler
- Wilin Rosario
- Drew Pomeranz
- Tyler Colvin
- Jeff Francis (ouch)
- Christian Friedrich
- Matt Belisle
- Chris Nelson
- … I guess Helton…man this team sucks
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8 comments
RockedUp
July 8, 2012 at 11:59 AM (UTC -6)
Where is Rafael Betancourt on your lists? He is certainly deserving, and remains one of the better command and control relievers in baseball at age 37. If we trade Raffy this month, it not only would almost ensure a 100 loss season this year, it would make things much more difficult for our 2013 team. Raffy would be hard to replace.
Travis Lay
July 8, 2012 at 12:45 PM (UTC -6)
I have this personal problem with slow play. It originates from golf and has carried over to the rest of my life. I just can’t root for someone that takes that long to act. If Betancourt was Mo Rivera I would still want the Rockies to trade him because I cant stand 45 minute half innings.
It’s a flaw, I know it and am working on it.
Seth
July 8, 2012 at 1:33 PM (UTC -6)
Betancourt is not a pure closer, he is just a good set up guy. His stuff wont blow anyone away and as we have seen if he doesnt have 100% control of his stuff he gets hit hard because any major leaguer can hit a 92 mph flat fastball and a flat slider. He profiles better as a set up man for a contending team therefore I think the Rockies should trade him and they could get some decent return for him considering all the injuries throughout the league at the back end of the bullpen. A quality set up guy/replacement closer is always at a premium in the league so why not hold him for a high ransom and some team is bound to overpay for a proven guy like Betancourt. It is in the Rockies best interest to trade him right now especially for rebuilding. Brothers needs a shot at closer to decide if we can move forward with or without him as closer in the future.
RockedUp
July 8, 2012 at 11:52 PM (UTC -6)
Brothers has a WHIP of 1.66 and has allowed more hits than innings pitched. He doesnt profile as a league-average closer at this point. Right now, Belisle would appear to be a better closer candidate, but if Raffy were someone with trade value, Belisle would as well.
TroyF
July 9, 2012 at 8:01 AM (UTC -6)
Rex needs more time in the setup role. He had a sensational June (13.2 IP, 6 hits, 3 walks, 21K, .66 ERA with over 8 of those inning coming at Coors) and has followed it up with a pretty putrid early July. The problem started after throwing 5 times in 7 days. He threw June 27, 28, 29. Threw again on July 1 and July 3.
The kid is still 24, he shouldn’t have been expected to throw that much.
He has closer type stuff and will be one at some point. Better to let him spend more time at the set up spot though. I just hope our new fangled pitching strategy doesn’t ruin the kid. (it’s funny how the starters had a good couple of weeks and they have eased the pressure on the bullpen by 1/3 of an inning. When this system works, it sucks. That won’t be how O’Dowd spins it though.
By the way, if you can get something good for Betancourt, you MUST take it. The guy is 37 years old. He’s been good, but he hasn’t been great. How would trading him ensure a 100 loss season? The guy has 7 one run saves this season. He’s blown 3 one run save chances. Just so you are aware of statistics, the probability of winning a game with a one run lead heading into the ninth is virtually unchanged in MLB history. You win the game 85% of the time.
With Raffy, we’ve won it 70% of the time in those situations this year. I like the guy and don’t have a problem with him staying, but please don’t make him out to be some sort of stud closer who we cannot live without. We already have an idiot GM who plays that role perfectly. (and you don’t need to worry, he said he would not be trading Raffy this weekend along with more moronic things)
Seth
July 9, 2012 at 12:05 PM (UTC -6)
I would be fine letting Brothers set up for Belisle for the rest of the season. I think there are a few untouchables on the team now being Brothers, the starting kids, Rosario, Colvin, and of course Dex, Cargo, and Tulo. We would get even better return for Belisle rather than Betancourt but that is because he is under contract next season pretty cheap too, so we need to keep him as he is a valuable asset beyond this year where as Betancourt is not under contract and would probably leave us at the end of the year for nothing. If we suck again next year, then do the same thing with Belisle and hold him for ransom and trade him for something good. Out of all the players possibly traded this year, I think the ones with the most value and could possible bring back the most value (if Odowd doesnt screw it up, which he will) are Betancourt, Matt Reynolds, and Pacheco (although I don’t think they will/should trade Pacheco)
JD
July 9, 2012 at 3:04 PM (UTC -6)
I hate to suggest trusting O’Dowd to make a trade, but rumor has it that the Padres might want to move Chase Headley. Given that most of our prospects were acquired by Dan O’Dowd (hence they can’t be very good), I wonder if we should make an offer. Headley hits decently despite Petco, and we have a void. I know we’re counting on Arenado, but between rumors of his attitude problems and the whole “being acquired by O’Dowd” thing, well…
Anonymous
July 9, 2012 at 7:58 PM (UTC -6)
I am so sick of ODowd. Rosario supposedly had a ad attitude in AA last year. All I see is that kid play his ass off every night. He is not the best catcher, but he plays hard.
OIdiot needs to get Arenado up and see what he can do. Besides, I thought signing a ten million dollar a year 33 year old was going o fix the locker room. I thought Guthrie and his amazing attitude would fix the pitching staff (and hey, we added Moyer too, right)
Sorry, but I do not trust anything this organization says anymore. Especially no that. Clown