Will the Rockies soon be mined for spare parts?
“One Dan O’Dowd and company accept the fact that this star-studded Rockies team is once again doomed to mediocrity they will probably begin to trade off players. Michael Cuddyer will likely be the first to go.”
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The bottom is rushing up toward the Colorado Rockies. The club’s freefall began with their recent nine-game road trip and has not been righted through two series at home through which they’ve netted a total of one win. Altogether the Rox have dropped nine of their last ten games. They can suddenly feel both the Padres and Diamondbacks breathing down their necks. One or the other is likely to displace Colorado as the third-place team in the NL West very soon since Colorado leads each of the current bottom feeders by just one game in the win column.
It’s beyond conceivable that the very same Rockies who were jostling with San Francisco for the lead in the division not long ago will find themselves in the basement this month. Tonight’s starting pitcher for the Rockies, Christian Berman, will be making his MLB debut having been called up from Tulsa to help patch together Colorado’s ailing starting rotation. He will probably get shelled at Coors Field the same way that recent call-up Eddie Butler did on Friday. Butler posted an ERA of 10.13.
The Rox host the Braves this week for four games before going on the road to battle first the Giants then the Dodgers. Assuming they continue losing at their current pace their season will be completely doomed before July 1st.
One Dan O’Dowd and company accept the fact that this star-studded Rockies team is once again doomed to mediocrity they will probably begin to trade off players. Michael Cuddyer will likely be the first to go. Rumors that he will be dealt are already beginning to circulate. Nolan Arenado, who should be returning from the DL around July 1st, will also be a candidate to be moved since he’s not likely to be re-signed after his Rockies contract expires.
What other spare parts will be mined from the Rockies roster? It’s hard to say. The prevailing wisdom seems to be that Troy Tulowitzki is safe to remain on the roster at least through the end of this season. His team-friendly deal as well as Carlos Gonzalez’s mean that two super-stars should be around until the bitter end in 2014. It’s very possible, though, that the Rockies will decide to move one or both of them in the aftermath of a disappointing season.
The fan-friendly faces that help make the Rockies such a draw at Coors Field are all in jeopardy of leaving. It’s likely that Tulo and Cargo and Cuddy and all the rest are simply counting the days until they can get shipped out of futile Colorado. Despite having what on paper appears to be the most powerful offense in the National League the Rockies continue to disappoint and that disappointment does not only rest with the fans. The players feel it, too.
Contending teams in Major League Baseball are doubtlessly eying Colorado’s roster and plotting to make offers for popular players. The Rockies will have to entertain these offers soon if they can’t get back on a winning track and there’s no reason to believe that will happen.
