The forecast is decidedly unsettled as the Rockies open spring training for the second time under general manager Jeff Bridich. Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is long gone, traded to Toronto in July. His replacement, Jose Reyes, who failed to impress in 47 games with Colorado, faces an uncertain future because of his offseason arrest in Hawaii for alleged domestic violence. The Rockies surprised many by signing outfielder Gerardo Parra to a three-year, $27.5 million contract, and also by not trading Carlos Gonzalez. They did ship young slugger Corey Dickerson to Tampa Bay in exchange for left-handed reliever Jake McGee. The Rockies also beefed up their bullpen by signing right-handers Jason Motte and Chad Qualls to two-year deals. What Bridich did not do was acquire a starting pitcher via a trade or free agency. Instead, he’s counting on internal depth and prospects to improve what has been the worst rotation in baseball.
Starting rotation:
Fans and media expected Bridich to land a veteran starter over the winter, but it didn’t happen. So the Rockies are left with a lot of in-house competition and plenty of question marks. Colorado is counting on a solid season from veteran lefty Jorge De La Rosa, continued growth from Chad Bettis and Jon Gray, and an injury-free season from Tyler Chatwood and Jordan Lyles. If lefty Tyler Matzek can solve his anxiety issues, he could be in the mix. Lefty Chris Rusin, who ran hot and cold last season, definitely has a shot at a spot in the rotation. Right-hander Eddie Butler has a lot of work to do before he earns a chance.
Bullpen:
Adam Ottavino, coming off Tommy John surgery, won’t be ready to pitch until around the All-Star Game, so the Rockies need a new closer after cutting loose Jon Axford. McGee probably will get the job, but he will get competition from Motte and possibly Qualls. Bridich has gone all out to bolster the bullpen, so competition will be fierce during camp. That’s a good thing. Lefties Rex Brothers and Christian Friedrich are gone, and a big question mark is what the club will do with left-hander Boone Logan, who’s in the final year of a three-year, $16.5 million deal. Hard-throwing right-hander Jairo Diaz represents the type of arm the Rockies are looking for, as do Justin Miller and Scott Oberg. There won’t be room for all of them.
Catcher:
This is one of the most stable positions on the team. Nick Hundley, entering the second year of a two-year, $6 million contract, has proven he can handle Rockies pitchers. Plus, he batted a career-high .301, second-highest among catchers. Tom Murphy sparkled at Coors Field during his September call-up, hitting .421 with three home runs. However, he batted just 1-for-16 on the road with one RBI. Solid defender Dustin Garneau is penciled in as the No. 3 catcher and will probably begin the season at Triple-A.
First base:
Signing veteran slugger Mark Reynolds sets up a likely platoon with Reynolds hitting from the right side and Ben Paulsen hitting from the left. Expect manager Walt Weiss to run with the hot hand. Reynolds used to have prodigious power. In 2009, he clubbed 44 home runs, but also led the National League with 223 strikeouts. The Rockies hope Coors Field can help rekindle Reynolds’ power. In 148 career plate appearances at Coors, he has hit .287 with eight homers, 23 RBIs and a .955 OPS. Paulsen’s numbers were not eye-popping (.277 batting average / .326 on-base percentage / .462 slugging percentage), but he did hit 11 homers last season and proved to be a solid glove.
Second base:
DJ LeMahieu is the real deal. Selected to his first All-Star Game, he set career highs in games (150), at-bats (564), hits (179), home runs (six), RBIs (61), walks (50) and stolen bases (23). He’s remarkably consistent with his glove, making only nine errors at second base over the past two seasons. Utility man Daniel Descalso is LeMahieu’s primary backup. With Colorado employing more infield shifts, LeMahieu’s adjustment has been seamless.
Shortstop:
With Tulo long gone, what used to be a team strength is now a head-scratcher. Reyes is scheduled to make $22 million this season, but under Major League Baseball’s new domestic violence policy, he could face a lengthy suspension that would cut into his salary and leave a hole a short. Hot prospect Trevor Story is on the verge of making his major-league debut and that could be hastened if Reyes is unavailable. Descalso and, perhaps, Cristhian Adames would fill in until Story arrives.
Third base:
Nolan Arenado was the Rockies’ best player last season. Indeed, the first-time all-star was one of the best players in the majors. He won his third-consecutive Gold Glove, tied for the NL lead with 42 homers, and his 89 extra-base hits were the most ever by a third baseman. As long as Arenado stays healthy, the hot corner is a place where hot shots will go to die. In those rare instances when Arenado doesn’t start, Descalso, Adames or Reynolds will fill in.
Outfield:
Even with Dickerson gone to Tampa Bay, the Rockies face a predicament. Parra’s arrival gives the team three lefty hitters in their starting outfield. It’s something Weiss will struggle with when he makes out his lineup card against a left-handed-heavy rotation such as the Dodgers. After Gonzalez rebounded from injuries, he hit a career-high 40 homers, fueling offseason trade rumors. But he’s back and manning right field. Leadoff man Charlie Blackmon will play center, and Parra lines up in left. Brandon Barnes, the light-hitting but energetic utility man, serves as the primary backup.
Bench:
The bench will look very different than it did a year ago, and spring training will decide who’s on it come opening day. Descalso did fine as a utility fielder, but he hit a tepid .205 with a .283 on-base percentage. The Rockies hope Reynolds will provide some right-handed power off the bench. Barnes needs to rebound from his late-summer swoon. Over the final two months of 2015, he hit just .190/.225/.286 and struck out 31 times in 89 plate appearances. Rafael Ynoa and Adames will also battle for a spot a backup spot.
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184
Total runs allowed over the first three innings last season, most in the majors and 36 more than runner-up Texas.
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249
Walks issued by Rockies relievers last year, by far the most in the majors.
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7
Total passed balls allowed by Rockies catchers. Only five teams had fewer.
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0
Number of homers Paulsen hit off left-handed pitching in 2015.
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761
Total chances for LeMahieu, most among NL second basemen.
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.310
Reyes’ on-base percentage in 2015, his worst since becoming a big-leaguer in 2005.
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.373
Arenado’s batting average with runners in scoring position, second-best in the majors.
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43
Stolen bases for Blackmon, third-most in the NL and fifth-most in Rockies history.
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.653
OPS for Rockies’ pinch hitters, fourth-best in the National League.
Rockies spring training schedule:
Home games at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, Scottsdale, Ariz.
CLASS 5A
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME |
| March 2 | vs. Diamondbacks | 1:10 p.m. |
| March 3 | at Diamondbacks | 1:10 p.m. |
| March 4 | at Athletics | 1:05 p.m. |
| March 5 | vs. Padres | 1:10 p.m. |
| March 6 | at Reds | 1:05 p.m. |
| March 7 | vs. Cubs | 1:10 p.m. |
| March 8 | at Royals | 1:05 p.m. |
| March 9 | at Giants | 1:05 p.m. |
| March 10 | vs. Reds | 1:10 p.m. |
| March 11 | vs. Indians | 1:10 p.m. |
| March 12 | at Brewers | 1:05 p.m. |
| March 13 | vs. Dodgers | 2:10 p.m |
| March 14 | at Mariners | 2:10 p.m |
| March 15 | vs. Athletics | 2:10 p.m |
| March 16 | at Dodgers | 2:05 p.m. |
| March 17 | vs. Angels | 2:10 p.m |
| March 18 | at Angels | 2:10 p.m |
| March 19 | at Padres | 2:10 p.m |
| March 20 | vs. Giants | 2:10 p.m |
| March 21 | at Rangers | 2:05 p.m. |
| March 22 | vs. Brewers | 2:10 p.m |
| March 24 | vs. Mariners | 2:10 p.m |
| March 25 | at Reds | 2:05 p.m. |
| March 26 | vs. Rangers | 2:10 p.m |
| March 27 | at Diamondbacks | 2:10 p.m |
| March 28 | vs. White Sox | 2:10 p.m |
| March 29 | at Diamondbacks | 2:10 p.m |
| March 30 | at Cubs (SS) | 2:05 p.m. |
| March 30 | vs. Brewers (SS) | 2:10 p.m |
| March 31 | vs. Diamondbacks | 1:10 p.m. |
| April 1 | at Mariners | 8:10 p.m. |
| April 2 | vs. Mariners | 1:10 p.m. |
Rockies’ projected rotation for 25-man roster:
PITCHERS: LHP Jorge De La Rosa; RHP Chad Bettis; RHP Jon Gray; RHP Jordan Lyles; RHP Tyler Chatwood
BULLPEN: LHP Jake McGee; RHP Jason Motte; RHP Chad Qualls; RHP Justin Miller; LHP Boone Logan; LHP Chris Rusin; RHP Scott Oberg; RHP Jairo Diaz
CATCHERS: Nick Hundley; Tom Murphy
INFIELDERS: 1B Ben Paulsen; 2B DJ LeMahieu; 3B Nolan Arenado; SS Jose Reyes
OUTFIELDERS: LF Gerardo Parra; CF Charlie Blackmon; RF Carlos Gonzalez
BENCH: OF Brandon Barnes; UTIL Mark Reynolds; INF Daniel Descalso
Remaining 40-man roster:
PITCHERS: LHP Christian Bergman; RHP Eddie Butler; RHP Miguel Castro; RHP Carlos Estevez; RHP David Hale; RHP German Marquez; LHP Tyler Matzek; RHP Adam Ottavino*; RHP Antonio Senzatela
CATCHER: Dustin Garneau
INFIELDERS: Cristhian Adames; Trevor Story; Rafael Ynoa
OUTFIELDER: Raimel Tapia
Nonroster invitees:
PITCHERS: RHP Matt Carasiti; RHP Shane Carle; RHP Simon Castro; LHP Yohan Flande; LHP Kyle Freeland; RHP Gonzalez Germen; RHP Nelson Gonzalez; LHP Jason Gurka; RHP Jeff Hoffman; RHP Brock Huntzinger; LHP Sam Moll; LHP Harrison Musgrave; RHP Brian Schlitter
CATCHERS: Ryan Casteel; Dom Nuñez; Will Swanner; Jackson Williams
INFIELDER: Ryan McMahon
OUTFIELDERS: Noel Cuevas; David Dahl; Rosell Herrera; Kyle Parker; Jordan Patterson; Michael Tauchman
*Will begin the season on the disabled list
Key Dates
Wednesday: Pitchers and catchers report
Friday: First official workout for pitchers and catchers
Feb. 23: Position players report
Feb. 25: First official full-squad workout
March 2: First Cactus League game, vs. Arizona
April 2: Final Cactus League game, vs. Seattle
April 4: Regular-season opener, at Arizona
April 8: Home opener vs. San Diego
Ticket information
Tickets can be purchased at the Salt River Fields at Talking Stick center field ticket office, the Coors Field ticket office, all Rockies Dugout stores, online at rockies.com/spring, by calling 888-490-0383 or by calling 480-362-WINS (9467).
Tickets for all games at Salt River Fields are priced from $11 to $37. General admission lawn seating is $11 to $15, and tickets for reserved seats in the seating bowl range from $21 to $37.
For more Rockies spring training information, call 303-ROCKIES (762-5437).
