Danielle's MLB Insider: Previewing the Colorado Rockies' spring training
Feb. 14—Every Tuesday, Denver Gazette beat writer Danielle Allentuck takes you around Major League Baseball:
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What they said
"If you're addressing what the fans want, you're more likely than not to get it right. There's an initial wave, where it's 'Oh my god, (we're) going to ruin the game.' But people see it and get used to it, and a lot of it turns positive for a lot of people."
—MLB commissioner Rob Manfred to ESPN on baseball's rule changes
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What I'm reading
Speaking of the new rules, here's a detailed overview of the changes.
The gist: A pitch clock (with the bases empty, pitchers have 15 seconds to begin their motion, 20 seconds if there is a runner on base); no more shifting (teams must have two infielders on both sides of second base); larger bases (now 18 square inches instead of 15); and limited pickoff attempts.
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What I'm thinking
Will players adjust to the new rules during spring training, or will we see lots of infractions during the first month of the season? Are games going to take longer because there will be arguments or complications with the new rules? And what's next — robot umpires?
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What's happening
World Baseball Classic rosters were revealed last week. Seven Rockies' players will participate — Daniel Bard (U.S.), Kyle Freeland (U.S.), Alan Trejo (Mexico), Jake Bird (Israel), Justin Lawrence (Panama), Elias Díaz (Colombia) and Germán Márquez (Venezuela).
Elsewhere, Ronald Acuña Jr. was granted permission from the Braves to represent Venezuela and Angels' superstar Shohei Ohtani will represent his native Japan. The Dominican Republic has a stacked team that includes Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Manny Machado, Jeremy Peña and more. Competition begins March 8 and is spread out over four regions for the first round — Miami, Phoenix, Tokyo and Taichung.
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What's on tap
Baseball! Pitchers and catchers report to Salt River Fields on Wednesday, with the rest of the squad following on Feb. 20. Cactus League action kicks off on Feb. 25.
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MLB Insider: Meet the new faces
The Rockies were relatively quiet in the offseason, but they'll have five new faces in camp who weren't a part of their organization a year ago. Pierce Johnson is the only new player acquired via free agency, while Nolan Jones, Brent Suter, Nick Mears and Connor Seabold were all picked up from trades or off waivers.
Jones, the only new position player, comes from the Guardians, where he debuted as a corner outfielder last July. He can also play first and third. Jones played 28 major league games last year, hitting .244 with two home runs. He will compete with Michael Toglia and Sean Bouchard for an Opening Day spot.
As for the pitchers, Suter has the most experience out of the new gang. He was beloved both inside and outside the clubhouse in Milwaukee, where he spent the first seven years of his career before he was claimed off waivers by the Rockies in November. He was the Brewers' longest-tenured player and a vocal advocate in the Milwaukee community. He had a 3.51 ERA in his 394.2 innings pitched there.
Johnson, a Denver native, will be joining Suter in the bullpen. He spent most of last season on the injured list with tendinitis in his right forearm but was an asset in the playoffs, where he pitched four clean innings for the Padres. His best pitch is a curveball, which ranks in the 92nd percentile for spin rate, according to Baseball Savant. Johnson will join Dinelson Lamet and Suter in the back end of the Rockies' bullpen.
To round out the new faces, Nick Mears and Connor Seabold are both low-serviced time players who will be fighting for a spot. Mears appeared in two major league games for the Pirates in 2022 and was designated for assignment in December. The Rangers picked him up, then designated him, leaving him open for the Rockies. Seabold was traded by the Red Sox for a player to be named later. He had a 11.29 ERA in five starts for Boston last season.
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The List
Five questions for the Rockies entering spring training:
1. Will they move CJ Cron at the deadline if Michael Toglia and Elehuris Montero prove they can handle first base?
When CJ Cron signed a two-year deal with the Rockies in October 2021, it made sense for all parties involved. Cron was being handed the chance to be the starting first baseman, while the Rockies got a strong player at a cheap price ($7.5 million a year), buying them time until their prospects were ready to take over. But those prospects are major leaguers now, with Toglia and Montero both debuting last season. Both still have kinks to work out — Toglia had a 40 percent strikeout rate in 31 major league games. Montero, despite his improvements, still has a ways to go on defense — but at what point will they take the training wheels off, and give them full-time control of the position? If they trade Cron, they can get prospects in return to help him in the future. If they keep him, they risk the chance of him leaving without getting anything in return.
2. Who will play centerfield?
The Rockies entered the offseason in search of a left-handed hitting centerfielder. That didn't happen. Instead, it'll likely be Yonathan Daza and Randal Grichuk, both right-handed hitters, splitting the position again. Daza plays better defense but had a career year at the plate last year, hitting .301 in 113 games. Grichuk has more power, hitting 19 home runs in his first year in Colorado. Prospects Brenton Doyle and Zac Veen, who will both attend their first major league camps, are candidates for the position later in the season.
3. Will Ezequiel Tovar be afforded a grace period?
Tovar is a 21-year-old shortstop who's going to be thrust into the limelight. Growing pains are to be expected. His defense has been his strong suit, but there's not enough data to see how he'll handle major league hitting. He had seven hits with one home run in 33 major league at-bats. Will they let him stay in the major leagues even if he struggles? Or will they send him to Triple-A at the first signs of weakness?
4. What's the status of Ryan Rolison and Peter Lambert?
The two pitchers have been on a rollercoaster the past two years. Rolison, once the Rockies' top pitching prospect, had appendix surgery and a freak hand injury in 2021, followed by shoulder surgery in 2022. Lambert had Tommy John surgery in 2020, returned for a few starts in 2021, then missed most of the 2022 season with more complications. He went to the Arizona Fall League but was again shut down early. The Rockies obviously still see something in them. Otherwise, they wouldn't keep them on the 40-man roster. Now where do they stand with their recoveries? And will they return to a pre-injury performance level?
5. What is Colorado's plan for starting pitching depth?
What's the plan if Rolison and Lambert aren't ready to go? The Rockies enter the spring with five healthy options — Kyle Freeland, Germán Márquez, José Ureña, Austin Gomber and Ryan Feltner. That number will jump to six when Antonio Senzatela returns from an ACL tear, but it's still not enough. The Rockies used eight starters in 2022, and that's low compared to most teams. Jeff Criswell, a non-roster invite acquired in the trade for Chad Smith, has minor league experience. Karl Kauffman and Case Williams are the closest starter prospects to the majors, but neither have strong numbers — a 6.05 ERA in 13 Triple-A starts for Kauffman and 5.57 in six high-A outings for Williams.
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