Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag.
Pose a Rockies- or MLB-related question for the Rockies Mailbag.
At what point does Bud Black’s job security come into question? I know he doesn’t have the most talented roster to work with. Still, it seems like they also keep shooting themselves in the foot with coaching mistakes like baserunning errors and mismanaged lineups (Kris Bryant is batting third or fourth, and Ezequiel Tovar is starting the year batting seventh). I know Bud is well-liked in the organization, and he’s fairly cheap, but at some point, isn’t there a need for fresh ideas in the dugout?
— Greg, Denver
Greg, I honestly don’t know what Black’s future is with the team.
During spring training, Black and owner Dick Monfort had preliminary discussions about a contract extension that would keep Black with the team through 2025. I recently asked Black about the status of that extension, and he told me that he couldn’t discuss “confidential negotiations.”
Could it be that the Rockies’ terrible start has put Black’s extension on hold? Possibly.
Could Black be rethinking his future with the team? Possibly, but he still seems committed to helping build the Rockies’ future.
But I don’t think the Rockies will fire Black this season. Why? Because he’s done the best he could with a team bereft of major league talent. He’s repeatedly shuffled the lineup and mixed and matched his relief pitchers. I don’t think firing Black and bringing in another manager will turn things around.
The bottom line is that making Black the scapegoat for the Rockies’ failures is not the solution.
In your honest opinion, do the Rockies stand a chance of getting out of this early season funk, or is the season already kaput? What needs to change?
— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.
Ed, it depends on how you define kaput. If you mean they’ll finish in last place in the National League West and post a sixth-consecutive losing record, then their season is kaput.
But here’s the thing. We all knew this would be a rough season — the Rockies’ brass knew it, too — but I didn’t think the Rockies would be this bad. Between Kris Bryant’s back injury and slumps by Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Jones, the Rockies’ offense is awful. Its 23 home runs are the third-fewest in the majors, and its .684 OPS ranks 21st, despite playing its home games at Coors Field. The Rockies’ 277 strikeouts are the sixth-most, while their 77 walks are the third-fewest.
Colorado pitchers have posted a 6.06 ERA, the worst in the majors by more than a run (the White Sox have a 5.02 team ERA).
Having pontificated about all of that, the Rockies’ goal this season was to test their young players, evaluate their futures, and start building for the future. It will take more than 28 games to determine whether the team is progressing. We’ll see several young players get their chance in the coming months, starting with outfielder Jordan Beck, who will debut in Miami this week.
The Rockies are on pace for 126 losses this year. They can’t be this bad all year, right? This is futility on a historic level.
— Madden, Denver
Madden, I’m not sure when you submitted your question, but as I write this, the Rockies are 7-21, a .250 winning percentage that puts them on pace to finish 41-121. There is no way the Rockies are going to lose 121 games. They’re bad, but for the love of Choo Choo Coleman, they’re not 1962 New York Mets bad.
I predicted the Rockies would finish 65-97, a small step forward from their 103-loss 2023 season. I didn’t think they could lose 100 games again, but now they certainly look to be headed in that direction. In the long run, it might not matter as long as the Rockies are truly committed to a rebuild.
Shouldn’t Kris Bryant admit his back severely limits his baseball future and do the honorable thing by retiring? I’m unsure how the financials work, but perhaps this frees up money for investing in others. No more free-agent position players. Grow our own or trade. All resources go to pitchers who adjust to pitching at altitude. Probably our own, as no free agent wants to come to Colorado. But those who have success should be well-rewarded.
— Ron Secrist, Longmont
Ron, Bryant’s seven-year, $182 million contract before the 2022 season is guaranteed. I can’t imagine he would walk away from that kind of money.
I don’t know how severe his back injury is. The Rockies have been tight-lipped about it, and Bryant rarely makes himself available to the media.
He’s been on the injured list since April 14. Bryant hit just .149 with one homer through 13 games this year, and his back could have been a factor in that slow start, even though the Rockies insisted he was healthy.
While looking ahead at the Rockies’ May schedule, what are your thoughts about the team catching a break and enjoying more success than in April?
— Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.
Ed, I don’t see a huge difference between Colorado’s April and May opponents. I suppose they could win a couple of games in Miami against the woeful Marlins and perhaps a game at Pittsburgh. But the Rockies play 15 of their 27 games on the road in May, so I don’t think they have an easier path. They have to play better.
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