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.
Hello from the Pacific NW! Lots of decisions to be made soon with Rockies. Have you heard anything regarding German Marquez? It would be a tough end to his Rockies tenure if he’s not re-signed. Is there chatter about a multi-year extension to allow German to rehab with the team next year with an eye to having him at the top of the rotation in ’25 and maybe beyond?
Also, a couple of Kris Bryant questions, if you’ll indulge me. In nearly every interview I’ve seen “KB” do, he says something along the lines that because he was elite early in his career for minimal pay, he deserves every penny of his current contract. That only works if the Cubs are paying him! Does he really not feel any pressure to be on the field and producing at a level befitting his salary? Secondly, do you think the Rockies would pull the trigger on a bad-contract swap (ideally for a starting pitcher)? Or are they committed to KB hitting singles in the handful of games he plays?
— Theron, Eugene, Ore.
Theron, I believe that the Rockies will offer Marquez some sort of deal. There is a club option for $16 million next year, but with Marquez coming back from Tommy John surgery, there is no way Colorado will pick up that option. But could they offer him a two- or three-year deal for decent money? Maybe $10 million a year?
But the bigger question is: Will Marquez want to stay? He’s only 28 and he might want to see if the grass is greener at another ballpark.
As for Bryant, in the interviews I’ve had with him, he’s never come across as “entitled.” However, I do believe that he thinks he’s earned his big contract (seven years, $182 million) based on his baseball resume. That’s fine, but to your point, he certainly hasn’t played like the cornerstone of a franchise, or as the team’s “aircraft carrier,” as general manager Bill Schmidt referred to him.
So far, I haven’t seen much fire or drive from Bryant.
Given Kris Bryant’s excellent performance since joining the Rockies, is this the worst contract in franchise history? Monfort must think we’re all stupid to try to convince us to believe he couldn’t pay Nolan Arenado, a likely HOF player in my book, but magically had a similarly-sized Brinks truck ready for Bryant.
— James Williams, Lakewood
James, you have your facts wrong. Monfort never said he couldn’t pay Arenado. If you recall, the Rockies signed Arenado to an eight-year, $255 million extension. It was Arenado who forced his way out of Colorado, essentially demanding to be traded. I don’t blame him. In the three years leading up to the Feb. 1, 2021 trade, Colorado signed one major league free agent: an over-the-hill Daniel Murphy. Arenado wanted out because he saw the direction the franchise was headed.
Monfort gave Bryant big money because Monfort wanted a marquee position player to replace Arenado. And make no mistake, it was Monfort who was the driving force behind bringing Bryant to Colorado.
What are the expectations for the second half of the year and do you expect the Rockies to trade away some veterans?
— Tyler, Kearney, Neb.
Tyler, I do think the Rockies will make some trades. I’m not alone on that. Manager Bud Black told MLB Network Radio on Tuesday that he thinks the Rockies will be more active than in the past.
As Schmidt told me earlier this month, he’s been contracted by teams, mostly regarding relievers. I’ve been told that lefty Brent Suter has garnered the most interest, but there is trade interest in right-hander Pierce Johnson and lefty Brad Hand as well.
The Rockies also need to move veteran outfielders Jurickson Profar and Randal Grichuk, not just to acquire pitching prospects but to provide more playing time to rookies Nolan Jones and Brenton Doyle. First baseman C.J. Cron could be traded, too, opening the door for Michael Toglia and Elehuris Montero.
The caveat to all trades, of course, is finding a dance partner and getting a decent return.
Colorado’s best trade chip is All-Star catcher Elias Diaz, who was named All-Star Game MVP for his go-ahead, two-run homer. A smart baseball guy who keeps a close eye on the Rockies told me he thinks the Rockies should pair Suter and Diaz in a package for high-end pitching prospects.
However, when I asked a big-league baseball executive if he thought the Rockies would trade Diaz, he said no.
“When Diaz won the MVP, I think that convinced (owner) Dick Monfort to hold onto him,” he said.
If true, that’s the kind of short-sighted thinking that has hurt Colorado so often in the past.
As for expectations, I would hope the Rockies would go for an all-out youth movement because, with the poor starting pitching they have, a 100-loss season looks likely. And really, what’s the difference between 96 losses and 103?
Over the past 10 years, the Rockies seem to be at the very low end of buyers/sellers at the deadline. I view this as one of the top reasons for their lack of long-term success. Are there any reasons why they stand pat so often?
— Kent F., Greeley
Kent, by nature, the Rockies, led by Monfort, are one of the most conservative franchises in the majors. They love to hold on to what they have.
Both Schmidt and manager Bud Black insist that the Rockies did not move shortstop Trevor Story and pitcher Jon Gray in at the deadline in 2021 because they didn’t get legitimate offers in return. But I have also been told by numerous people in the industry that Monfort wanted to hold on to Story for the rest of the season in 2021, even though it was clear Story was never going to re-sign with Colorado. That thinking did not sit well with Story.
Will Bud Black survive this season? And do you expect Vinny Castilla to take over for Black in 2023? If Buddy makes it through the season, will we have a new manager, bench coach, hitting coach and pitching coach come spring training 2024?
— Daniel Miller, Denver
Daniel, yes, Black will survive this season. He has an excellent working relationship with Schmidt and Monfort, and Black says he likes the teaching aspect of working with young players. Like everybody else, I love Castilla, but I don’t see him managing the Rockies.
As for dumping most of Black’s staff, it’s way too early to make that call.
Hi Patrick, glad you escaped the elevator at Coors Field. Do any Rockies players store their bats in a humidor when they are in Denver? If it makes a difference with baseballs, perhaps it does with wooden bats as well.
— Andy Reid, Denver
Hey Andy, that’s an interesting question. I’m sure the players don’t want their bats to become dry and brittle, but as far as I know, players don’t store their bats in a humidor. I do know that some players store their bats in special cases. I’m going to ask around about this and I’ll get back to you.
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