Colorado Rockies: 3 Things You Should Know on February 16

The Colorado Rockies have their pitchers and catchers working out in Scottsdale, Ariz., as spring training is officially underway. With new manager Bud Black overseeing his new squad, it’s a time of getting to know each other and figuring out together how this year’s Colorado team will be different from years past.

Of course, with workouts going on, there are plenty of things to talk about with the Rockies and plenty of news stories to examine. We looked at three of the most interesting for this article. Check them out below.

They’re baaaaack…

Jason Motte and Chad Qualls certainly had seasons that were cringe-worthy at times last season for the Rockies. Of course, that sentence could sum up some of the games for the entire bullpen, let alone the two veteran pitchers.

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However, both believe they’re healthy and ready to contribute this year. It’s interesting to see two veteran pitchers in the final year of their contracts understand that they need to contribute more this year. Thomas Harding of MLB.com talked with both and has their thoughts in this article.

Kyle Starts With K

We’ve talked for a bit now about Kyle Freeland and the impact he can potentially have this season on the Rockies. Check out this article that lists him as one of the five bold predictions we made about Colorado’s spring training.

The Denver native wants to make his big league debut this season and there’s every chance that that’s the minimum of what could happen with Freeland and the Rockies this season. Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post has a talk with him and Rockies coaches in this article.

Young and Ready?

Sports Illustrated took a look at Colorado’s young rotation in this article, reminding readers that none of Colorado’s projected starters have more than 90 career starts. They also highlight the lack of experience behind the plate with Tony Wolters and Tom Murphy.

Next: 7 Things Colorado Fans Must Never Do

It’s a short read that leads in to the magazine’s winter scorecard with the Rockies. It’s a good idea of what the national media is saying about Colorado’s chances this season.