Wheeler plays good defense, but can he live up to the Toddfather?

So now the pertinent question is not where Reynolds’s ceiling is, but rather who is Wheeler? Unfortunately, the data on him is limited as he only debuted in the majors last July. In 50 games with the Diamondbacks, he collected 26 hits and 22 strikeouts. More often than not, he was brought in as a pinch-hitter late in the game, so most of his experience came at the bottom of the order. However, prior to his call-up he showed some decent power potential at triple-A Reno, hitting 15 homers in 93 games and amassing a .960 OPS. He plays good defense, mostly at first, and can also play third if necessary. He provides another back-up option to Todd Helton, as the Toddfather enters the twilight of his career and is limited to however much playing time his back will allow. In the end, Wheeler doesn’t need to be much to be a good swap for Reynolds. I like Reynolds, as I’ve said, but the pen is a bit crowded and we can probably live without him. What we need is a solid heir apparent for Helton, and Wheeler has the opportunity to step into that void.

Alas, in spring training Wheeler is hitting an abysmal .158. Now, we all know better than to base too much on spring training stats, since if those were any indication Brandon Wood probably would have been gunning for NL MVP last season. Still, Wheeler has a lot of stepping up to do if he really wants to be that new first base guy. He’s an experiment, and the results are not yet in.

So far so good in spring training for Tulo. Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

Well, the one-word answer is: injuries. Tulo gets hurt. A lot. He’s averaged 113 games in his last 5 seasons, and last year was a hide-y0ur-eyes depressing 47 games. No wonder the Rockies lost a franchise-worst 98 games. Their centerpiece was mostly rehabbing and undergoing surgery. Tulo’s instability due to his frequent stints on the DL has earned him a reputation. He’s still the best shortstop in baseball talent-wise, but every fantasy expert will tell you the same thing: Have a back-up plan. This guy may or may not have the opportunity to meet expectations.

Now, here’s the thing. Technically it’s not Tulo’s fault that he gets injured. It’s not like he’s lazy or juicing or getting suspended for domestic violence or any of the other things that players do to sabotage their careers. Nobody works harder than Tulo, and nobody puts more pressure on himself to perform. But that’s the problem. The man has not learned that taking a couple of days off for some tightness goes a long way toward preventing season-ending surgery. Some guys can play a 162-game season without any rest and hold their bodies together, but Tulo is not one of those guys. He’s got too many thigh/groin/hamstring issues to try to be the next Cal Ripken. If he can’t figure this out for himself, his manager needs to mandate that he take a day off every other week or so. Jim Tracy did that now and then but Tulo whined pretty loudly. Will he have more respect for Walt Weiss‘s decisions? We’ll have to see, but I know this: Tulo will turn out to be the biggest disappointment in Rockies’ history if this situation doesn’t turn itself around.

Let’s be optimistic for a second. Supposing Tulo does take off 2 games a month in addition to scheduled off-days. Let’s say he avoids injury, major or minor. What do his numbers look like? On that we can all agree. In 150 games, he’ll hit .300, 30 homers, and drive in 100 runs. No question. He is also the best defensive shortstop in the game, despite last year’s clumsiness, and he’ll save 30 runs in a season. And we avoid another record for number of losses, even if we don’t rise above the rest in the division.

Tulo, we need you. Please take it a little easier. We are begging.

Where should Tulowitzki be in 2013? Starting at shortstop, but resting often.

Where will Tulowitzki be in 2013? Starting at shortstop, resting as much as he can be persuaded to.