Clint Barmes

It’s difficult to compare Jose Lopez to either Barmes or Herrera. Jose has played his entire career within the confines of pitcher-friendly Safeco Field, while Barmes and Herrera have had the benefit of playing at Coors. Because of the disparity in their stadiums, it’s a waste of time to compare most offensive numbers. However, plate discipline is one thing that will remain the same, regardless of the stadium. Ultimately, a guy that swings at bad pitches will be an easier out; that’s the game at its most basic level.

The Rockies make it a priority to avoid messy arbitration hearings with their players and this year is no exception. With the signings of Felipe Paulino and Jason Hammel last week, Ian Stewart is now the only arbitration eligible player that hasn’t agreed to new a contract.

Before we delve into the finer points of yesterday’s trade for Jose Lopez, can we all agree on one thing? Jose Lopez’s nickname will not be J-Lo. Let’s do the guy a favor and call him something else. Tulo and CarGo are easy, but at least those nicknames are unique. We should be more creative with Jose. (Photo: Yardbarker.com) Think of Lopez as a more resourceful Clint Barmes. The guys on FX’s The League would call Jose Lopez a “spark-plug” and Barmes a “gym-rat”. In reality the two players are very similar, but Lopez is more versatile in the field. [...]

(Photo: Yardbarker.com) The pitching minded Rockies traded infielder Clint Barmes to the Astros today and received right-handed pitcher Felipe Paulino in return. Though he did hit twenty-three home runs in 2009, Barmes has struggled at the plate for the last couple of years. In 2010, he played his way out of the Rockies’ future plans and became an expendable bargaining chip. By all accounts, Barmes was a beloved teammate and will be missed around the Rockies’ clubhouse. Paulino ranked as a top ten Astros prospect in 2007, 2008, and 2009. He has limited Major League experience as a starter and [...]

The Rockies offseason has been incredibly quiet.  Besides the signing of Miguel Olivo and the departure of Yorvit Torrealba, little will be different for the 2010 Rockies.  While the Rockies were the best team in the National League after Jim Tracy took over on May 29th, some fans believe that the team should not rest on its laurels and should go after some free agents. One area for improvement could be on the offensive side at second base.  No one argues that incumbent Clint Barmes is a great defender.  With him and Troy Tulowitzki up the middle it doesn’t get [...]