Colorado Rockies win by Stanton, Ohtani signing outside division

The Colorado Rockies dodged a bullet this weekend by doing absolutely nothing. Baseball is a funny game like that sometimes.

We wrote in this article a week ago how the National League West landscape could be altered by the addition of Giancarlo Stanton and Shohei Ohtani to Colorado’s competitors in the division. Today, we know that Ohtani will pay a visit to Coors Field next season for only two games as a member of the Los Angeles Angels. Stanton will reportedly be a member of the New York Yankees rather than the Los Angeles Dodgers or San Francisco Giants.

The Rockies did not make a big splash last week (unless you count the signing of Chris Iannetta as that) but neither did any of their division rivals. In a 2018 campaign shaping up to once again be every team against the Dodgers for the West crown, that is not such a bad thing.

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While one player may not be able to turn the tide of a division, certainly having to face Ohtani or Stanton on a regular basis for the 2018 seasons and campaigns to come could have been a detriment for the Rockies. Now, the only time these two will pay a visit to Coors Field is during interleague games. Go ahead and take that deep breath, Colorado fans.

Colorado is not expected to make a big splash at next week’s Winter Meetings, according to reports. There are plenty of question marks surrounding the team, including the back end of the bullpen. Those questions need to be answered sooner than later because other teams will start seriously courting the services of Greg Holland, Pat Neshek and Jake McGee. Will any of them be back or will the Rockies look toward someone like Wade Davis or Zach Britton?

Remember last season when the Giants signed Mark Melancon to be their closer? Rockies fans were disappointed Colorado didn’t get the chance to bring the Centennial State native back home. As it turned out, Melancon was one of the biggest disappointments for the Giants in an overall disappointing season. Another bullet dodged by the Rockies as Melancon struggled and Holland earned NL Comeback Player of the Year.

Baseball is not an exact science. Big free agent signings sometimes don’t work out (see the Rockies and Mike Hampton as an example). Ohtani and Stanton may flounder in their new locations or may make the American League All-Star team next season. Either way, Rockies fans can breathe a little easier knowing that they aren’t in the National League West.

There are many more moves to be made by all of the teams in the division this offseason. However, none of them will likely pack the punch that these two names have made in the past week.

Next: What will it take to keep Nolan Arenado in a Rockies uniform on a long-term basis?

Seeing the Dodgers and Giants disappointed by big-name players signing somewhere else? That is absolutely an early Christmas gift for Colorado.

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