Colorado Rockies: 3 questions that need to be answered soon

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ARLINGTON, TX – APRIL 04: Bryan Shaw #27 of the Cleveland Indians pitches in the seventh inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington on April 4, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Rick Yeatts/Getty Images) /

Major League Baseball was rocked on Monday afternoon when the Pittsburgh Pirates traded All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen to the San Francisco Giants. Yes, “Cutch” is now in the National League West and we talked about how that might be a wake-up call for the Colorado Rockies in an article you can read by clicking here.

The Giants aren’t the only team that are seemingly getting better with some offseason moves. The World Champion Houston Astros took advantage of Pittsburgh’s fire sale by grabbing starting pitcher Gerrit Cole. The Minnesota Twins improved their bullpen by adding Addison Reed. And, of course, the Rockies were the biggest spenders early on in free agency by adding Bryan Shaw and Wade Davis to their bullpen while re-signing Jake McGee. Bring on the “super bullpen” era at Coors Field!

However, there are still seemingly some boxes that need to be checked for the Rockies. Some of our readers have been asking us questions about what the rest of the offseason holds for Colorado, and we thought now was a great time to dive in and see what the answers to some of those questions might be.

There are two schools of thought when it comes to the current state of the Rockies. One is that Colorado general manager Jeff Bridich isn’t done making moves that will make a big splash in the market. Another is that any moves made will be relatively minor (as national writer Chris Cotillo talked to us about in this podcast).

Those are some of the questions we dive into on the following pages.

MIAMI, FL – AUGUST 13: Ryan McMahon #1 of the Colorado Rockies records his first major league hit in the eighth inning during the game between the Miami Marlins and the Colorado Rockies at Marlins Park on August 13, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images) /

Question 1: Will the Rockies sign another first baseman?

Logic says that Colorado could indeed bring another first baseman on board before the end of the season. However, it’s very possible that the Rockies already have the first basemen they plan to have to start the season already on the roster.

As we have previously reported, there are thoughts that Ryan McMahon has already been “penciled in” to start the season at first base. If that is the case, the 23-year-old former second-round draft pick will have his chance to shine after posting some impressive numbers in the minors.

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If that’s the path Colorado goes down, one of two things will likely happen. First, McMahon will platoon with Ian Desmond at first, with Desmond spending time in the outfield when he isn’t manning first base. Second, the Rockies could bring back Mark Reynolds for the third consecutive season and use him as McMahon’s backup. Of course, we know how the Rockies didn’t think Reynolds would play a big role last season … and we know that those plans were smashed when Desmond went down with a broken hand in spring training.

Will Colorado make a big splash in the free agent market here? No, not likely. Colorado likes what McMahon can bring to the table and they seem to be ready to hand the position over to him to see what he can do on a wider scale than his 19 at-bats he received last season.

So, yes, Colorado could sign a first baseman in the offseason. However, it may well be a very familiar face in Reynolds.

LOS ANGELES, CA – SEPTEMBER 25: David Dahl #26 of the Colorado Rockies celebrates his solo homerun in front of Yasmani Grandal #9 of the Los Angeles Dodgers to take a 3-2 lead during the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium on September 25, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Question 2: Will the Rockies sign another outfielder?

This is where Colorado could invest some more money, rather than at first base. As we said in the previous question, it’s likely that Ryan McMahon and Ian Desmond could platoon at first base. When Desmond is at first, that leaves Charlie Blackmon and Gerardo Parra as the two primary outfielders with David Dahl and Raimel Tapia factoring in as the other corner outfielder.

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Dahl’s health could well factor into whether the Rockies feel they need to sign another corner outfielder. If they believe Dahl will be fully recovered from last season’s rib injury, it is very possible that Colorado has enough faith in Dahl and Tapia to hold up the third outfield spot while Desmond mans first base.

Now, if Dahl isn’t progressing as expected, that could be the sign that the Rockies need to pursue another bat. Could that be a Lorenzo Cain? The fit makes sense … but remember that any dollars the Rockies put toward a free agent signing this season could well be dollars taken away from the potential contracts for Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu that expire at the end of this season. It’s a difficult balancing act, but one that Colorado is absolutely keeping in mind.

What about bringing back Carlos Gonzalez? It is possible from a pure depth standpoint … and that he is well loved and respected in the locker room.

Our opinion? It is very likely that Colorado will not sign another corner outfielder and rely on young players like Dahl, Tapia or even Mike Tauchman or Jordan Patterson to make an impact.

The Rockies love their young players and they will likely be given every chance to succeed in 2018.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 14: Zac Rosscup #60 of the Colorado Rockies reacts after giving up a solo home run in the fourth inning to T.J. Rivera #54 of the New York Mets at Citi Field on July 14, 2017 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

Question 3: If the Rockies sign someone, who falls off the 40-man roster?

This is a tricky question because bringing someone on board in Colorado (Mark Reynolds, Carlos Gonzalez, Lorenzo Cain or any other free agent) means that someone has to be removed from the 40-man roster to make room.

Question 1: Will the Rockies sign another first baseman?

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Question 2: Will the Rockies sign another outfielder?

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Question 3: If the Rockies sign someone, who falls off the 40-man roster?

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