Colorado Rockies: 5 big bets and 2 possibilities who could help

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DENVER, CO – JULY 03: Raimel Tapia #7 of the Colorado Rockies hits a third inning ground rule double against the Cincinnati Reds at Coors Field on July 3, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

In a recent ESPN.com article, it was argued that the Colorado Rockies still need to acquire another bat in their lineup. It is an argument that is seemingly gaining traction among many Rockies followers as we inch ever closer to the start of spring training.

In that article, it was mentioned that Colorado needs help at the corner outfield position. In projected WAR, the Rockies are tabbed dead last in left field and 26^th in right field for the upcoming season. That takes into account Ian Desmond and Gerardo Parra holding down those two positions on Opening Day.

Certainly there are possibilities for the Rockies this season on the corners. Desmond and Parra are two of them, but there is also the possibility of David Dahl returning from a rib injury that cost him the entire 2017 season at the MLB level. Raimel Tapia will also have another year of experience under his belt and could factor into the conversation as well, as could Mike Tauchman, who earned his first Major League call-up last season.

Right now, the Rockies are making five big bets for the 2018 season …

Ian Desmond has a bounceback year from his disappointing, injury-filled 2017 (career-low 95 games played and 40 RBI).
In his first full MLB season, Ryan McMahon will be able to hold down the first base position and succeed at the plate.
David Dahl is able to return to form from his injury.
Raimel Tapia contributes by improving his defensive abilities and hits like he did at the end of the season (8-for-20 in September) rather than at the start of his campaign (0-for-14 in limited duty through June 9).
Gerardo Parra will play like the 2017 Parra (.309 and 71 RBI in 115 games) rather than the 2016 Parra (.253 and 39 RBI in 102 games).

Those are big bets … and the Rockies will need the majority of them to come through if they hope to give the offense the power it needs for a second straight postseason push.

The aforementioned ESPN article listed two players who could help the Rockies in the outfield. One of them is a familiar friend and the other is intriguing, but brings uncertainties as well. Let’s take a look at those possibilities and if they would really boost Colorado.

Could the Colorado Rockies be interested in Carlos Gomez? /

The first player listed by ESPN who could help the Rockies in the outfield is Carlos Gonzalez, currently a free agent but one of the offensive forces for Colorado since he came to the Mile High City shortly after the end of the 2008 season.

Colorado Rockies

CarGo had a great run in Denver … but it does appear to be over. Last season’s struggles before the All-Star break (.221 and just 22 RBI) seemed to cement his fate, despite coming back to life when the Rockies needed him most (.377 average in September). He made $20 million last season in the last year of his seven-year, $80 million contract. At the age of 32, CarGo is likely to sign a shorter-team deal with a team who is willing to take a chance he can recapture that September magic. No, that team won’t be the Rockies, a team who seems to believe its youth can pick up the slack and save some of the money for upcoming contract discussions with Charlie Blackmon, DJ LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado.

The other player mentioned was Carlos Gomez, who has played center field in 1165 games while seeing action in just 60 games in left field and 30 games in right field in his 11 seasons). Another 32-year-old CarGo, but this one hit .255 with 17 homers and 51 RBI in 105 games with the Texas Rangers last season. Gomez signed a one-year, $11.5 million contract with Texas last offseason and produced, ranking fourth on the Rangers in steals (13) and eighth in both runs scored (51) and RBI. He also put together a .994 OPS in June and later while logging a .333 average with a 1.007 OPS in September.

MLBTradeRumors.com predicted Gomez would net a two-year, $22 million this offseason. With the current free agent market trends (which we argued are benefitting the Rockies in this article), it’s likely that Gomez will sign for less.

Still, if the Rockies didn’t bite on Christian Yelich or Lorenzo Cain and their potential impacts on Colorado’s payroll, it’s unlikely they will move toward Gomez. This is a team that made a swap at catcher, bringing in Chris Iannetta at a lower price over Jonathan Lucroy, in an effort to save some money, partly to use on the back end of their bullpen and partly to prepare for the trio of big contract decisions upcoming with Blackmon, Arenado and LeMahieu.

Next: 5 stats that must improve for Colorado in 2018

Neither CarGo appears to be the answer for the Rockies in the outfield. Rather, Colorado’s season will likely revolve less around another free agent signing and more on five big bets that involve players currently on the roster.

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In a recent ESPN.com article, it was argued that the Colorado Rockies still need to acquire another bat in their lineup. It is an argument that is seemingly gaining traction among many Rockies followers as we inch ever closer to the start of spring training.

Colorado Rockies

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