Colorado Rockies: 2 things we have already learned this spring

Pitchers and catchers have barely reported to spring training but there is already plenty of news coming out of the Colorado Rockies camp at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona.

While I won’t be heading to Scottsdale until the first week of March to start Rox Pile’s live Rockies spring training coverage, our colleagues Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post and Thomas Harding of MLB.com are already there … and helping those of us back in Denver know what’s happening inside the Rockies clubhouse and on the practice fields.

We have speculated in numerous articles about the role that Ian Desmond will have with the Rockies this season after an injury-plagued debut in 2017. We have talked about the leadership role he will have with the team and had plenty of debates about whether Desmond or Ryan McMahon will be the team’s primary first baseman this season.

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Whatever the debates, Colorado manager Bud Black has already made it very clear that Desmond will be on the field for the Rockies whenever he is healthy this season, whether that’s at first base or in left field.

Certainly, there are plenty of Rockies fans who were disappointed in Desmond’s season after signing a big contract last offseason. However, it’s clear that Black is counting on the 32-year-old to have a comeback season in 2018. So apparently does Rockies management, who signed Chris Iannetta at catcher as its only position player move of the spring.

With a -1.1 WAR last season, there is plenty of room for Desmond to improve in 2018. With a full season of health and his past seasons as a guide, it’s very likely that’s exactly what will happen.