Colorado Rockies: 2 things we have already learned this spring

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PHOENIX, AZ – JUNE 30: Ian Desmond #20 of the Colorado Rockies hits a single against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of the MLB game at Chase Field on June 30, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

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.

Charlie Blackmon of the Colorado Rockies /

In this article, we looked at some ways that the Rockies could tweak their batting order to boost the offense. One of the ways was to move Charlie Blackmon down in the order and have someone like Raimel Tapia fill in at the leadoff spot.

That scenario was discussed a bit last season but will actually be employed during spring training, according to Black. Yes, the Rockies are going to move the player who had the greatest leadoff season in Major League history down in the order some during spring training games in order to see if it will give the offense a kickstart. Check out the article from Harding here.

Tapia is one of the candidates to take over the leadoff spot, and Saunders threw out the notion of David Dahl or even Desmond filling in at the top of the order.

That statement provides a couple of interesting things. First, it assumes that Dahl will have recovered fully from his rib injury that cost him so much of the 2017 season and will make the Opening Day roster. Second, it assumes that Tapia will have improved enough in the offseason to make the Opening Day roster as well.

Next: 4 key Colorado spring training battles to watch

Of course, there is no guarantee that Blackmon will actually move down in the order. However, the sign that there will be experimentation in Arizona shows that the Rockies know they will need to stretch out the batting order in order to be successful in 2018.

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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.

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