Colorado Rockies: It’s time to move on from some of the veterans

The Colorado Rockies are a good team. Yes, I understand that they aren’t playing very well at this moment in time, but there are still more games to be played. However, they cannot continue down this path of destruction and here’s the first thing they have to do. The Colorado Rockies have got to stop being stuck in the past. 

Now, there are a plethora of topics that can be thrown around with the above statement I’ve made. However, it has been one main topic I have not pressed about. In order for the Colorado Rockies to get where they want to go, they have got to drop the past. They can start with not thinking about what happened last season.

The Rockies had a great turn around season last year, but that was a lost cause after the Arizona Diamondbacks decimated that last chance. That doesn’t matter anymore, that record doesn’t matter anymore, and that team certainly doesn’t matter anymore. 

This is a new year for the Colorado Rockies. It’s time for them to hop back on the saddle and not let 2017 be held over their heads. Jeff Bridich and the rest of the front office saw needs during the offseason and checked things off that list. This is what’s gotten them to having one the better bullpens in baseball along with a somewhat solid hitting core. However, some moves didn’t help them. 

Let’s just be straight up about this, the Colorado Rockies are carrying dead weight. This dead weight is essentially that of Ian Desmond, Carlos Gonzalez, and Gerardo Parra. Of course, people are going to get angry over the fact that I’m not being “loyal,” or however they’ll spin it, but it’s true. These men are hurting the team. I mean we all know the reason CarGo was resigned is to keep prized possession Nolan Arenado happy. The Rockies haven’t found a way to drop Ian Desmond and that large $70 million/5 year deal that they thought was a good idea. Then with Parra, he’s just not in his prime anymore. 

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Just look at there stats it’s not something to be proud of. CarGo is posting a slashline of .236/.264/.393, he’s only hit 3 home runs, and 12 RBI. This is a guy that bats the majority of his time 4th in the lineup, but his WAR is -0.3 according to Baseball Reference.

Moving onto Gerardo Parra, his slashline is .275/.331/.358 with only four homers and 13 RBI so far this season while posting a WAR of 0.0. Lastly, we have Ian Desmond who’s got a slashline of .180/.225/.376. He does, however, have a surprising 6 home runs and 17 RBI, but he has a -1.0 WAR. This doesn’t paint a pretty picture. 

It time the Colorado Rockies face the music with these men. They aren’t helping them win games and having these men in the lineup may hurt them later on. There are other guys that are deserving of starting jobs. When the Rockies have great young guys like David Dahl and Raimel Tapia ready to be put to work in the outfield, it’s surprising they wouldn’t pull the trigger. I hate to admit it, but Ryan McMahon does deserve his chance at that starting first baseman job and may never actually get it because of the $70 million dollar man that’s doing nothing. 

My point being that with guys like CarGo, Parra, and Desmond being out there doesn’t do the Colorado Rockies any good. It also doesn’t do any good for those young guys that deserve and have earned the right to have a starting job. Of course, CarGo and Parra are fan favorites that make people happy and excited to go to the games. As for Ian Desmond, well he’s already getting booed for his poor performance of late. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean you keep those guys in just because of reasons like that. 

Next: More boos for Ian Desmond

The Colorado Rockies have what it takes to be a winning team. However, at the rate they’re going, they’ll be sucked into the oblivion of teams that can’t contend this year. The only way for that to not happen is to address the problem that they currently have. If the Rockies continue, then not only will they proceed with even more poor offense, but these young players will never get the playing time they deserve. The change has to come now, not later.