Colorado Rockies: Looking at the positives under Jeff Bridich

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DENVER, CO – APRIL 04: Fans cross Blake and 20th Streets as they enter the ballpark to see the Arizona Diamondbacks face the Colorado Rockies during the home opener at Coors Field on April 4, 2014 in Denver, Colorado. The Rockies defeated the Diamondbacks 12-2. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images) /

Jeff Bridich took over as Colorado Rockies general manager following the 96-loss 2014 seashad on. The franchise was desperate for a leader and searching for direction.

Less than 10 months into the job, Bridich changed the culture and direction of the team by trading its often-injured and seemingly disgruntled star, Troy Tulowitzki. This was followed up two years later by the hiring of manager Bud Black. Bridich gave the Rockies an “adult in the room” and a direction they had lacked since the Blake Street Bombers.

With what seems to be complete autonomy from Dick Monfort, Bridich has increased payroll every season and operates under his own discretion. Coming off a Wild Card berth and sitting atop the National League West heading into June, the Rockies’ old ways of being relevant until the Denver Broncos start mini camp are a thing of the past.

Has Bridich cemented himself as one of the games better GMs, or are some of his moves leading toward a worrisome trend? First, let’s take a look at some of the positives.

PROS: The Tulo trade

Pro: Bud Black hiring

Walt Weiss‘ time in Denver was over the second Bridich took the job. Lame duck manager Weiss went from not having enough pieces around him to being the focal point of the Rockies’ dysfunction. Weiss having no prior major league experience fit the mantra “That’s so Rockies.”

Weiss managed two seasons under Bridich, each one giving more clarity that he wasn’t the man to lead this young core into success. Whether that be his awful management of pitching (Boone Logan) or head-scratching offensive strategies.

Enter Bud Black. Black is a player’s coach, yet still commands the respect of his players. His handling of the young rotation in 2017 was nothing short of masterful. Known for sticking with his veterans and a straightforward approach. the most refreshing thing about Black, to me, is his dealing with the media. Weiss seemed annoyed when pressed in a postgame conference. Black embraces it while protecting his guys. The phrase might be overused but its importance can’t be stated enough: He’s part of the culture change over at Coors.

Pro: German Marquez trade

Former Rockies outfielder Corey Dickerson was never known for his defensive prowess. With Gerardo Parra signing with the Rockies, Dickerson became the liability.

The Rockies received Jake McGee and, at the time, minor leaguer Marquez from the Tampa Bay Rays while giving up Dickerson and Kevin Padlo.

While McGee has been solid overall, Marquez was the steal of the deal. Marquez shined for the Rockies during their playoff run, posting a 5-3 record post-All-Star break with a WAR of 3.2. Marquez has become a mainstay of the rotation and arguably the most talented hurler of the starting five.

With McGee resigning and Dickerson no longer with the Rays, the Rockies have come out on top of a trade that was immensely unpopular at the time.

WASHINGTON, DC – APRIL 12: Chad Bettis #35 of the Colorado Rockies pitches in the fifth inning during a baseball game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on April 12, 2018 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

Pro: Change of pitching philosophy

“Pitching at Coors Field, it’s all attitude over altitude. We don’t worry about it. Our players don’t worry about it.” — Mark Wiley

Prior to Bridich taking over, the Rockies had no consistent voice through the organization regarding their pitching. Many prospects such as Eddie Butler fell victim to dancing around the zone and not executing fastball command. However, that changed with the hiring of Mark Wiley, Director of Pitching Operations by former GM Dan O’Dowd.

Wiley’s philosophy is leaps and bounds better than anything they had under Bob Apodaca. In a 2017 interview with Purple Row’s Jordan Freemeyer, Wiley discussed the important of fastball command and the development of a plus changeup. With an emphasis on increased repertoire, perhaps the biggest change has been in the attitude and mindset of Rockies pitchers. No longer is pitching at Coors seen as a burden or monster that Jim Tracy referred to. The Rockies simply make Coors a non-factor by ignoring it.

Pro: Monfort taking a step back

Possibly the biggest impact Bridich has had on the Rockies is owner Dick Monfort taking a hands-off, step back approach. After the passing of Monfort’s close friend and team president Kelli McGregor, Monfort’s grip on the franchise seemed to come to a stranglehold. Since the Bridich takeover, however, Monfort not only seemed to let the “baseball guys” handle the day-to-day operations, he’s opened his pocketbook.

In an April interview with Nick Groke, then of The Denver Post, Monfort gave Bridich a world of praise and hinted at Jeff’s ability to operate under his own accord.

“Jeff and I get along great,” Monfort said. “Jeff is pretty protective, but we see things pretty much similar. And if we don’t see things similar, he usually wins. That makes it easier for him.”

I believe for a franchise to be successful, the front office, manager and players all need to be on the same page. Bridich has this team all drinking the purple Kool-Aid.

Next: Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story, Bud Black and more talk about their favorite burgers

Tune in soon for my second half of this article, where I will discuss the cons of Bridich’s tenure so far.

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