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Colorado Rockies: You can’t blame Jeff Bridich … yet

By Luke Mullins |
DENVER, CO - JUNE 19: Bud Black #10 of the Colorado Rockies relieves Bryan Shaw #29 after Shaw loaded the bases with one out in the seventh inning of a game at Coors Field on June 19, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JUNE 19: Bud Black #10 of the Colorado Rockies relieves Bryan Shaw #29 after Shaw loaded the bases with one out in the seventh inning of a game at Coors Field on June 19, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
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DENVER, CO – JUNE 19: Bud Black #10 of the Colorado Rockies relieves Bryan Shaw #29 after Shaw loaded the bases with one out in the seventh inning of a game at Coors Field on June 19, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – JUNE 19: Bud Black #10 of the Colorado Rockies relieves Bryan Shaw #29 after Shaw loaded the bases with one out in the seventh inning of a game at Coors Field on June 19, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Colorado Rockies fans had high hopes coming into the 2018 season. The team got off to a decent start and the early struggles of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers landed them in first place in the division.

Then the calendar turned to June.

The Rockies have fallen two games below .500 and now sit six games back in the division. The offense has actually improved in June but the pitching, primarily the $100 million+ bullpen, has pitched so poorly that hasn’t mattered.

When a team invests so deeply in a group of players that wind up as this big of a disappointment, it is only natural to blame the general manager. But in this case, that would be a mistake.

Rockies GM Jeff Bridich had a tall task in front of him this past offseason. He had to reconstruct a bullpen that helped carry his team to the playoffs in 2017. And by all appearances, he did just that.  The Rockies were lauded for their “super bullpen” before the season started but the ‘pen has failed to live up to that moniker.

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The bullpen is terrible and every starter (save Kyle Freeland) has been so inconsistent you never know what you’ll get. You could understandably blame Bridich for not going after a veteran starter but, at the time, it seemed like a reasonable move to trust Colorado’s bevy of young starting pitching depth. The starters have struggled, but the offense has picked them up most games, and typically they leave the game while the Rockies still have a chance to win.

The signing of Ian Desmond has been criticized to no end while the shortstop-turned-outfielder-turned-first-baseman wallowed in a season-plus long slump. But recently, it seems Desmond has finally broke out of his slump and become another dangerous bat in the Rockies’ lineup. He’s hit .282 over his last 24 games to finally lift his batting average over .200. He now has 15 home runs and 42 RBI, both among the league leaders. If he continues to hit like this, Bridich will eventually be praised for what has become a very controversial contract.

But everything else considered, Bridich’s legacy may hinge solely on the bullpen. If the high-priced relief corps had been mediocre, it would be a disappointment. But they have been much, much worse than mediocre. Right now, the Rockies would kill to have a mediocre bullpen.

CINCINNATI, OH – MAY 19: Jake McGee #51 of the Colorado Rockies throws a pitch in the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on May 19, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH – MAY 19: Jake McGee #51 of the Colorado Rockies throws a pitch in the ninth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on May 19, 2017 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

But as tempting as it may be to pin this on Bridich, it’s not his fault. He brought back Jake McGee, one of the most coveted lefty relievers on the market and a guy who has had success with the Rockies. McGee has not been good and he seems to be getting worse the longer the season wears on. He posted a 6.23 ERA in May and a 7.00 ERA so far in June. His opponents’ OPS for June is 1.019. That’s a far cry from the 2017 McGee who posted a 3.61 ERA and 1.09 WHIP.

Bridich sought to bring in proven veteran arms to complement his young starting staff. Historically, big name relievers have shied away from Coors Field, forcing Rockies GMs to get creative. But Bridich was able to bring in an established, reliable setup man in Bryan Shaw in what many saw as a savvy move at the time. I know its nearly impossible to read his name now without instantly conjuring up images of him disintegrating on the mound like Spider-Man in Avengers: Infinity War, but Shaw actually had a solid track record coming into the season.

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The Shaw signing made sense at the time.  How was Bridich supposed to know Shaw would completely melt down and cost the Rockies numerous close games? It’s also not Bridich’s fault that Shaw was continually put into a position to blow the game. He doubtless cringed when Shaw came into Saturday’s game with the Rockies trailing 2-1. As only he can, Shaw promptly loaded the bases and served up a grand slam to give the Rockies a five-run deficit late in the game.

Bridich didn’t stop with McGee and Shaw. He managed to persuade the best closer available —Wade Davis — to leave the Cubs and start closing games for the Rockies. Davis has been mediocre. He has collected 21 saves but he’s put up a 4.40 ERA and blown four saves, second-most in the league.

The additions of McGee, Shaw, and Davis looked good on paper, but they haven’t translated into game-time success. You can’t blame that on Bridich. Now its time for his next move.

This is the Rockies’ window. He can’t let himself be flustered by a poor start. Whether it is calling up more young talent such as Raimel Tapia or trading some of the stockpile of prospects growing old in the Rockies’ minor league system for badly-needed pitching help, Bridich can’t just sit on his hands. He made it clear during the offseason that the Rockies were going all-out … and it is too late to back down now.

Next: Why are the Rockies carrying three catchers on their roster?

Bridich needs to do something to prove to the team he’s still trying to win before it’s too late.  Otherwise, he will be blamed for the disaster this season is becoming … and perhaps rightfully so.

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