Colorado Rockies: Preview of the 2018-19 offseason and free agency

Okay, now we’re on to a very interesting position, or group of positions. The outfield. Gerardo Parra has a $12 million club option for 2019, but I don’t see the Rockies picking it up, nothing against Gerardo, but that’s a big bump in pay from the last few years, and there’s nothing that says he’s going to have a resurgent year in 2019, he could still be an option, but probably not at $12 million.

Carlos Gonzalez is the other free-agent to be, and we’ll see what the future holds for CarGo after a productive year for him. A lucrative deal may be coming for Gonzalez, but I don’t see the Rockies giving it to him.

Anyway, let’s get into it, and save your comments for until after you read the descriptions, not just the names.

The Options: Outfield

Bryce Harper

Bats: L // Throws: R

2019 Opening Day Age: 26

Alrighty then, let’s do this. Bryce Harper is a bonafide superstar, he’s likely going to sign the largest contract in baseball history this offseason, and I think the Rockies could be a very intriguing destination for the six-time All-Star. Now, I will preface, that this is a deal that you only make if the worries about Nolan Arenado re-signing reach a level that nobody in Colorado wants to think about.

The theory is this, if the Rockies win the NL West this year and Nolan still has reservations about signing, then he’s probably not going to sign. As hard as it is to say, it’s probably time to move on. And going after a Bryce Harper type, who would become even more unbelievable than he already is hitting at Coors Field, would show everyone in Denver that just because Nolan may not be here, the future is bright. And I believe that it’s bright even if neither of them are here.

Bryce is a great hitter, he gets on base at an incredible pace, career .388, he has turned into a very good outfielder, and he’s only going to be 26 on opening day. If you want to compete for years to come, making sure you have a guy like this on your team is a necessity, now it’s looking like Trevor Story will be one of those player so that makes Nolan’s possible exit more palatable anyway, but a guy like Harper would be a monumental move in Rockies history. This is a definitely a complete pipe dream, but a guy can dream can’t he?

A.J. Pollock

Bats: R // Throws: R

2019 Opening Day Age: 31

Ok, now to the more realistic options. This is the second player on this list that the Rockies would kill two birds with if they signed them. Improve your team, and take a valuable player from a rival. Pollock has a 162 game average of 19 homers, 67 RBI, 26 stolen bases and a slash of .281/.338/.467. Too bad he’s only played more than 130 games twice in his career.

Yes, Rockies fans know what it’s like to have the same star player go on the DL for a long period of time seemingly every season. Pollack has played 607 of 972 possible games in his six full seasons for Arizona and only 235 of 486 in the last three seasons. However the production cannot be ignored. In just 111 games this season, he has hit 21 home runs and driven in 65 runs, and has averaged an extra base hit every 8.6 at-bats, that’s production.

In addition, he’s an above average defender, with a career UZR of +21.7, and has spent time at all three outfield positions during his career. Pollock would be a welcome addition to the Rockies, and if the team feels he can stay healthy he very well could find himself playing his home games at Coors Field for the next few seasons.

Marwin Gonzalez

Bats: S // Throws: R

Opening Day Age: 30

Marwin Gonzalez is an extremely interesting option for the Rockies, not only for his bat, but for his versatility. Gonzalez has spent over 500 innings at five different positions during his career, and spent over 130 at four different ones just this past year, and still played almost 150 games.

All this while hitting 39 home runs and driving in 158 runs over the past two seasons. We do need to point out that after a big 2017, that saw him hit 23 homers and drive in 90 runs all while slashing .303/.377/.530, he came back down to earth in 2018, but still hit 16 homers and drive in 68 and slashed .247/.324/.409., but the ability to play many positions, the playoff experience, and the ability be productive at the plate could make Gonzalez a very attractive offseason candidate for Colorado.

Jon Jay

Bats:L // Throws: L

Opening Day Age: 33

Jon Jay has hit at every level he’s ever been, he hit in St. Louis, he hit in San Diego, he hit in Chicago, he hit in Kansas City, and he hit in Arizona. His career slash line of .285/.352/.378 is often overlooked, and he would be a welcome addition as a 4th outfielder to Colorado, and my guess is he would hit here too. Jay has always been a plus defender and his playoff experience (249 career postseason plate appearances) would all be welcomed into the Colorado clubhouse.

Other options: Mike Tauchman, Jordan Patterson, Carlos Gonzalez, Gerardo Parra, Matt Holliday