Colorado Rockies: Winter Meetings storylines to watch

What about Colorado’s right side of the infield?

When Colorado opted to not offer a contract to DJ LeMahieu, the right side of the Rockies infield instantly became a big question mark heading into the 2019 campaign.

The Gold Glove-winning LeMahieu has been a stabilizing force for the Rockies since coming over from the Chicago Cubs prior to the 2012 season. Now it looks like LeMahieu will be moving on and the Rockies will need to not only fill his spot near the top of the order but also fill the gap he will leave defensively.

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There are internal options of course. Ryan McMahon and Garrett Hampson seem like the likeliest current members of the Rockies roster to start the season at second base if Colorado doesn’t look to fill LeMahieu’s spot externally. Brendan Rodgers, Colorado’s top prospect, is lurking in the wings and will likely make his Major League debut sometime this season.

Speaking of McMahon, what will the Rockies do at first base? Will he be slotted into the role that he was rumored to have last spring training before Colorado re-signed Carlos Gonzalez and moved Ian Desmond from the outfield back to first base? Or will the Ian Desmond at first base experiment continue for the third straight year?

First base is a spot where the Rockies can improve this offseason. Could the Seattle Mariners trade Carlos Santana? Would Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox be a possibility? Don’t be surprised if you hear Colorado attached to one or both of these players in the upcoming week.

Of course, another question comes at third base…