Colorado Rockies: It is time the team gave Raimel Tapia a real opportunity

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LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 23: Raimel Tapia #7 of the Colorado Rockies returns to the dugout after getting thrown out in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on June 23, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Way back in 2011, Raimel Tapia was considered a top 100 prospect with a multitude of quality player attributes. Now, eight years later, Tapia may be the odd man out for the Colorado Rockies. The question remains: should he be?

As a 17-year-old, the Rockies signed Raimel Tapia, a budding speedy star, out of the Dominican Republic. Tapia is now 25 years old, and still hardly has experience at the major league level. In fact, over three seasons since making his debut in 2016, Tapia has just 108 games at the major league level.

Tapia began his career playing at the Rookie level. The first season for Tapia was respectable as he started in the right direction. He slashed .262/.336/.323 with one home run, 35 RBI, and 15 stolen bases. It was good enough for Tapia to finish with a .332 wOBA and 97 wRC+.

The following year, Tapia found his groove. He decreased his strikeout rate from 14.5% to 12.9% while improving in virtually every other offensive category. Tapia slashed .316/.383/.363 with a much better .373 wOBA and 122 wRC+. He finished with an identical 35 RBI and stole 13 bases.

By 2016, Tapia had worked his way to Triple-A. The power remained almost nonexistent; however it was an area of which was not part of his production. That year, before leaping, Tapia finished with a .346/.355/.490 line, producing an above-average .365 wOBA and 120 wRC+. At the time, it felt like it was his time to shine; however, the club felt differently.

PHOENIX, AZ – JULY 20: Raimel Tapia #15 of the Colorado Rockies (R) is congratulated by teammate Nolan Arenado #28 after Tapia hit a grand slam home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning of an MLB game at Chase Field on July 20, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images) /

Tapia made his much-anticipated debut at the end of the 2016 regular season, constituted through September call-ups. Appearing in 22 games, accruing 41 total plate appearances, Tapia unfortunately disappointed. He slashed .263/.293/.263 with a 26.8% strikeout rate, three RBI, three stolen bases, and a paltry 34 wRC+.

Of course, the team had All-Star center fielder Charlie Blackmon, as well as fan-favorite Carlos Gonzalez, who was coming off a 40-home run season himself, and signed Gerardo Parra to a three-year contract. At the time, the Rockies were hard pressed to find Tapia playing time.

Still, Tapia managed to force his way into the lineup throughout that 2016 season. In 2017, Tapia showed significant improvement across 70 games. Over that span, Tapia finished by slashing .288/.329/.425 with two home runs, 16 RBI, and five stolen bases. Still under-average, Tapia did also improve his wOBA to .322 and wRC+ to 81, both career highs.

Last season, Tapia found himself relegated back to mostly an observatory role at the significant league level. The young speedster still did see action in 25 games, posting 27 total plate appearances. He finished poorly slashing .200/.259/.480 with one home run and six RBI. Tapia fanned 25.9% of the time, as well. The inconsistency began to rear its ugly head.

PHOENIX, AZ – JULY 20: Raimel Tapia #15 of the Colorado Rockies gestures as he crosses home plate after hitting a grand slam home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the seventh inning of an MLB game at Chase Field on July 20, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images) /

The sad reality is Tapia had a horrendous 2018 campaign. The Rockies were in a spot where Tapia served primarily as a pinch-hitter. Despite the truth of his situation last season, the blame should not be solely placed on Tapia’s shoulders.

Colorado has always been a team with a plethora of outfield options. For many years, it has been the deepest area, which can be both a positive and negative. Last season, however, it showed how bad it could get.

Gerardo Parra, for example, has never been a good option for the Rockies. Before the argument is sprung about his career .283/.320/.407 line in his time in purple pinstripes, Parra did post a .312 wOBA and porous 77 wRC+. Not great for someone being given $27.5 million throughout a contract. Nevertheless, Parra is now a free agent which, in theory, should have opened the opportunity for Tapia. Not the case, however.

When the team signed Ian Desmond to a $70 million deal in 2016, the idea held pat that Desmond would play first base. Now, moving into this season, the club surprisingly signed Daniel Murphy to play first base. Desmond, meanwhile, will move to center field while Blackmon will move to right field. With David Dahl set to play left field, Tapia seems to be the odd man out. The big question now is, how do the Rockies proceed with Tapia?

DENVER, CO – OCTOBER 01: Raimel Tapia #7 of the Colorado Rockies stands in the dugout during a regular season MLB game between the Colorado Rockies and the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field on October 1, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Russell Lansford/Getty Images) /

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The simple truth remains that Tapia needs consistent play in the majors. His 2017 campaign proved he could be a substantial contributor when given the opportunity. It feels like it will not be the case again in 2019 as the team is seemingly set with their outfield as we careen towards the first spring training games.

Tapia deserves an opportunity. The numbers have not shown how good of a player he can be because he has been up and down, shuffled in the system. It is understandable why the Rockies continue to shift Desmond around for more opportunities. A $70 million deal is something that is difficult to give up on, mainly since it has not worked out for the Rockies to this point.

Spring Training will be a significant opportunity for Tapia to showcase his abilities once again, and hopefully force the Rockies hand. The team is showing a more consistent approach to youth, displayed by the starting rotation the past two years, and Tapia falls entirely in line with that attitude.

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If anything, Tapia can provide much-needed depth for an outfield carrying two over-30-year-olds. Fans should make sure to watch Tapia leading up to the season. For the Rockies, it is time they gave him a real opportunity.

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Colorado Rockies: It’s time to give Raimel Tapia a real opportunity

Way back in 2011, Raimel Tapia was considered a top 100 prospect with a multitude of quality player attributes. Now, eight years later, Tapia may be the odd man out for the Colorado Rockies. The question remains: should he be?

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