Colorado Rockies: Raimel Tapia needs to replace Ian Desmond in outfield

By Aaron Hurt | Apr 26, 2019

DENVER, CO - APRIL 23: Raimel Tapia #15 of the Colorado Rockies follows through on a second-inning, two-run home run against the Washington Nationals at Coors Field on April 23, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

A decision is looming for Bud Black and the Colorado Rockies that can no longer be ignored. There is a young outfielder who has been tearing the cover off the baseball as of late and is in need of a lot more playing time. However, there is a struggling, high-priced, veteran who they can’t afford not to play blocking the way.

The Colorado Rockies have found themselves between a rock and hard place. How long do they stick with a slumping Ian Desmond over a red-hot Raimel Tapia?

After a slow start to the season, Tapia has found his groove due to more everyday playing time. In the last seven games (five starts), he is hitting .348/.423/.957 (8-for-23) with three home runs, 10 RBI, three runs scored and three walks. He has also provided solid defense, including his spectacular grab going into the stands on a foul ball on Tuesday.

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For Desmond, the criticisms that have continued to plague him since signing with the Rockies in 2017 have carried over into this season. So far, the 33-year-old, 11-year veteran is hitting an unacceptable .177/.205/.291 with one home run, 10 RBI and 23 strikeouts in 79 at-bats. The only bright spot is that he has dropped his is ground ball/fly ball rate down to a career low of .6, but that is a small sample size and could change quickly.

So what are the Rockies going to do? Let’s face it, with Ian Desmond making $15 million this season and three years and $40 million left on his deal, he is not going to be traded or outright released anytime soon. The chances that the Rockies would walk away from that kind of an investment or find a team willing to take him off their hands is slim to none.

Even though most would love to see Desmond benched for Tapia, putting that contract on the bench is a long shot. Bud Black will likely continue to look for favorable matchups to plug Tapia into the starting lineup. The right-handed batting Desmond and the left-handed Tapia could see some platoon starts as Desmond has hit an atrocious .157/.185/.216 against righties and Tapia is still trying to prove that his current streak isn’t a fluke.

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Until then, don’t be surprised if Desmond continues to get the majority of the starts in the outfield while Tapia tries to earn the trust of Rockies’ management. In a couple of weeks, if Desmond is still hitting under the “Mendoza Line” and Tapia isn’t slumping, a permanent change in the outfield will hopefully be made.

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