Colorado Rockies: 5 storylines we will be watching this decade

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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – JANUARY 01: Fireworks are seen on Copacabana beach during New Years Eve Celebration on January 1, 2020, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Wagner Meier/Getty Images) /

When the clock struck midnight and New Year’s Eve became New Year’s Day, a decade of history closed on the Colorado Rockies and a new decade filled with possibilities opened.

The Colorado Rockies will start the decade looking to rebound from a 71-91 mark in 2019. They will also be striving for their third playoff appearance in the last four years thanks in part to a solid core of position players in Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon as well as a trio of starters with plenty of potential in Kyle Freeland, Jon Gray and German Marquez.

But that’s in 2020 and what is in front of us right now. What about further down the road in the decade? What things will Rockies fans see impact the team and the franchise? We gazed into our crystal ball to see five storylines that will make a big difference for the team as the decade begins.

Let’s dive in to what we see as some of the biggest questions for the Rockies moving forward.

DENVER, COLORADO – JULY 29: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies hits a 2 RBI single in the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field on July 29, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

How long will the Rockies have Nolan Arenado at third base?

Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post had an excellent start to his Rockies Mailbag on New Year’s Day by laying out exactly what is happening with Nolan Arenado and those trade rumors that keep swirling.

Bottom line, Saunders doesn’t believe that Arenado will be traded before the season begins. However, that doesn’t mean that the All-Star third baseman will be in a Rockies uniform all season either.

I agree with him on both points. Arenado made little attempt to hide his frustration with last season’s losing record. The franchise has also done little to improve the team in the offseason with the mindset of bounceback seasons from many players seeming to be the strategy heading into 2020.

If the Rockies struggle early and things start going downhill, don’t be surprised if the Arenado trade rumors heat up with more intensity as we get closer to the trade deadline. If the Rockies finish with another losing record in 2020, you better believe there will be plenty of discussion with the opt-out clause after the 2021 season looming.

Remember though, that last paragraph had a lot of “ifs” in it. So will this one. If the Rockies play at a high level and if they make some moves to shore up the team at the deadline and if they compete like the 2017 and 2018 teams did, much of this talk could go away.

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Could Arenado be traded? Absolutely, for the right price and to the right team (remember, he has a no-trade clause as well so he could block a move).

Could Arenado opt out? Absolutely. With a new CBA coming and teams with deeper pockets than the Rockies out there, don’t be surprised if another franchise couldn’t match Arenado’s current deal.

Could Arenado stay in purple throughout the prime of his career? Absolutely. If the Rockies are winning and building the team in the right way, why wouldn’t he? More money could be available before next season with a new TV deal and the shedding of some high-priced contracts in the bullpen and lineup. If the Rockies can show Arenado before the end of next season they are building a strong core around him, staying in Colorado is a no-brainer.

What direction will things head? The start of this season could well determine the answer to that question. And, as we well know, there has been talk of a “50-50” chance the Rockies trade Arenado at some point.

DENVER, CO – OCTOBER 07: Trevor Story #27 of the Colorado Rockies throws out Lorenzo Cain #6 of the Milwaukee Brewers in the seventh inning of Game Three of the National League Division Series at Coors Field on October 7, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

Can the Rockies keep Trevor Story long-term?

There’s another contract that is pretty important to the Rockies that expires after the 2021 season. That’s the contract of All-Star shortstop Trevor Story.

Story and Arenado have become one of the best left sides of the infield in Major League Baseball today. Now the franchise has to see how to keep one or both of them in Colorado past the 2021 campaign.

Is Ryan McMahon the answer at first base?

Ever since Todd Helton bid farewell to the Rockies at the end of the 2013 season, the franchise has been searching for a true replacement to the franchise icon. Is that person Ryan McMahon?

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Much has been made about Jeff Bridich’s decision to bring in Ian Desmond and Daniel Murphy to play first for the Rockies. Neither player has worked so far while McMahon has spent time in the minors and/or shifted over to second base.

The move to second benefitted the Rockies greatly last season as McMahon put up franchise-record numbers at the plate and also played solid defense. But what happens after Murphy’s contract ends following this season? Will McMahon slide over to first and firmly establish himself as “the man” at the position? On the surface, it seems like a simple answer (and that’s yes, by the way). But, maybe, just maybe, the Rockies keep RyMac at second and use other another option at first (Roberto Ramos, Josh Fuentes, etc.).

Will Colorado find a permanent answer at first or continue the patchwork pattern we have seen in recent years? We’ll be watching.

DENVER, COLORADO – MAY 10: Starting pitcher German Marquez #48 of the Colorado Rockies throws in the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field on May 10, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

How effective will Colorado’s young pitchers be?

In 2018, Jon Gray struggled while Kyle Freeland and German Marquez shined. Last season, Gray was very effective while Freeland regressed and Marquez plateaued. Now the biggest question becomes which of the years was most reflective of who these three young pitchers really are?

Can Freeland bounce back in 2020? Can Marquez take the next step? Can Gray maintain the level of pitching he was showing when he had his 2019 season cut short by a left foot fracture?

With these three likely forming the front of Colorado’s 2020 rotation, these questions will provide key answers to not only the trio’s development but also to whether the Rockies can win with pitching again in 2020.

But it’s not just those three young pitchers in the spotlight. Peter Lambert made his debut last season to mixed reviews. Can he even out in 2020 after gaining valuable experience in 2019? What happens with Jeff Hoffman? Does 2020 mark a move to the bullpen for him for good? The same can be asked in regards to Antonio Senzatela.

Speaking of bullpen, can Carlos Estevez and Jairo Diaz continue to be solid back end options?

And what about Ryan Castellani, Jose Mujica, Ashton Goudeau and Ben Bowden? These are all pitchers currently on the 40-man roster and seemingly knocking on Denver’s door. Can they be contributors?

Ryan Rolison isn’t on there but seems on the fast track toward his MLB debut as well.

Colorado has prided itself on homegrown pitching talent in recent years. This decade will show whether that strategy can provide a consistent winner or not.

Can the Rockies rebuild their farm system?

Depending on which ranking you look at, the Rockies are either simply in the bottom half of MLB teams when it comes to their farm system or near the bottom. The problem is that the Rockies have prospects who have already made their MLB debuts (Brendan Rodgers, Sam Hilliard, etc.) and then a drop to prospects who are still some time away from making their debuts.

The Rockies are thin in Major League-ready depth and it’s a problem. It showed last season with injuries and prospects being forced into action sooner than perhaps they were ready. More of the same could be the case in 2020.

But what about after that? If an Arenado trade would happen, could the Rockies restock their system with fresh talent? Replenishment is going to have to happen through drafting or trades, and we know the Rockies have not been very active on the trade market in recent seasons.

Next. Which Rockies made up the All-Decade Team?. dark

Colorado has plenty of young talent at the Major League level, but where is the next generation of Rockies who will show themselves in the middle to later part of this decade? That will be a big question mark to watch this coming season and beyond.

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