Colorado Rockies: 3 things fans want to hear before the 2021 season

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Jul 28, 2020; Oakland, California, USA; Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) hits a sacrifice fly ball to Oakland Athletics left fielder Robbie Grossman (not pictured) during the third inning at Oakland Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-USA TODAY Sports /

This offseason has been another quiet one for the Colorado Rockies, both in terms of personnel moves and communication with fans and media.

With that, there are plenty of questions about the Rockies as spring training draws ever closer. Taking a cue from some of the questions that fans have been asking us (and other members of the media) about the Rockies and where the franchise is heading, let’s look at three questions that fans would love to have some information about before the Rockies open the 2021 season against the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 1 at Coors Field (provided the schedule remains intact with COVID-19 still impacting our society).

The first question, of course, revolves around the future of Nolan Arenado in Denver. While we certainly don’t expect the Colorado front office to tip their hand about how much they’ve been discussing trades involving the All-Star third baseman, it would at least be nice to know just how icy or solid is the relationship between the front office and Arenado.

It’s been almost exactly one year since Arenado mentioned the word “disrespect” when it came to his relationship with the Rockies’ brass. Since then, we’ve heard very little about any efforts to mend the relationship … or if that’s even a priority.

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Just like Arenado and Story share the left side of the infield, it’s also very possible that the two are sharing thoughts about what they want to do in Denver in the future. Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post has written that he is “skeptical” that Story will be in Colorado’s long-term plans. With Arenado’s contract in place and his deteriorating relationship with the front office discussed in a very public way, Colorado offering Story the payday and peace of mind he might be able to receive from other teams may be questionable.

One of the biggest factors in Story’s future could be how Colorado starts the 2021 season. If the Rockies are unable to work out a long-term deal with Story before the season and Colorado stumbles out of the gate, Story suddenly becomes a very big trade chip for the Rockies.

Much like Arenado, fans have plenty of questions about what is happening between Story and the Rockies behind the scenes. Has there been discussion about a long-term deal? If so, how deep have conversations gone? Again, we know there won’t be complete transparency on plans, but some notion of where things are potentially heading would be something that would be welcomed by what is becoming a very disengaged fan base in Denver and the surrounding regions.

DENVER, CO – SEPTEMBER 30: Colorado Rockies fans hold signs referring to the tiebreaker game with the Los Angeles Dodgers and with references to “Rocktober” as Chris Rusin #52 of the Colorado Rockies pitches against the Washington Nationals in the ninth inning of a game at Coors Field on September 30, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Why should fans still care about the Colorado Rockies? This was an excellent question asked by Nick Groke of The Athletic just before Christmas in this article (subscription required). The answers ranged from people who grew up cheering for the team to those who simply love being a part of the vibe that Coors Field offers for every home game (hey, good beer and a beautiful sunset are hard to beat).

But Groke’s question is an important one for the franchise to answer. Why should fans still care about a Rockies team that has publicly quarreled with the face of the franchise (Arenado), made some poor free agent decisions that have backed them into a financial corner (Ian Desmond, Bryan Shaw, Daniel Murphy, etc.), and has said from the very start of the offseason that they aren’t going to be able to do much to improve the team in 2021 (a fact we’ve seen with yet another fairly quiet offseason)?

And the answer to the question shouldn’t just be left for journalists to ask and fans to debate among themselves. While the Rockies social media team (in our opinion) does the best job of any Major League team in connecting with their fan base, more has to be done from the higher-ranking officials in the organization (including owner Dick Monfort) to talk about their plans and hopes for the upcoming season.

Give fans a reason to believe in the near- and long-term future and they’ll stick with you. Make them wonder what you’re doing and doubt if there’s a plan in place to bring that elusive National League West title to Denver for the first time ever and sunsets and beer will be a more important reason to come to Coors Field than whoever is on the mound for the home team.

dark. Next. Does Nolan Arenado want to be traded?

These are three questions fans have told us they want answered. Which ones are you asking right now? Let us know in the comments section below.

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