An in-depth preview of the 2022 Colorado Rockies season

What these moves mean for the current roster

Pretty much each addition the Colorado Rockies made is going to have an impact on the starting lineup (in regards to the position players). Bryant will start in left, Iglesias will start at shortstop and Grichuk will be in either center or right (he has mainly been in center in spring training).

The most notable players here that are impacted are Sam Hilliard and Connor Joe. One of the two will be in either eight field or will be a likely DH, all dependent on if Charlie Blackmon doesn’t push back on being the Rockies’ DH. Based on what we’ve seen so far in Spring Training, he’ll slide into that DH role on a semi-regular basis, so right field will be up for grabs between Hilliard and Joe.

The other impacted player here is Garrett Hampson. Hampson logged the most innings in CF for the Rockies last season at 649.1 innings. However, his bat (65 wRC+) is simply no comparison to what you will get from Hilliard, Joe, and Grichuk. I’d expect Hampson’s role is reduced to being used in a limited utility role this season. He’s an obvious choice as a pinch-runner in late innings, but I think he’s probably now got a “break in case of emergency” label put on him.

The pitching additions (Kuhl and Colomé) shouldn’t change much of what we’re already seeing from the current roster. Kuhl could either be in the #5 spot in the rotation or could be in the bullpen but, as of now, he will likely be in the rotation to start the season.

Colomé will likely end up in the closer role (a role he’s very familiar with) or could make a great setup man as well. It would likely depend on how Carlos Estévez and Daniel Bard perform in Spring Training (and early in the season) along with how Bud Black and his staff feel on it. It’s up in the air, but he will still be a fine addition to the bullpen no matter what (as mentioned earlier).