5 difficult decisions the Rockies could make before the end of June

2. What to do with Brent Suter?

Brent Suter is a reliable reliever for the Colorado Rockies, although he has been struggling in his last seven games. In his eighth MLB season, he has established himself as one of the most dependable relievers in the league. His current stats are impressive, with 28 games and 39.1 innings pitched, a 2.06 ERA, and 31 strikeouts. Hitters have found it difficult to score against Suter, with a meager .208 batting average against him. It's safe to say that Suter is having an All-Star-caliber season.

With Suter's success and the Rockies lack of winning this year, it would be a good move if the team decided to trade him to a team who's looking to make a postseason run in 2023. Most likely, the Rockies aren't going to make the postseason, but why not give a team a rental option in Suter. His pitching has been dominant this year and could benefit any team looking to add on to their bullpen and make it elite.

Trading Suter would also make sense for the Rockies as the ongoing youth movement is very prevalent this year and they are falling very far back in the NL West. The Rockies currently sit at fifth place in the division and are 13 games back out of first place. It's news that fans probably don't want to hear but makes more sense for the long haul.

3. Who will become the team's closer?

Recently, there was a change in the Rockies' closer role. Manager Bud Black made the decision to remove pitcher Pierce Johnson from the position after a blown save opportunity led to a 6-4 victory for the San Francisco Giants. As a result, the closer role has been open and selected by Black on a committee basis. However, it's worth noting that Johnson did manage to secure the save in a 10 inning game against the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night, which marked his 12th save of the year.

The Rockies haven't had many chances to save games since their victory last Sunday, when Jones hit a walk-off home run. However, they managed to beat the Red Sox 4-3 on Monday night, and relief pitcher Matt Carasati was credited with the save. Looking ahead to 2023, pitcher Justin Lawrence is a potential candidate for the closer position. It's worth noting that former closer Daniel Bard, who has struggled with mental health struggles, pitched in the ninth inning on Tuesday and didn't allow any runs. If Bard decides to return to the role, he could be a good fit for the team.

4. Which outfielder gets traded?

The Colorado Rockies' outfield has been instrumental in the team's offense this year. The team boasts a strong outfield lineup, including players such as Kris Bryant, Jurickson Profar, Randal Grichuck, and Brenton Doyle. Doyle has made a name for himself since his emergence in May and is now an everyday player in the Rockies' outfield. However, this has created a situation where one player will have to sit out. With Bryant's eventual return from injury looming, he will resume his role as an everyday player in right field, leaving Grichuck and Profar to share playing time.

There's a possibility that both players will be traded by the end of the month since they are in the last year of their contracts. They are highly desirable for teams looking to boost their lineup with experienced post-season players. Grichuck has been performing impressively for Colorado with a .307/.373/.438 batting average, making him one of their top hitters. On the other hand, Profar's current hitting average with the Rockies is .250, which may not seem impressive, but it's worth noting that he has improved significantly over the past month and a half, and he continues to get better as the season progresses.

It's a tough pill to swallow for fans, but it's a possibility that both players could be traded before the month is over. Sadly, the Rockies are quickly losing their grip on playoff contention, and their chances of making it to the divisional race are slipping away. To salvage the situation, the Rockies might trade both Profar and Grichuck and replace them with Yonathan Daza and Cole Tucker, who could platoon in left field for the rest of the season. Daza has previously been on the major league roster and had a batting average of .270/.304/.351, which might make the decision of trading Profar and Grichuck more feasible.

5. Will Bud Black remain as Manager?

There appears to be growing frustration among Colorado fans in June as the Rockies have only won five games this month. Many are beginning to question the decisions made by Black this season. Johnson struggled in the closer role for almost a month before being replaced after a blown save against the San Francisco Giants. Additionally, the Rockies rank among the worst in the league for stolen bases, which I believe they should address by being more aggressive at the plate due to the injuries in the starting rotation. MLB increased the size of the base paths in 2023 to increase stolen bases, and with the young talent on the roster, this could become a strength for the team. The Rockies also consistently rank below 25 in MLB's power rankings for 2023 and are among the worst in pitching and hitting outside of Coor's Field.

Although there are factors outside of Black's control, such as injuries to key players like former NL MVP Kris Bryant and the rotation, a skilled manager will still play to the strengths of their young team and adapt throughout the season to achieve success on the field. Black has been rumored to be on the hot seat multiple times during his tenure with the Rockies.

It is unlikely that Black will be terminated in June, however, it is important to acknowledge that his name may be mentioned as a potential candidate for termination if the team does not make any progress moving forward.