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

It's without a doubt the first two months of the 2023 season have not been the most ideal for the Colorado Rockies. The team snapped a 6 game-losing skid on Sunday with a walk-off home run from rookie corner infielder Nolan Jones. The Rockies have the worst record in the National League and are 27th in all of baseball with a record of 29-41. The season is quickly getting out of hand for the Rockies even though they just won a series against the Boston Red Sox this week and will begin a four-game road series against the Atlanta Braves who currently hold the best record in the National League at 42-26.

The Rockies' roster is presently undergoing a transitional phase and a complete rebuild in the organization. To implement this change, the team has adopted a "let the kids play" approach and are fielding a lineup consisting of at least four different rookies starting.

Although it's beneficial to give young players the opportunity to gain experience, there may be some challenges that come with it. Not only will the player experience growing pains, but the team may also struggle to win games. As the season continues and approaches the trade deadline, the Rockies will face difficult decisions and will need to fully commit to the ongoing youth movement in Colorado.

1. Who do the Rockies keep at first base and who goes?

A promising prospect, Nolan Jones, has been called up to the Major League roster by the Rockies. Since his arrival, he has been performing exceptionally well and has become a fan favorite in Colorado. Jones's patience at the plate, combined with his raw strength and solid defense, has garnered attention. He recently hit a walk-off home run against the San Diego Padres, further solidifying his potential as a talented player. Jones boasts impressive stats, hitting .339/.397/.613 with a 1.010 OPS, four home runs, and 12 RBIs.

The Rockies are faced with a decision regarding their all-star first baseman, CJ Cron. He has spent some time on the injured list in 2023 and is also due to become a free agent at the end of the season. Considering the emergence of Jones, the team is unlikely to retain him for the next season. As the Rockies are expected to become sellers at the trade deadline, they should explore the possibility of trading Cron to a team in need of a power bat for the stretch run towards the playoffs.

Aside from Cron, the Rockies also have first baseman Mike Moustakas under contract for the rest of the year and he could be another option as a player who could be dealt at the trade deadline. Moustakas has played in a total of 42 games for the Rockies this year and is hitting .248/.336/.396 with three home runs and 15 RBI's.

Once Cron returns back from injury, the Rockies will have a crowded group at first base and they will need to make a decision on who will be starting for them moving forward. Jones seems to be the first baseman of the future and with that being said the Rockies should try to trade Cron and Moustakas at some point this month to bring in additional prospects moving forward.

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.