Rockies News: Roster moves, Spring Breakout, offensive surprises and familiar faces

We are just over two weeks away from Opening Day. We will get to see a new look Rockies team that will be different from the squads from the recent years. Gone are the days of seeing 32 year old journeymen, looking for a role to just get at-bats and prove that they still have something left in the tank. This 2024 team has the chance to be one of the most exciting (not necessarily good though) teams in a few years.

Recent Roster Moves:

The Rockies may have found an under the radar infielder with some upside

Tuesday, the Rockies announced a few roster moves that were of note. A few names here that were optioned include, infielder, Julio Carreras. Carreras came into spring training with virtually no shot of making the opening day roster yet made it a very competitive battle.

He played in 14 games and flashed quite a bit despite his uninspiring overall numbers. He slashed .185/.241/.407 with a home run, five RBI, and a stolen base. Impressively, he struck out just 23% of the time, putting up some pretty good at bats as a player who had only seen Triple-A for 16 games. He made quite a few defensive plays that had everyone in awe.

Hunter Goodman still needs some polish

Goodman was someone that I was very bullish on coming into 2024. He had put on an incredible display of power over the last two years, showing an advanced approach and it looked like something he could prove this year. He struggled last year in the major leagues with a 31% strikeout rate, and it continued this spring. He just looked overmatched, logging just a .192 average, striking out over 32% of the time. He was sent to Triple-A Albuquerque where he only played in 15 games last year.

Other moves

The Rockies have also sent right-handed pitchers Gavin Hollowell and Riley Pint to Triple-A Albuquerque. These two should certainly see time at the major league level in 2024, but will need to get some more work in Albuquerque before getting that opportunity.

Catcher, Braxton Fulford, and top prospect, outfielder, Jordan Beck, were reassigned to minor league camp. Beck was really impressive this spring, proving that he is not far away. His power and speed combination will be a welcome addition to the outfield of Brenton Doyle and Nolan Jones.

Fulford only saw 10 at-bats this spring, producing only one hit, but had a really solid 2023 season, making his way all the way up to Triple-A (though most of the year was in Spokane and Hartford). He will most likely spend a little more time at Hartford but could move quickly to Triple-A and we could see him later this year.

The offense could surprise this year

Coming into spring training, we knew there was going to be a battle for some pitching jobs, both in the rotation and the bullpen. The pitching staff was expected to struggle, and this team was most likely going to be carried by the offense; we may be surprised by how much this offense could carry this pitching staff.

The mainstays in this lineup will be fun to watch; guys like Nolan Jones, Ryan McMahon, Ezequiel Tovar and Brendan Rodgers should be solid contributors. After that group, there were some questions about who would step up, especially with the highest paid player, Kris Bryant, being injured for a majority of the last two years.

This spring has been a very surprising one for the team and a number of players individually. The team as a whole is slashing .282/.365/.454 (all rank inside the top four in MLB in 2024 spring training). A team that has been plagued by strikeouts, sits right in the middle (14th) in total strikeouts this spring). They could really surprise people on the base paths as well (24 stolen bases), as they are tied for the second most steals during spring training.

A few names this spring have popped and will look to build upon that in 2024. Brenton Doyle is ready to break out, hitting .375/.444/.375 stealing two bases, while looking way more comfortable at the plate. Michael Toglia and Elehuris Montero are both poised for breakout years, as they both are tied for the second most home runs this spring with three. Toglia struggled early but has gotten his strikeout rate below 30% on the spring (something that could really contribute to a successful 2024 season), along with an impressive 14.7% walk rate. Montero has gotten his strikeout rate below 27% and looks poised to launch some home runs in Colorado.

The Rockies bring in some familiar faces

In a season that is going to be dominated by the youth, the veterans leading this group will be paramount. They have these players on the team like Ryan McMahon, Kris Bryant and Kyle Freeland, but General Manager, Bill Schmidt, is looking to do more.

Bill Schmidt wants to connect the history of the Rockies with some of the current players and their futures. The Rockies are a new franchise, but have created a lot of historical players and memories in franchise history.

Along with left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, Jimenez imparted wisdom that belongs to a small fraternity of pitchers who have tamed Coors Field. And the Rockies are hoping their experience--along with that of many other former Colorado stars---will be a boon for the next generation.

Schmidt has brought in a number of familiar faces this spring including Clint Hurdle, Carlos Gonzalez, Todd Helton, Jorge De La Rosa and Ubaldo Jimenez. That is a really good group of names set to mentor the young group the Rockies have. These players hope to share their experiences, struggles and successes with the young group in hopes of creating a stronger group of players. Schmidt and manager, Bud Black, will hope these veterans can impart their wisdom to bring success back to Colorado.

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