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.

Rockies announce their 2024 Spring Breakout Roster

The 2024 MLB Spring Breakout has received a lot of hype this year, and rightfully so. This will give fans at least one game to watch some of the top prospects in their organization square off against another teams group. This year's squad is loaded with talent, including every top 10 prospect and 15 of the top 16 players in the Rockies system. MLB Pipeline even ranked it as the 10th best Spring Breakout roster in 2024.

Colorado's outfield group is the deepest here, headlined by two Top 100 talents in Fernandez and Beck and supplemented with four others from the system's Top 10 (Sterlin Thompson, Zac Veen, Cole Carrigg, Benny Montgomery). Given his 60 hit tool from both sides of the plate, Amador would highlight any infield group, and 2023 top pick Dollander gives the Rox a potential stud arm. Don't sleep on Hunter Goodman's power, either, with 70 homers combined over his last two Minor League seasons.

The Rockies square off against the Diamondbacks, Saturday, March 16th at 4:10 MT. The Rockies fans will get a good look at one of the more underrated systems in baseball. There are a few pitchers here I would be excited to keep an eye on like Chase Dollander and Sean Sullivan. They also have a very talented outfield group as MLB Pipeline raved about their overall roster and upside. The best part, you can watch it all, right here, on Rox Pile.

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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