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By Tim Dierkes | at
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Shea Jamba
I like the moves O’Dowd made overall. His goal was to change the clubhouse chemistry by adding a bunch of veteran “leaders”. From what I’ve seen and read this Spring Training, they are already having a nice impact with the younger guys.
As a Rockies fan, I perceive this season as a bridge year with the possibility to contend. With an arguably top 5 lineup in baseball, that possibility will likely rely on whether or not the young rotation arms can perform.
Though a few guys will not make the rotation out of spring, they will all likely make at least a few starts as the only starters expected to throw around 200 innings are Chacin and Guthrie.
With Jorge De La Rosa coming back at the end of June, I like our chances. Ideally, the rotation would be as followed:
Guthrie
Chacin
Nicasio
Pomeranz
Chatwood
With JDLR replacing the weakest link between the bottom three by his return. I feel that Alex White needs more time in the minors, but that probably won’t be happening. If he does not make the rotation, I could see him and Moyer/Outman/Moscoso joining the killer B’s, Betancourt, Belisle, and Brothers in the pen.
Overall, with the added Wild Card and relatively weak division, I like our chances. I really wish Nicasio would be getting more press with his story, but because he doesn’t play in a major market, that won’t be happening.
Manfrenjensen
Nicasio will put up 180+ innings this year. Not bad for a kid returning from a broken neck AND a fractured skull. Chacin could learn a lot from his work ethic. By the end of the year, Chacin will be the 4 or 5 if he hasn’t been traded; Guthrie, Nicasio, Pomeranz, and possibly even De La Rosa will be ahead of him.
Manfrenjensen
And Cuddyer better be a heckuva leader because there is no way he’s worth over $10M a year on the field.
BobbyJohn
No mention of Jordan Pacheco, who is the likely starter at 3B as of this moment.
I don’t think this team is going to have trouble scoring runs, but they actually didn’t last year, either (T-2nd in NL). And that is going to be VERY important because preventing them, on the mound and in the field, is going to be a bit of a challenge, though. I think the defense is down slightly from last year, overall, and the rotation is a HUGE question mark.
The bullpen and offense are going to be team strength’s once again, and if a couple of the young starters get things sorted out then this team has an outside shot at making the playoffs.