The Rockies have set their 30-man, Opening Day roster, per a club announcement. Notably, top infield prospect Brendan Rodgers did not make the cut and has been optioned to the team’s alternate site. The club also revealed that righty Peter Lambert, who has been sidelined with forearm pain, underwent Tommy John surgery and has been placed on the 45-day injured list. Placing Lambert on the 45-day IL opens a 40-man spot which was needed to accommodate the selection of non-roster players Matt Kemp, Daniel Bard and Chris Owings, which were reported last week.
That Rogers didn’t make the cut comes as something of a surprise. Shoulder surgery torpedoed his would-be debut campaign last year — he received 81 plate appearances before being injured — but the former No. 3 overall pick is still viewed as a top prospect and vital part of the Rockies’ future. While he won’t begin the year with the club, it still seems safe to expect that Rodgers will get a decent run in the big leagues this year, so long as he’s healthy. With Trevor Story entrenched at shortstop through at least 2021, Rodgers’ most immediate path to the everyday lineup is at second base.
The addition of the universal DH in 2020 should allow Colorado to play Daniel Murphy at DH more, with Ryan McMahon occupying first base, which would ostensibly clear a spot for Rodgers. For the time being, though, perhaps the preference is to get Garrett Hampson and McMahon some reps at the keystone while continuing to work Rodgers back into to MLB readiness.
The loss of Lambert not only for this season but for most or all of 2021 also stings for the club. He wasn’t expected to open the year in the Rockies’ rotation, but he was considered to be among the organization’s premier pitching prospects heading into 2019 and even made the back of some top 100 rankings at the time. Last year’s MLB debut didn’t go well to say the least — 72 runs in 89 1/3 innings — but Lambert only recently turned 23 this summer. He may be out until the 2022 season at this point, though he’s at least young enough that he has ample time to bounce back and still establish himself in the big leagues while in the midst of his prime years.
There are no words. Bridich being Bridich and mishandling every talented young player in the organization.
I honestly feel bad for Rox fans. As a long-suffering Cubs fan, I know the feeling of being a fan of a poorly run franchise with little hope for future improvement.
They should pack the team with great pitching and spend low for offense on Oakland A like guys. So hard to pitch there but easy to make the average bat look like an MVP slugger (Cuddyer).
Isn’t Oakland’s home environment almost completely opposite of Colorado’s?
For funzies, I think they should acquire all the flyball hitters they can, even it means they play them out of position. Blake Street Bombers 2.0. Robel Garcia, just cut by the Cubs, would be the type of player I’m taking about, He could 50 homers playing every day (and strike out 250 times).
I’m thinking conceptually, which could work. Good call on the fly ball hitters as well.
I actually would build their team around speedy contact hitters (leadoff type) that play great defense. The ballpark is really big and the gaps in the outfield are enormous. I’d fill my team with guys that could steal 40-50 bags a year and bat .280. I think any team that did that would change the game. Teams are playing for the 3 run homer instead of trying to get a run or two every inning…
that’s rough
Rodgers’ demotion is a surprise. A shame about Lambert. The Rockies need to decide on a direction as they are a long way from competing in that division. This includes who will be running things. A crucial winter coming up for them. Re the on-field product: it figures to get worse before it gets better.
Is the option of Rodgers a service time play or have they soured on him?
It’s the team actually believing they are good. Bridich and ownership have long had a rose-colored-glasses approach and refuse to “punt” a season in order to help develop their future stars. I’m all for not punting but at some point you have to know who you are and recognize the path to winning consistently lies in developing your talent rather than gambling on bad veteran contracts
And
And the Rocks don’t use their first several rounds to draft pitchers….. FA pitchers won’t sign there and they don’t draft very many pitchers in the top 10 rounds….. are they even trying to win?
They draft pitchers high at least as often as other teams. Like Gray and Freeland in their current rotation. And Lambert. And Riley Pint who hasn’t worked out.
Where Bridich has blown it is in free agent signings. He is 0 for his last 5, McGee, Shaw, Davis, Desmond and Murphy. All 5 were on the downside when boy wonder over paid them. He needs to go.
Peter Lambert has an older brother name Jimmy who is a pitcher in the White Sox organization. Jimmy had Tommy John surgery last year just after Peter made his debut. Now Peter has the surgery and Jimmy could make his debut out of the bullpen any day now.
But drafted as high is not good enough when you play in CO. They had so many great options in round 1 and in their Comp round but took an OF and a C.