In trading Troy Tulowitzki to Toronto for shortstop Jose Reyes and three pitchers at last year’s trade deadline, the Rockies now find themselves in quite a messy situation at the shortstop position – one that will likely linger for the foreseeable future.
Reyes will miss at the very least Opening Day – he’s due in court in Hawaii that day on a domestic violence charge stemming from an incident on Halloween 2015. It’s very likely Reyes will miss much more than just Opening Day, or even opening week, as new commissioner Rob Manfred will use his and two other cases to set precedent on baseball’s new domestic violence policy.
MLB does not have a black-and-white policy regarding domestic violence suspensions as it does steroid use (a first positive test results in an 80-game suspension), but Manfred could decide to rule with a heavy fist after the flak commissioner Roger Goodell received for his perceived mishandling of similar cases in the NFL.
Reyes is on paid leave (on a $22 million per year contract that extends through the 2018 season) pending completion of the criminal case. Upon conclusion of the criminal proceedings, MLB will conduct its own investigation before making a disciplinary ruling. His timetable is truly open-ended, as the magnitude of the rulings – both criminal and within the league – remains unknown.
Colorado has both short- and long-term options available to replace him. For short-term solutions, Colorado has as many as four viable options for an Opening Day starter currently within the organization, plus a pair of shortstops still available as free agents. But Reyes’ massive contract and personal issues will make moving on from him in the long-term quite difficult.
Trevor Story is considered Colorado’s No. 11 prospect according to MLB.com, but among the group in front of him are just two players with major league experience – Jon Gray and Miguel Castro, both pitchers. Story recently stated he believes he’s ready for a shot at the big leagues, but he’s played just 61 games at the AAA level. He impressed in half a season with Albuquerque in 2015, hitting .277 with 10 home runs, but he was up-and-down during two stints in AA. In 2015 he hit .281 in 69 games with the New Britain Rock Cats, bouncing back from 2014 with the Tulsa Drillers in which he hit .200 in 56 games.
Story is an outstanding fielder, having logged time at shortstop, third base and second base. He’d be an excellent defensive addition to a Rockies infield that would have him flanked on either side by Gold Glove winners. He certainly has the look of a future shortstop at Coors Field, but may not be quite ready from an offensive standpoint. With other, more proven options available, Rockies fans won’t likely see Story patrolling the infield at 20th and Blake any time before September.
Cristhian Adames is a more familiar name because he’s already logged 33 games at the MLB level with Colorado, 26 of them coming in 2015. Adames hit .245 during his late-season call-up last year, but had just two extra-base hits and three RBIs in 53 at-bats. He’s considered less of a long-term option at the position by the organization, but comes with less risk in the short-term. The fact that he hit .311 over 463 at-bats at Albuquerque last year adds intrigue to what might be available from an offensive standpoint. With so much pop in the lineup already, manager Walt Weiss could be tempted to give the switch-hitting Adames another shot.
Also available to Weiss is Rafael Ynoa, who became Colorado’s do-everything utility man in 2015. He played three infield positions and left field in 72 appearances last year, but averaged less than two at-bats per game. Weiss is a big fan of Ynoa, saying last year, “He has good instincts, he’s versatile and unflappable.” That versatility will likely keep him on the bench though, as his best positions are second and third base, and Weiss likes using him late in games. As a switch hitter, Ynoa is a valuable commodity in pinch-hitting situations. It could also play to his advantage in a starting role, though, as Colorado’s No. 1 option at shortstop, sans Reyes (also a switch hitter), complicates the lineup a bit.
Daniel Descalso joined the Rockies in 2015 and, like Ynoa, found his way into the lineup any way he could. He logged time at all four infield positions, logging the bulk of his innings at shortstop when Reyes missed time with injury. Descalso is exclusively a left-handed bat, though, which presents a problem for Weiss against left-handed pitchers. Colorado already has three lefties in the outfield, along with Ben Paulsen at first, who like Descalso hits from the left side despite being right-handed. Paulsen will platoon with righty Mark Reynolds when Colorado faces a left-handed arm, and Descalso will likely face a similar fate. He faced left-handed pitchers just 24 times in 2015, hitting .167 against them.
Offense is the real question with Descalso. 2015 was his worst season, by far, when he hit just .205 in 185 at-bats. He hovered around a .240 average between 2011 and 2013 in St. Louis when he was seeing 300-plus at-bats, so what he may need is simply more time in the batter’s box – especially at lefty-friendly Coors Field. Heading into his seventh year in the big leagues, Descalso will almost certainly be Weiss’ first choice as the short-term replacement for Reyes, with Ynoa and Adames (both switch hitters) getting their shots against left-handed pitchers.
Colorado has a few options in free agency as well, although those options would likely only be exercised if Reyes faces a suspension of more than half the season. Due to the timing of Reyes’ hearing, the Rockies would have limited options. Ian Desmond and Willie Bloomquist are the only remaining experienced free agents from a group of shortstops that was described in November as “thin.” Bloomquist would be the logical choice between the two, as the 38-year-old career utility man could be had on the cheap for the very short-term.
Desmond has a qualifying offer from Washington and would be an intriguing addition and logical target if Colorado didn’t have Reyes on the roster. The 30-year-old All-Star has 110 career home runs and is considered one of the best hitters at the position, despite a down year in 2015. But he comes with a price tag north of $15 million. It would take a perfect storm of Desmond remaining unsigned beyond the commissioner’s decision date on Reyes (a possibility) and the club having just cause to fully release Reyes from his contract due to the domestic violence charges (extremely unlikely) to sign him.
Colorado may get off the hook for a spell financially, should Manfred decide to suspend Reyes without pay, but they’ll be committed to him once a possible suspension expires. As another disappointing season came to an end last year, Reyes admitted his disinterest in playing for a club that’s not competing for a playoff spot. Moving him though, now in the wake of a likely domestic violence suspension, seems far-fetched. Cutting him, especially for the cost-conscious Monforts, is equally unlikely. Colorado, it appears, is stuck with Reyes.
Regardless of the length of his suspension this year, the greater cause for concern is the size and length of his contract. As previously indicated, he’s on the books through 2018 and could be quite difficult to move unless Colorado is willing to pick up a big portion of the tab on his $22 million due each year through those three seasons. That’s unlikely, though it may be the best thing for the organization in order to move on to players like Adames or Story.
