3. Is there room for all those outfielders?
The Rockies have a serious logjam in the outfield. Take Ian Desmond out of the equation and they still have four suitable, everyday outfielders on the roster.
Charlie Blackmon and Carlos Gonzalez will man two of those spots, forcing the Rox to play devil’s advocate and choose between youngster David Dahl and vet Gerardo Parra for the final spot. Oh, and sprinkle in some time for Desmond here and there.
There is an obvious problem, and I think you can point the finger at which player will get the short end of the stick.
David Dahl impressed in the big league action he saw last season, hitting .315 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs. Meanwhile, Gerardo Parra struggled, hitting a measly .253 with seven home runs and 39 RBI’s.
Dahl’s promise may be to much for the Rockies to pass on, meaning a reduced role for Parra may be in store.
The Rockies need to iron this problem out, because they can’t risk the development of Dahl at the luxury of playing a veteran coming off a down year.
Sure, they could opt to drag this out into Spring Training and put the job up for grabs if they truly believe Parra has a shot, but there are other ways they could utilize Parra.
He dabbled at first base last season, so they could opt to use him in a super-utility role. They could also opt to trade him in an attempt to find help in other areas such as first base or the bullpen.
Parra will be entering the second year of the three-year contract he signed with the team prior to last season. He has a club option for the following year, giving the Rockies the choice to hold onto a him and find a role for him this the season, or flip him for a added help.
Consistency is something most postseason teams have, and the Rockies need to work to attain that.
