With a 6-3 victory at Coors Field on Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates moved closer to clinching a playoff berth. A win Wednesday against Colorado, who have now lost three in a row, will secure former-Rockies manager Clint Hurdle a third-consecutive appearance in baseball’s postseason.
Colorado has been out of the postseason conversation since July, when they spent the entire month trailing the division-leading Dodgers by double digits. That number has slowly crept upwards ever since, currently sitting at 22.5 games – one game shy of their lowest mark on the year, 23.5 games back.
So here on Sept. 23, with just a week and a half remaining on what is pacing to be one of the five worst seasons in franchise history, and with eight of their last 11 games against playoff teams from this year or last year, it’s time for the Rockies to throw in the towel and commit 100 percent to seeing if these three prospects can deliver at the Major League level.
Alternatively, there are players that need to be shelved for the rest of the season – possibly longer.
One Up: Miguel Castro
With just a week and a half remaining on what is pacing to be one of the five worst seasons in franchise history, and with eight of their last 11 games against playoff teams from this year or last year, it’s time for the Rockies to throw in the towel and commit 100 percent to seeing if these three prospects can deliver at the Major League level.
Alternatively, there are players that need to be shelved for the rest of the season – possibly longer.
One Up: Miguel Castro
Castro was the most “Major League ready” of the three pitchers acquired in the Troy Tulowitzki trade, but struggled to start the season in Toronto. At one point in 2015, he was demoted all the way to Class A-Advanced Dunedin to work out his control issues.
He’s rebounded since joining the Rockies organization, looking stellar in Triple-A Albuquerque. Castro was recalled to the big club Sept. 1 and has struggled mightily since. In 5.1 innings pitched in five appearances, he’s allowed six earned runs, four walks and two home runs.
Castro will be competing with Jairo Diaz for the right-handed “power arm” in the Rockies pen in 2016 and beyond. Diaz has complete command of that race now, posting a 1.35 ERA for Colorado in 15 appearances since Aug. 23. Manager Walt Weiss should have seen enough of Diaz by now. It’s time to turn things over to Castro to see if he can resurrect his time at the big league level this year.
One Down: Scott Oberg
With just a week and a half remaining on what is pacing to be one of the five worst seasons in franchise history, and with eight of their last 11 games against playoff teams from this year or last year, it’s time for the Rockies to throw in the towel and commit 100 percent to seeing if these three prospects can deliver at the Major League level.
Alternatively, there are players that need to be shelved for the rest of the season – possibly longer.
One Down: Scott Oberg
Oberg started the season in middle-relief – a right-handed matchup guy who could extend for a couple innings if needed. He was thrust into the more important 8th inning role when Adam Ottovino went down with season-ending elbow surgery, and even picked up some closer duties as John Axford dealt with family matters.
As a rookie, he’s probably been asked to do more than his fair share, but his up-and-down performance (3-4 record, 5.33 ERA, 27 BB and 1.52 WHIP) were more a part of the problem than a part of the solution in a Rockies bullpen that is currently the second-worst (4.69 ERA) in baseball. Oberg is on the wrong side of that number and needs to give way to some other young arms down the stretch.
Two Up: Cristhian Adames
With just a week and a half remaining on what is pacing to be one of the five worst seasons in franchise history, and with eight of their last 11 games against playoff teams from this year or last year, it’s time for the Rockies to throw in the towel and commit 100 percent to seeing if these three prospects can deliver at the Major League level.
Alternatively, there are players that need to be shelved for the rest of the season – possibly longer.
Two Up: Cristhian Adames
With Troy Tulowitzki now playing playoff baseball in Toronto, Colorado has some decisions to make at shortstop. Jose Reyes has proved to be better than expected, but he’s made it clear he doesn’t want to play for a loser. Colorado needs to move him before his age surpasses his trade value.
Meanwhile, there is a growing back-log at shortstop. Cristhian Adames has seen action in 18 games now and is proving he can field the position at the Major League level. But can he hit there? That’s what Walt Weiss needs to find out. Nipping at Adames’ heels is Trevor Story, who spent half the year at Triple-A Albuquerque and can play short, second or third. Story struggles defensively and hitting for average, but he hit in the three-spot for the ‘Topes and provides far more pop than Adames.
With bats like Blackmon, Arenado, Gonzalez, LeMahieu, Paulsen and (hopeully) Dickerson in the lineup next year, the Rockies may be able to get away with a light-hitting shortstop. But Adames needs to cut down on his strikeouts and show he can get on base and play station-to-station baseball.
Two Down: Justin Morneau
With just a week and a half remaining on what is pacing to be one of the five worst seasons in franchise history, and with eight of their last 11 games against playoff teams from this year or last year, it’s time for the Rockies to throw in the towel and commit 100 percent to seeing if these three prospects can deliver at the Major League level.
Alternatively, there are players that need to be shelved for the rest of the season – possibly longer.
Two Down: Justin Morneau
While it was great to see Justin Morneau finally return from a 103-day layoff due to a concussion and whiplash, this season made it abundantly clear that Ben Paulsen will be the long-term solution at first base.
Morneau has now missed significant parts of three seasons due to concussions dating back to 2010 and ’11. He was thought to be mostly in the clear after going three years without major incident, but this year questions arose as to whether his career was completely over.
Morneau is a clubhouse leader and consummate professional, but his $9 million price tag next year should be spent on starting pitching, especially considering Paulsen’s emergence this year. Morneau has a $750,000 buyout on his 2016 salary – it would mean an unceremonious end to his time in Denver, and maybe his career, but it’s what the Rockies need to do to compete next year.
Give him a spot start here and there to end this season, but don’t put him at further risk more than necessary.
Three Up: Rex Brothers
With just a week and a half remaining on what is pacing to be one of the five worst seasons in franchise history, and with eight of their last 11 games against playoff teams from this year or last year, it’s time for the Rockies to throw in the towel and commit 100 percent to seeing if these three prospects can deliver at the Major League level.
Alternatively, there are players that need to be shelved for the rest of the season – possibly longer.
Three Up: Rex Brothers
It’s been more downs than ups for Rex Brothers in his up-and-down Rockies career, now in its fifth year. And this year has been more down than others. Brothers will have pitched his fewest number of Major League innings this year, currently at 6.1 in 11 appearances.
The command issues the Rockies hoped he had regained while in Triple-A still haunt the once-promising lefty, are still a major problem. Brothers has walked seven batters while striking out just one in his time with Rockies. After a July call-up, he was demoted again and only rejoined the big league club when rosters were expanded.
With nothing left to lose on Brothers, and nothing left to lose in the standings, Colorado needs to give him enough rope to hang himself as the season comes to an end. Brothers is in need of a fresh start in another organization. Letting him show off his wares, good or bad, is the best way to make that happen.
Three Down: Boone Logan
With just a week and a half remaining on what is pacing to be one of the five worst seasons in franchise history, and with eight of their last 11 games against playoff teams from this year or last year, it’s time for the Rockies to throw in the towel and commit 100 percent to seeing if these three prospects can deliver at the Major League level.
Alternatively, there are players that need to be shelved for the rest of the season – possibly longer.
Three Down: Boone Logan
Logan has not been the shutdown left-handed arm that the Rockies envisioned when they signed him prior to the 2014 season. He’s improved on his performance in year two in a Rockies uniform – 4.59 ERA in 56 games versus 6.84 ERA in 35 games – but Colorado badly needs a hard-throwing lefty as the counter-punch to Christian Friedrich. Colorado hoped Tyler Matzek could have been that guy, but that obviously didn’t play out. Friedrich himself hasn’t done much to warrant a long-term future with the club, but he’s got far more tread left on the tires than Logan. Colorado should shelve Logan, who still has a year left on his contract, and save him some late season wear and tear since he’ll almost definitely be back in 2016, despite his $6.25 million price tag.