Sports Illustrated - USA (2020 - Spring)

79

AFTER TWO PLAYOFF seasons, the Rockies

dropped to 71–91 last year, and they may

not be done tumbling. Not only did the

front office take the winter off—perhaps not

the worst idea given how bad its free-agent

signings have been—but in doing so it also

alienated franchise player Nolan Arenado.

He signed an eight-year, $260-million

contract with the team just one year ago but

said he felt “disrespected” this offseason.

You can understand Arenado’s frustration.

At 28, he has one playoff win, a wild-card

victory in 2018, under his belt. Last year

thwarted what seemed to be positive

momentum, and Colorado did nothing to

restore it, despite having a bottom-three

offense and a bottom-three pitching staff

in the NL (after accounting for the high

altitude at Coors Field). The Rockies

ranked among the league’s worst at catcher

(Tony Wolters and Chris Iannetta), second

base (Ryan McMahon, mostly) and leftfield

(Raimel Tapia and Ian Desmond).

The GM charged with fixing these sore

spots has yet to prove he can. Jeff Bridich

has lit more than $100 million on fire in past

offseasons by signing Desmond, closer Wade

Davis, infielder Daniel Murphy, outfielder

Gerardo Parra, and relievers Bryan Shaw and

Mike Dunn. Those fiascos have prevented

the Rockies from building on their player

development, which has produced such

stars as Arenado, shortstop Trevor Story and

outfielder Charlie Blackmon.

If Bridich doesn’t trade Arenado, the

five-time All-Star will almost surely exercise

his opt-out after 2021 in search of October

glory. If Bridich does try to move him, that

opt-out and a no-trade clause limit his

options. The Rockies won’t contend this

year, and Arenado’s exit would make their

bad situation much worse.

MOVING DOWN

WADE

DAVIS

8.65 ERA | -1.3 WAR

During his

2014–17 peak,

he posted

a 1.45 ERA

across 241^1 / 3

innings with

the Royals. In

two seasons

with Colorado,

the closer has

a 5.92 ERA.

How bad are things in Denver? Superstar Nolan Arenado is openly unhappy with the

team, and the Rockies didn’t sign a single major league free agent this winter.

OVER

UNDER 73.5

MOVING UP

JON

GRAY

3.84 ERA | 4.0 WAR

The 28-year-

old righty

was having a

career year

(135 ERA+ in

150 innings)

when a stress

fracture in his

left foot ended

his season

in August.

| DAVID DAHL | DH| After sg\e[`e^k_\Óijkgfik`fef]_`j

career accruing various weird injuries (back problems started

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le`m\ijXc;?`dgc\d\ekXk`feX]k\ik_\)')(j\Xjfe#_`kk`e^

over .300 in six straight seasons. Science might have solved

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g`kZ_\ijjk`cc_Xm\eÊkÓ^li\[flk_fnkf^\kflk;X_c%

2030 PREDICTION

ROCKIES

NL WEST

ROBERT BECK

Free-agent failures have

prevented the Rockies from

building on their stellar

player development.