MEDIA CLIPS –March 30, 2018

Gray, Rockies fall to D-backs on Opening Day By Thomas Harding MLB.com @harding_at_mlb 1:20 AM ET

PHOENIX -- The best that can be said for Rockies right-hander Jon Gray is that he didn't spin out of control after a rough beginning, like the last time he pitched at Chase Field. But the three runs he allowed in the first inning proved too much, as the Rockies lost to the D-backs, 8-2, in Thursday night's opener.

So it was an Opening Day letdown. But the difference from last year's National League Wild Card Game loss to the D- backs, when Gray gave up four runs on seven hits in 1 1/3 innings as the season thudded to an end, to now, with 161 games to go, was reflected in the right-hander's postgame tone.

"I didn't get ahead -- a lot of pitches weren't competitive at all -- and it's tough to win that way, because you put yourself in a bad spot, really," Gray said. "But nothing's changed, really. But nothing's changed. I'm excited about the season. I know we're going to be a good team.

"I know things are going to come together. You can't base it on one game."

Jake Lamb's bases-loaded, two-run double turned what had been a one-run lead -- thanks to DJ LeMahieu's homer off Patrick Corbin in the top of the first -- into a deficit and ran Gray's pitch count to 30. Lamb's drive, which came on a first-pitch hanging curveball, might have been catchable, but center fielder Charlie Blackmon seemed to be affected by the balcony over the center-field wall.. 29th, 2018

Gray, who felt better pitching out of the stretch and stayed with that even with the bases empty, retired nine straight after

Lamb's double to stay competitive.

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"In the middle -- second, third and fourth -- he hung in there, made some pitches, but the first inning was a little bit of a backbreaker for us," Rockies manager Bud Black said.

Gray's night ended at 86 pitches after he allowed a hit and two walks to begin the fifth. He allowed three runs on six hits in four innings.

Left-hander Chris Rusin made sure no more runs were charged to Gray. Rusin fanned Lamb, came from down 3-0 to force a Ketel Marte foulout to right and worked Alex Avilainto a grounder.. 29th, 2018

However, the D-backs scored three in the sixth on several weak-contact events.

"[Rusin's] pitching line does not indicate how he threw the ball," Black said. "That's the part of baseball that you've got to look through -- you've got to look through the statistics."29th, 2018

Nolan Arenado provided the Rockies' only other run on a leadoff homer in the top of the fifth, right after Rusin's escape.

However, Corbin escaped the fifth by forcing LeMahieu into a double-play grounder, and Archie Bradley induced another

LeMahieu double-play grounder in the seventh.

The Rockies had nine hits (three by catcher Chris Iannetta), but they struck out 12 times -- eight against Corbin, who gave up both solo shots among seven hits in 5 2/3 innings.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Oh so close: Rusin walked Nick Ahmed to open the sixth, but from there, the Rockies were done in by soft contact. Jarrod Dyson beat out a bunt, with a replay review overturning the original call, and Ahmed scored on a David

Peralta squibber that spun out of third baseman Arenado's barehand, preventing him from throwing to the plate.

"I threw the pitch I wanted to throw, got weak contact, and then you can't control anything after that," Rusin said. "As long as I threw it where I wanted to throw it, you live with the results and you move on."

Lamb then fought off an inside fastball on an 0-1 Scott Oberg pitch and blooped a single into left to score a pair. The D- backs scored three runs in the inning, but didn't hit any ball particularly hard, benefiting from a pair of walks, a bunt single and the bloop hit.. 29th, 2018

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That's why he's there: One of the reasons the D-backs didn't put Archie Bradley in the closer's role was because they liked the flexibility of using him to get out of a jam in the seventh inning, and then have him pitch the eighth as well. That's just what happened, as the right-hander entered with one out in the seventh and runners on first and second, then got

LeMahieu to hit into an inning-ending double play.. 29th, 2018

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS

LeMahieu, who is known for hitting for average rather than power, has four of his 35 career homers off Corbin, his most against any pitcher.. 29th, 2018

Arenado's three career Opening Day home runs tie Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalezand Vinny Castilla for the franchise record.

WHAT'S NEXT

Rockies: Lefty Tyler Anderson (6-6, 4.81 ERA in 2017) starts against the D-backs on Friday at 7:40 p.m. MT. Keep an eye on Rockies right fielder Carlos Gonzalez, whose .733 slugging percentage in 15 at-bats against D-backs starter Robbie Ray is his second highest against a lefty he has at least 10 at-bats against.

D-backs: Ray makes his 2018 debut Friday night as the D-backs take on the Rockies at Chase Field at 6:40 p.m. MST.

Ray had a breakout year in 2017, when he established career bests in wins (15), ERA (2.89) and strikeouts (218).

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LeMahieu hits first homer of year vs. D-backs By Thomas Harding MLB.com @harding_at_mlb 1:45 AM ET

PHOENIX -- DJ LeMahieu, meet Patrick Corbin -- again.

LeMahieu, the Rockies' second baseman who is not known for power, took D-backs left-handed starter Corbin deep on a

2-2, 94-mph fastball in the first inning of Thursday night's season-opening 8-2 loss at Chase Field.

Turns out his power is a habit against Corbin. LeMahieu has four career homers off the lefty, and he doesn't have more than two against any other pitcher.

It's not that LeMahieu is a light hitter. He won the National League batting crown in 2016 with a .348 average, and he has batted over .300 each of the past three seasons. It's just that he's not known for power. The homer was his 35th in his

2,916 career at-bats.

LeMahieu has average covered as well against Corbin, as he is 15-for-40 (.375) in his career against the left-hander.

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Rockies finalize Opening Day 25-man roster By Thomas Harding MLB.com @harding_at_mlb Mar. 29th, 2018

PHOENIX -- The Rockies released their Opening Day roster hours before Thursday night's game against the D-backs at

Chase Field. It offers depth, as well as playing-time challenges -- most notably involving prospect Ryan McMahon -- that manager Bud Black welcomes.

Here is the roster:

Starting pitchers (5, in order of scheduled starts): RHP Jon Gray (Thursday), LHP Tyler Anderson (Friday),

RHP German Marquez (Saturday), RHP Chad Bettis (Monday at San Diego), LHP Kyle Freeland (Tuesday).

Relief pitchers (8): RHP Wade Davis (closer), LHP Jake McGee, RHP Bryan Shaw, RHP Adam Ottavino, LHP Mike

Dunn, RHP Scott Oberg, LHP Chris Rusin, RHP Antonio Senzatela.

Catchers (2): Chris Iannetta, Tony Wolters.

Infielders (6): 1B Ian Desmond, 2B DJ LeMahieu, 3B Nolan Arenado, SS Trevor Story, utility Pat Valaika, 1B/utility

Ryan McMahon.

Outfielders (4): LF Gerardo Parra, CF Charlie Blackmon, RF Carlos Gonzalez, UTL Mike Tauchman.

10-day disabled list (3): RHP Carlos Estevez (right oblique), RHP Jeff Hoffman (right shoulder inflammation), LHP Zac

Rosscup (left middle finger blister).

60-day disabled list (1): RHP Rayan Gonzalez (right elbow surgery)

Valaika, a right-handed power pinch-hitter who plays all four infield positions, and Tauchman, a lefty hitter with speed who can play all three outfield positions, have demonstrated skill sets that play well off a National League bench, but Black will have to give them occasional starts to keep them sharp. McMahon is a bit more of a challenge.

McMahon, the Rockies' No. 2 prospect and the No. 41 prospect in the Majors per MLB Pipeline, has the potential to add left-handed power to the regular lineup, but he needs to play enough to justify keeping him instead of sending him to

Triple-A Albuquerque.

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"He produced really well in the Minor Leagues with that bat," Black said. "Time will tell how he does in the Major Leagues.

We'll find that out over time. I'm not sure there's a rush to find that out right away.

"We're going to use them all. … Ryan will be a part of that mix of 12 [position players], so I'm looking forward to watch

'Mac' and his career unfold. I think he's going to have a long career. He's young. This is a good step for him, making an

Opening Day roster."

Desmond, who is paid $22 million and has a track record as a key member of the lineup (he went to the disabled list three times last season, so the Rockies haven't seen his full benefit), will likely have to move to left field when McMahon starts.

Parra can operate from the bench on those days, or spell Gonzalez occasionally.

So there are paths to play McMahon, but all those movements have to be balanced against opportunities for Valaika and

Tauchman.

But Black looks at this as not just a good problem, but not a problem. He explained to left-handed hitters David

Dahl and Raimel Tapia -- two players long seen as part of the club's future -- that Albuquerque was where they fit best to start the season, but that they're still important to the Rockies. The Rockies are trying to maximize depth over a long season.

"We really like the versatility that Ian has, and Parra and Mac and Valaika, and Tauchman can play all three outfield positions," Black said. "Even Tony Wolters in a pinch can go to the infield. The versatility that our guys bring is an advantage for us once the game starts."

Solid base

Before being called up for his attention-grabbing pinch-hitting last season (.328, eight doubles, four homers, 16 RBIs in 58 at-bats), Valaika had 50 plate appearances over 11 games at Triple-A Albuquerque. This spring, Valaika sustained a left oblique injury in late February and didn't reappear until March 18.

But Valaika's 21 at-bats in eight Cactus League games, and more on the back fields, have him feeling ready for the sporadic opportunities he'll receive as a righty off the bench.. 25th, 2018

"It was good toward that last week to play a lot, and even go to the Minor Leagues and get six at-bats a game," Valaika said. "Last year, it was good starting off in Albuquerque. I got at-bats." 6

He'll be prepared

The Rockies entered Spring Training with seven possible starting pitchers and kept six. The other, Hoffman, had right shoulder inflammation after two appearances and was shut down. On Saturday, Hoffman will throw his second bullpen session since the injury. When he is ready, he believes he'll be prepared to help the club.

Hoffman's importance is rooted in the fact that beyond the five pitchers in the rotation and Senzatela, he is the only starter in the organization who has been in a Major League game.. 23rd, 2018

"Spotting the fastball is my key -- I think it's everybody's key," said Hoffman, who was 6-5 with a 5.89 ERA in 23 games

(16 starts) during an up-and-down rookie 2017 season. "I felt I did a good job of that early in spring, so it was frustrating going down. But after that, it's keeping the offspeed on the white -- not east and west, but north and south. That's when

I'm at my best.

"But that's just a refinement. When you're looking at tools, I feel I have them all in my arsenal, I just need to get them to the point where they're all competitive."

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Jon Gray struggles vs. D-backs at Chase Field, again, in Rockies’ opening-night loss Nolan Arenado, DJ LeMahieu homer for Colorado, but it’s not nearly enough By PATRICK SAUNDERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: March 29, 2018 at 11:51 pm | UPDATED: March 30, 2018 at 10:27 am

PHOENIX — The indelible impression left by the Rockies’ season-opening, 8-2 loss to the Diamondbacks on Thursday night was starter Jon Gray‘s painful struggles. The right-hander has shown occasional flashes of being a true ace, but he’s clearly not there yet.

Returning to Chase Field where he got mugged in the wild-card playoff loss last season, Gray struggled from the get-go.

Had it not been for a fifth-inning rescue by reliever Chris Rusin, the game would have been complete blowout early, rather than late.

“There were a few pitches (left) up, but overall I just didn’t get ahead,” Gray said. “It’s tough to win that way; when you put yourself in a tough spot early.

“But nothing has changed. I’m still excited about the season. I know we are going to be a good team and I know the season is going to come together.” Gray’s 30-pitch first inning was hauntingly familiar to his performance against the D- backs last October. That night, in the biggest game of his career, the Diamondbacks ripped Gray for four runs on seven hits. He recorded just four outs, the shortest start of his big-league career and the shortest postseason start in Rockies history.

Thursday, Arizona scored three runs off Gray in the first on back-to-back singles by David Peralta and A.J. Pollock, a walk by Paul Goldschmidt and a two-run double off the center-field wall by Jake Lamb. An infield grounder by Alex Avila plated the third run. Manager Bud Black called the first inning, “a little bit of a back-breaker for us, ” but he didn’t think Gray looked overwhelmed by the big moment, as he did in the playoff loss.

“It was just not executing pitches,” Black said, who emphasized that too many of Gray’s pitches were left up in the zone, especially the first-pitch curveball that Lamb basted for a double. “I think going into tonight, I think (Gray) was in a better spot.”

Gray also said there was no connection between Thursday’s game and the playoff debacle.

“Completely different,” he said. “I just wish I had found my groove sooner.”

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Gray, to his credit, recovered, blanking Arizona for the next three innings before he was rescued by Rusin. Gray’s four innings included three runs allowed on six hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

Rusin, the Rockies’ multi-use escape artist, inherited a bases-loaded, no-out jam from Gray but came away unscathed.

Rusin struck out Lamb, got Ketel Marte to foul out to Carlos Gonzalez (who made a nice running catch), and induced Avila to ground out to second.

“You just have to come in and attack the zone, and that first-pitch strike is critical,” Rusin said. “My mentality is to come in and pound the zone and throw pitcher’s pitches.”

Arizona put the game away with a three-run sixth against Rusin and right-hander Scott Oberg. A leadoff walk by Rusin and two doink hits, including a two-run floater to shallow left by Lamb off Oberg, were lucky, but effective. Rusin was charged with all three runs.

“That’s baseball,” Rusin said. “Sometimes they are going to hit rockets right at people. It’s just the luck of the game. I threw the pitch I wanted and they got weak contact. You can’t control anything after that.”

Colorado cut the lead to 3-2 in the sixth on a leadoff home run to left by Nolan Arenado off Arizona left-hander Patrick

Corbin. Arenado has three opening-day homers, tying the franchise record.

The Rockies’ season started out with a blast from an unlikely source. Second baseman DJ LeMahiue, who tends to steer singles and doubles to right field, turned on Corbin’s 2-2, 94 mph fastball, sending it into the left-field seats in the first inning. LeMahieu has four career homers off Corbin, and he doesn’t have more than two against any other pitcher. It was just the 35th homer for LeMahieu in 2,913 career at-bats.

LeMahieu, however, killed a would-be rally in the fifth, grounding into an inning-ending double play and stranding Chris

Iannetta, who led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on Gray’s perfect sacrifice bunt. LeMahieu hit into a double play 24 times last season, second most in the National League to Atlanta’s Matt Kemp, who had 25.

Colorado put two on base in the seventh on a single by Iannetta and a walk by Charlie Blackmon, but the miniature rally fizzled when LeMahieu grounded into another double play.

Arizona tacked on two more runs in the seventh inning off reliever Mike Dunn.

And the Rockies — who struck out 12 times, led by three from Trevor Story — were down and out in the first game of

2018. 9

Kiszla: What’s love got to do with it? Rockies can’t afford to be patient for Carlos Gonzalez to find his batting stroke. “For me, this year is a great chance to bounce back and to redeem myself.” By MARK KISZLA | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: March 29, 2018 at 10:08 pm | UPDATED: March 30, 2018 at 9:21 am

PHOENIX — Wearing a sly smile and a Rockies T-shirt, Carlos Gonzalez stood in precisely the same spot of the clubhouse where I shook his hand and said goodbye six months ago.

“You keep trying to get rid of me,” said Gonzalez, laughing as he extended his right hand and put my palm in a vice grip.

“But I keep coming back.”

The poets wax poetic about the smell of freshly mowed grass, because opening day has a funny way of turning split-finger fastballs and sunflower seeds into Shakespeare. But, truth be known, baseball can be a brutal business.

So maybe the biggest surprise on the lineup card Colorado manager Bud Black filled out Thursday was Gonzalez. He played his ninth straight opening day for the Rockies, but only because CarGo refused to let the brutal business ruin a beautiful relationship with Denver.

“For me, this year is a great chance to bounce back and to redeem myself,” said Gonzalez, who is now 32 years old, yet steadfastly believes there’s still thunder in his bat. “I’m not here to prove anything to anybody, because a lot of times we get caught up in that and we want to show everybody. We all play for ourselves and our teammates, not to prove somebody wrong.”

Did the Rockies make the right decision to bring Gonzalez back? It will be among the most intriguing and critical questions in a spring stoked with big expectations, but also fraught with the real possibility of a stumbling start, as Colorado plays 32 of its first 50 games on the road.

The beginning was not auspicious for either the Rockies or CarGo. Presumed ace Jon Gray got rocked and Colorado lost

8-2. It was not only painful to watch, but nearly interminable, as nine innings took 3 hours and 36 minutes to complete. So much for those initiatives to hasten the pace of play. I was tempted to grab the keys to the Rockies bullpen cart and go grab a beer at tavern down the street from Chase Field. Even baseball purists fell asleep on the sofa back in Denver.

While it was nothing more than one of 162 games on the schedule, Gonzalez offered a scary flashback to last year, striking out twice while going hitless in four at-bats.

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Opening day is all about new beginnings, but this one was about the humility required to accept a second chance. When

Gonzalez was unable to find work anywhere else in the major leagues, he returned to the Rockies, agreeing to a one- year, $8 million contract with Colorado only three weeks ago. It was too late to be included in the team’s media guide, but from the first minute CarGo walked back in the clubhouse, he was greeted like a long lost brother.

“It was like I never left,” Gonzalez said. “That’s a great thing, when you’re sitting at home, trying to get a job somewhere, and you have all your old teammates, hoping you come back.” CarGo has represented Colorado in the All-Star Game three times and hit more than 200 home runs for the Rockies. Even better, he’s the franchise’s all-time leader in smiles, not to mention the player most likely to spontaneously break into dance during batting practice.

While $8 million can only be considered a bargain through the reality-warping prism of professional sports, the good-faith investment general manager Jeff Bridich made in Gonzalez also comes with a degree of risk. Gonzalez started in right field and hit in the five hole for the Rockies against Arizona, but at the expense of sending David Dahl, one of the team’s most prized prospects, to the minor leagues at season’s outset.

With Black boasting of the organization’s depth of talent, how long can Colorado wait for Gonzalez to find his stroke? A year ago, he hit .216 in April. The Rockies cannot afford to be that patient with him again.

After a personally disappointing 2017 season, when it required a late surge for Gonzalez to finish with an unimpressive

.262 batting and a meager 14 homers, is the pressure on him to produce and prove he can still be CarGo?

“You look back, my very first year with the Rockies, I thought I was going to get sent down to the minors every day,” said

Gonzalez, who made a nasty habit of chasing sliders in the dirt way back in 2009. “I would go oh-for-4, and I’d leave the clubhouse, thinking, ‘OK, this is it. They won’t even let me go home. They’re sending me down after the game.’ But you keep showing up and learn that keeping your head up is the only way to bounce back from those tough moments and not let the game beat you. After all these years, that’s why I’m still here.”

The real beauty of opening day?

“I get to start from zero, start fresh,” Gonzalez said. “And I have the same motivation that every general manager, every manager and every player has on opening day, which is winning a championship.” 11

Rockies went on a bullpen spree after finding postseason value. They unleashed the new look in Arizona. By NICK GROKE | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: March 29, 2018 at 8:39 pm | UPDATED: March 30, 2018 at 12:28 am

PHOENIX — At the height of a playoff chase last September, as the Rockies streaked into contention in the nick of time,

Scott Oberg saw a nod in his direction he was not expecting.

Colorado manager Bud Black called on the right-hander in the highest of pressure situations, an eighth inning at Arizona that included Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb with a two-run Rockies lead. This was nothing out of the ordinary for

Oberg. What came next was. In the ninth, Black pushed Oberg back out from the dugout, sending him in to face J.D.

Martinez and A.J. Pollock, two more behemoths.

“It’s not what I anticipated. But it was what I had to do,” Oberg said Thursday at Chase Field. He passed that test and the

Rockies won, on their way to the postseason. “The game will always dictate that.”

The Rockies learned the value of a plug-and-play bullpen. Stack the talent and let their versatility fill in the blanks. They plopped a veteran closer in the ninth, then let everybody loose. They will follow that formula again, but with upgrades.

“It definitely passes the eye test,” Oberg said. ‘On paper, we’re right there with some of the best bullpens in the league.

The benefits of having such a good bullpen is you have a lot of guys who fill multiple roles.”

The Rockies reached the postseason in 2017 for the first time in eight years in large part on the shoulders of a stout bullpen, one whose WAR (wins above replacement) was second only to the Dodgers in the National League.

Colorado was not content to cruise. General manager Jeff Bridich then went on a spree, spending $106 million to land closer Wade Davis from the Cubs and setup man Bryan Shaw from Cleveland and re-signing lefty Jake McGee. Bridich specifically targeted his bullpen for upgrades, recognizing the value of improvements in free agency, instead of chasing a signable first baseman or a high-priced veteran starter. It worked last year. Why not double down?

“We recognized the strength of a good, deep ‘pen for a playoff caliber team last year,” Bridich said. “It was an obvious area that we wanted to target to get better.”

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Like last year, Black will work back to front, running Davis out for ninth innings in save situations. Then the order forks. If

Davis is not available, McGee, Shaw, Chris Rusin, Adam Ottavino and Mike Dunn all have ninth-inning experience. Oberg is as likely to pitch the sixth inning as the eighth, depending on the breaks.

In Thursday’s season-opener, that depth was tested early, when Rusin, their left-handed longman, was forced to put out a fire. Jon Gray could not get an out in the fifth inning, leaving the bases loaded for Rusin.

The lefty then went 1-2-3, starting with a key strikeout of Jake Lamb. Only an unlucky sixth undid them, with Rusin and

Oberg taking the brunt, as a bunt single and a spinning nubber toward third base led to three runs. It led to Arizona’s 8-2 victory.

“We have a great deal of flexibility with those fellas,” Black said. “Veteran pitchers who understand how a bullpen works, these guys are ready for anything we throw at them, as far as type of game, inning, score. And a lot of that will be determined by performance as we go.”

If versatility allows Black to juggle the look of his bullpen, it also raises expectations. There is no need to suffer through patience. Ottavino last season struggled through control issues and a career-high walk total. He soon found his role diminished to early innings and low-leverage situations. Rusin, on the other hand, pitched superbly and soon found late- game innings on top of his long-relief role. On their run to the World Series, the Dodgers used 13 relievers with 10 or more appearances last season, cycling through a slew of arms to keep them fresh, popping them in various roles and shuttling them between the 25-man roster, Triple-A and the disabled list.

It is a blueprint for success. And they did not rely on starters to carry the burden. Los Angeles starters faced a batting order three times through in a game less than any team in the NL. Manager Dave Roberts was not afraid to push his ‘pen.

The Rockies, they believe, now have that same luxury, with a depth that extends beyond their opening-day roster. And even if the bullpen dodges significant health issues, the dog days of the season will still press their resolve.

“We’ve talked about that,” Bridich said. “Some of it depends on the makeup of the guys in the pen. Sometimes guys pitch better and feel more comfortable with a defined role. Sometimes it doesn’t matter. And the game takes care of that over time.”

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Rockies’ rough early road schedule doesn’t faze Bud Black Former Colorado closer Greg Holland signs with Cardinals By PATRICK SAUNDERS | [email protected] | The Denver Post PUBLISHED: March 29, 2018 at 8:04 pm | UPDATED: March 29, 2018 at 9:34 pm

PHOENIX — The Rockies play 32 of their first 50 games on the road, including Thursday night’s opener vs. the

Diamondbacks at Chase Field. In season’s past, that journey would have been a season killer for the Rockies and their dreams of contending for the playoffs.

But they’re heartened by a 41-40 road record in 2017, only the second winning road mark in franchise history.

“I like (this team) anywhere, it doesn’t matter where, ” manager Bud Black said, a touch of smart aleck in his voice. “Any big-league stadium, any back field, any sandlot, on the moon, Ecuador, it doesn’t matter, I’m in.”

Last season, the Rockies hit .248 on the road, sixth in the National League, with a .703 OPS (11th) and 82 homers (12th).

Second baseman DJ LeMahieu thinks the Rockies will perform better this season.

“I think we have a very balanced lineup and we have some team speed this year,” he said. “I think we have a lot of ways to beat you, offensively, so I’m not really worried about us on the road at all.”

Holland fallout. Greg Holland, the Rockies’ all-star closer last season, agreed to a one-year, $14 million contract with the

Cardinals on Thursday, according to multiple media reports. The deal was pending completion of a physical.

Holland rejected his $15 million player option with the Rockies last November and also turned away from the $17.4 million qualifying offer.

Since Holland turned down the Rockies’ qualifying offer, the Cardinals had to forfeit their second-round pick, No. 59 overall, in the 2018 draft. They also lose $500,000 from their international bonus pool. The Rockies will receive a compensatory pick after competitive balance round B, meaning the Rockies will get the 76th overall pick.

Grand opening. Outfielder Mike Tauchman and infielder Ryan McMahon were on an opening-day roster for the first time

Thursday.

“It’s awesome,” McMahon said. “It’s like that first day of school again when you are in kindergarten and you actually want to go to school. It’s a dream come true.”

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“What he said. That sound good,” Tauchman said with a laugh. “But really, it’s so great. Outside of playing in the World

Series, it’s the most-singular, coolest thing you can do in baseball.”

Footnotes. The Rockies officially set their 25-man roster Thursday, placing three players on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to Monday: right-handers Carlos Estevez (left oblique strain) and Jeff Hoffman (right shoulder strain); and lefty

Zac Rosscup (left middle-finger blister). … After playing three games at Arizona, the Rockies will have Sunday off before opening a four-game series at San Diego. It’s the first scheduled off day on a Sunday in franchise history.

Looking ahead

Rockies LHP Tyler Anderson (6-6, 4.81 2017) at Diamondbacks LHP Robbie Ray (15-5, 2.89), 7:40 p.m., ATTSN,

850 AM

In two starts and two relief appearances against the Diamondbacks last season, Anderson went 2-0 with a 3.94 ERA over

16 innings. And the 28-year-old lefty on Thursday was listed on just his second opening-day roster. But Anderson returned from a knee injury last season to earn the No. 2 role in the Rockies rotation, behind Jon Gray. He held that spot through spring training in part because his hitchy delivery and command of multiple pitches can, at his best, frustrate hitters.

Saturday: Rockies RHP German Marquez (11-7, 4.39 2017) at Diamondbacks RHP Zack Greinke (17-7, 3.20), 6:10 p.m.,

ATTSN

Sunday: Off day

Monday: Rockies RHP Chad Bettis (2-4, 5.05) at Padres RHP Bryan Mitchell (1-1, 5.79), 8:10 p.m., ATTSN

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MLB salaries 2018: Rockies at forefront of shift - paying relievers more than rotation SCOTT BOECK | USA TODAY SPORTS Updated 11:29 p.m. MDT Mar. 29, 2018

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Rather than attempting to lure a free-agent starter to Coors Field, the Colorado Rockies spent money early and often on relief pitchers this winter.

And now, after their $106 million bullpen investment set the tone for Major League Baseball's bizarre off-season, the

Rockies are the prime example that the game's pitching evolution is now hitting hurlers in the pocketbook.

Colorado is one of seven major league teams that will spend more money on its bullpen than its starting rotation, according to 2018 salary data compiled by USA TODAY Sports.

Oakland, San Diego, Tampa Bay, Miami and the New York Yankees and Mets all will pay more for relievers than their rotations, fiscal examples that clubs are increasingly valuing relievers at the expense of workhorse starters.

The Rockies' imbalance is most striking - their $49 million reliever payroll is more than 20 teams are paying their starting rotations, and 12 times more than the $4.2 million they'll pay their five-man rotation.

They opened the checkbook for free agents Wade Davis (three years, $52 million) and Bryan Shaw (three years, $27 million) and their own Jake McGee (three years, $27 million). That trio along with holdovers Mike Dunn ($7.3 million) and

Adam Ottavino ($7 million all will earn more than Colorado's highest-paid starter, right-hander Chad Bettis ($2 million).

He's the lone starter to crack seven figures.

Jeff Bridich, the Rockies' general manager, said the staff composition is "a byproduct of decisions we made years ago."

“Whether it was drafting certain guys where we drafted them," says Bridich, "and having those guys develop into starters or whether it’s trading for guys, or signing guys out of Latin America. We felt that it was a good way to proceed with developing a young group of starters.

“It’s not like 3-4 years ago, we knew that we would be spending what we spent and allocating what we allocated to the bullpen this year. That wasn’t necessarily a priority or plan. There was a need for other things to fall into place. This was a good team method.”

Dunn, who signed a three-year, $19 million deal before the 2017 season, recognizes the potential of the young rotation and likes how the Rockies allocated their funds over the winter.

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“Props to the organization and their scouts picking the talent that they did,” he said. “They spent the money in the area that they felt like was needed.”

Shaw, who was an integral part of the Cleveland Indians bullpen during their World Series run in 2016 and historic 2017 season, knows the bullpen payroll is hefty, but said that’s just how the offseason played out.

“Considering all the starters that we have and almost everyone else that signed here in the bullpen were free agents,” he said, “I would assume it’s a big difference.”

Davis, who replaces All-Star Greg Holland as the closer, blew just one save out of 33 opportunities last season with the

Chicago Cubs. Shaw has thrown more innings than any pitcher in baseball over the past three seasons and led the majors in appearances in three of the past four years. McGee has performed much better as a setup man than closer, posting a 3.61 ERA and 1.10 WHIP.

The bullpen was decent last season, led by Holland, who still remains a free agent. It ranked 20th in the majors in ERA, tied for 15th in innings pitched and 20th in batting average against -- respectable in MLB’s most hitter-friendly park.

“We have a veteran bullpen that we can fall back on their experiences and to win tough innings and close out tough games,” said Bridich. “That’s an important ingredient for a team with a lot of expectations.

“Ultimately this is going to be a group effort. And if we’re getting the ball to Wade in the ninth inning with leads, then we’re probably in a good spot.

Said Dunn: “The word ‘expectation’ gets tossed around a lot … Our expectations for ourselves are a lot higher. No matter how good of a year you had you expect to get better."

The seven clubs spending more on relievers than starters run the competitive gamut, from the big-bucks Yankees, the wild-card ready Mets, the rebuilding Pirates and the Rays, who are constantly trying to find wins on the cheap.

Rare is the salary trend that works for markets of all sizes, which could make this an extended trend, at least until market forces dictate otherwise.

“It’s very possible, looking at the behavior this winter and the way relievers were compensated," says Tampa Bay GM Erik

Neander. "There’s certainly an importance placed on relievers. I think a lot about how relievers are valued, if you look back, it seems to be a bit cyclical. At the end of the day, as many innings of high-quality pitching as you can afford to get, the better."

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Rockies manager Bud Black hopes to build off their playoff appearance last season. He plans to rely heavily on his star- studded bullpen to relieve any pressure on a young staff – one that has four starters with less than three years of experience.

“We have a bullpen we feel comfortable with,” said Black. “We have a lot of guys down there who are very unselfish and who can pitch from anywhere from the sixth inning on. Interchange from McGee, Ottavino, Shaw and Dunn and hopefully get to the end game with Davis.”

Planned or not, the Rockies invested in a lot with their end game.

Time will tell if they invested wisely.

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BSN Exclusive: Adam Ottavino “mentally locked in” By Drew Creasman - Posted on March 30, 2018 | BSN Denver

Phoenix, Ariz. – Almost nothing went right for Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Adam Ottavino in 2017.

Losing all but 10 innings of 2015, and all but 27 innings in 2016, to Tommy John surgery, he was anxious to retake the field and looked, at first, as though he was going to pick up right where he left off.

Beginning the year as a set-up man who many believe should have been the closer, he led MLB in Holds through the first month-and-a-half of the season. But then it all went south, and he was never able to fully recover.

He saw his walk rate steadily climb way up to 6.58/9, nearly double his career average, making each of his appearances a question of which version of Ottavino we were going to see.

His 10.63 K/9 rate showed that his ridiculous slider and 96-mph fastball were still incredibly tough for opposing hitters to square up. When he was on, he was still the pitcher who once looked like a shoe-in to become one of the best relievers in

Rockies history. He just wasn’t on often enough.

He was on Thursday, though.

Ottavino made his 2018 debut on Opening Day by striking out one of the best hitters in the game, Paul Goldschmidt, on three pitches. And he got him looking.

“I’ve faced him a lot,” he told BSN Denver after the game. “He’s done well against me, I’ve done well against him. Just trying to throw strikes and get ahead. I was able to do that and make a good pitch that he wasn’t looking for. It was a good start.”

But he wasn’t done.

Ottavino ended up striking out the side, getting power hitters Jake Lamb and Alex Avila around a walk to former-Rockie

Daniel Descalso. Naturally, he would have preferred to avoid the free pass, but his pitches were sharp and well located.

And these are the kinds of results that usually come for him when that’s the case.

He admitted, though, that his struggles of a year ago were far more mental than physical.

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“Honestly, my approach is, you talk about focus, I feel like I lacked that a lot last season,” he says. “And this year, that’s something I’ve been training all offseason and this spring. Just focusing for my 15 minutes or whatever it is out there as well as I can. Building up that muscle.”

It’s phenomenally difficult for any normal human being to understand what the life of a relief pitcher is like. Your entire day comes down to 15 minutes when all eyes are on you. Then, regardless of results, you need to immediately start thinking about the next appearance, which may very well be the next day.

Additionally, you have to keep yourself fresh which makes it difficult to get in extra time to work on your pitches and mechanics. The more work you put in to fix issues, the harder it is to perform at peak level come game time.

You can only go so hard in practice when you might need to pitch in the game tonight. And if not that game, you almost certainly will be called upon the following one. Especially in Colorado.

It may sound easy to the laymen to give 100 percent focus for 15 minutes out of your day, but the human body and mind are simply not well conditioned for that. Unless you really force it

“Today, I felt like I was really focused on the glove and what I wanted to throw,” says Ottavino. “And I think that’s when I’m at my best, when I’m mentally locked in.”

Make no mistake, a locked-in Ottavino provides the Colorado Rockies with a downright silly bullpen. Wade Davis will take the majority of save opportunities barring a catastrophe, and Jake McGee and Bryan Shaw have earned their presumed roles at the back of the ‘pen.

And we saw what Chris Rusin is capable of (still) when he wriggled out of a bases-loaded, nobody out jam in the fifth in his own impressive season debut. But Adam Ottavino, at his best, is as good as any of them.

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BSN Exclusive: Inside the mind of the Colorado Rockies Manager of Research and Development By Drew Creasman - Posted on March 29, 2018 | BSN Denver

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – The late, great Stephen Hawking once defined intelligence as the “ability to adapt and change.”

Yet, there are few things that human beings—often described as creatures of habit—fear more.

We all need our routines, but ballplayers need them only slightly more than they need air to breathe. It is an essential part of their existence. So, while for most of us change is scary, to them it can be downright haunting.

In a broader context, the game of baseball itself has gotten used to its own routines after 150 years of the game being played professionally. If ever the phrase “it’s all been done” would apply, you would think it would be in the game of baseball.

But, it turns out, we all still have a lot to learn about this game.

Trevor Patch, the Colorado Rockies Manager of Research and Development is charged with the task of discovering and then communicating to players new ways to think about and play this ancient game.

You can see the results of his work on the field in the way Colorado has toyed with different shifting and baserunning philosophies. And you can see it on the roster, especially if you take a close look at the type of pitcher the Rockies have gone out of their way to acquire in the last half-decade.

BSN Denver sat down with Patch for an exclusive interview to learn a little bit more about the man behind the data.

“I grew up in Louisville, CO, right outside of Boulder,” Patch started. “Went to a school called Peak to Peak Charter school. That’s a K-12 in Lafayette. If you believe all the rankings, it’s one of the best schools in Colorado, top 50 in the nation, you know, all the things they tout. But it really was a very impressive group of people that went on to do a lot of cool stuff.”

Patch is clearly among the group that qualifies as impressive people who is currently doing some pretty cool stuff.

His day-to-day activities include crunching numbers and analyzing systems, sure, but it’s much more than that. After all, what good does it do to have all the best information in the world if you can’t convey it to those who need to act upon it?

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“We have to be able to communicate our ideas and then have discussions about them,” he said. “We have a lot of great discussions with our scouts, our coaches and our players, the people in our front office that we learn from and build different models and are like, ‘Hey, I didn’t think about that,’ or, ‘That’s a cool idea, let’s put that into our models.’ And then there’s tons of stuff that we’ll never be able to quantify in our models. So, it’s a lot of give and take, but we try to build as many and as strong relationships as we can all across the organization, not only to learn from them but also get ideas on what we can look at next.”

This kind of give and take and recognition that there is plenty that Patch and his team of wizards will never fully quantify flies in the face of the overwrought narrative that statistical analysis stands in polar opposition to a more traditional way of looking at the game.

It helps that going back to before he fell in love with numbers, he fell in love with sports.

“Was always interested in baseball,” Patch said. “Started playing baseball in elementary school. Also played hockey. Was probably a better hockey player growing up, and played that for most of my life. I was a pretty good hockey player and then I got into middle school and really fell in love with baseball.”

Like most of us, his priorities would evolve over time, but athletic competition would remain the constant.

“I dropped hockey so I could play golf, basketball, and baseball in high school,” Patch explained. “Then, went on to school to play golf at College of Wooster, which is in Wooster, OH, about an hour north of Akron. I wanted to get a good education, but I also wanted to play sports somewhere. It’s D-III golf, so, I could’ve played D-III golf or baseball, decided

‘Hey I’m not really going to do either of these professionally,’ and golf was a little more fun and a little more relaxing, outside of school.”

Whether it’s baseball, hockey, or golf, Patch has always been comfortable swinging a stick. And he’s not alone.

“I think everyone that works here has some love for sports,” he said. “We don’t have a lot of people that are here just for the love of data or stuff like that. There’s a lot of other companies that are solving a lot of really cool problems but if you’re here working for us, you probably have a love for baseball. That’s why we get a lot of really good athletes, even in these non-athletic parts of the organization. Obviously, we’re nowhere near the athletes the players are, but we still get out there and mess around, playing whiffle ball or football, those sorts of things.”

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We’ll be the judge of that. Senior Director of Player Development Zach Wilson certainly showed off some wicked skills on the way to winning the team’s ping-pong tournament this spring:

These kinds of competitions can be great fun for fans and media, but they are also an opportunity for the members of the organization who fight hard every day for wins—but never take the field—to pump their fists in celebration.

“I think we’re all competitive with each other,” Patch said. “Another reason people work here is the competitive nature of this game. We always talk about how there’s someone doing my job at 29 other clubs, and if we’re going to be the best, then I need to be better than those 29 other people. We have basically four other people—Jamie, Hank, Evan, and Bryce in our department and if we’re going to be the best, then they need to be better than their counterparts at the other 29 clubs, as well.”

This is just one more reminder that working for a pro sports team is not like any other job. If I write a great article, that doesn’t mean that someone else out there will publish something terrible. It doesn’t work that way. But in sports, every time someone wins, someone else loses, and getting used to the dynamic is vital if Patch and his team are going to help push their baseball club into a special place.

“It breathes into competition with each other,” he said. “Not about work, but if we’re playing ping pong or playing whiffle ball, we’re here to win. And we’re here to get each other better, but specifically, when it comes to whiffle ball, we’re here to win.”

Take no prisoners.

So, with all the competitive spirit and a background as an athlete, how did Patch end up as the guy whose caricature is of some nerd sitting behind a computer?

“I started out pretty gifted at math,” he explained. “Not compared to some people, but I was always a couple years ahead in math. By the time I got to high school, I had been pushed pretty hard and into calculus my freshman year, and I was pretty burnt out. I had been passed by a lot of people and was like ‘Wow, these people are way, way smarter than me and

I don’t really have an interest in math. I’m going to go do something else.”

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Like baseball, maybe even more than baseball, math can break you down. It’s why I stay so far away from it. But Patch found that he couldn’t do that for very long and the Fates would have it no other way.

“Later in high school, I got into a stats class and AP physics and it really reignited that feeling for me in like, ‘Hey, math is there to do things with, not there as a theoretical exercise!’ It’s there for that too, but it’s there to solve problems.

Operations research, stats, the physics side. There’s a lot of really cool applications I can use math for.”

Of course, we all know one very specific application of it. But, most people reading this have spent a day or two—or far more than we would like to admit—crunching numbers on spreadsheets to try to figure out the best way to construct a lineup that will very much be constructed by someone else. So, what was different for Patch?

“I was the guy wearing QB wristbands in high school baseball with all the stats I could find about other teams. Some of the

QB wristbands that our catchers wear now. I got very lucky that probably the most influential teacher in my life was also my AP stats teacher, who was also my assistant coach in baseball. So, he kind of drove me to saying, ‘Hey you can do this. You’re good at this. If this is something you want to do, you can do it.”

Coach nailed it.

Back in the classroom, all the pieces were coalescing into a clearer and clearer picture.

“Stats are often taught with a lot of baseball examples right around the birth of Moneyball and it all kind of came together,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to work in the front office of a baseball team. That was my ticket in. So I focused on that, to develop those skills to try to get a job in baseball, knowing that math was kind of my way in.”

For those of us who were never going to get to lace them up and take the field, but have an unending love for the game, it’s all about finding that way in.

Patch’s talents were recognized by the baseball club he grew up just down the highway from in March of 2012 when he was hired by the Rockies in the Promotions and Special Events department. He was a statistical analyst by August and quickly became an invaluable member of baseball operations.

Now, he is the man for Rockies R&D, working on the cutting edge of human understanding of the game of baseball.

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And his timing couldn’t be better. We are living in a golden age for baseball analytics, and we may barely have scratched the surface to this point.

“That’s hard to say, for sure,” Patch said. “Baseball has come a long way in a very short period of time. Numbers have been a part of baseball since the 1800’s. Even reading about the forefathers of numbers, even back to Branch Rickey who had a type of wOBA calculation that included on base and slugging elements into one number. Baseball always lends itself to this because, at the end of the day, it’s kind of a one-on-one matchup. So, I think we have definitely moved forward in the last 25 years, and then specifically the last 10, but we definitely have a lot more to learn. It may be less on the day-to-day data side and more on teaching or empowerment of other jobs around the organization we can help out with.”

It’s not all about more and better numbers, it’s about finding the best ways to accurately understand the game and then to act with that added understanding. And a big part of this evolution could be bridging the gap between a perceived conflict between those who see the game through the lens of statistics and those who do not.

“I think it comes down to every person’s personal relationship with the game,” he said. “I think numbers will help some people enjoy the game more, but at times they can make people enjoy the game less. Me watching hockey now, I don’t get into as many of the stats because I kind of have fun watching the game without knowing some of that stuff. So I think as a fan, you have to decide how much you want to interact with those numbers. They’re there to help the fans understand who’s good and who’s bad. But, baseball has stood the test of time for a long, long time as a great game. Just experiencing it is what fans are there to do.”

It was Nelson Mandela who said: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” While they will stick to the realm of baseball, Trevor Patch and his team are using their ongoing education in order to change the way we think about the Colorado Rockies.

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Colorado Rockies: Takeaways after Opening Day loss in Arizona by Olivia Greene2 hours ago | RoxPile

The Colorado Rockies just went through the first game of the season. May I say it probably wasn’t how they wanted it go either but now, with the game over and finished, we can take a look at what happened. Now I won’t be analyzing what went wrong to a tee, but I will look at major factors that played a part.

Jon Gray has a dilemma

The Colorado Rockies decided to go with Jon Gray as their ace and the Opening Day starter. I’m not saying Gray isn’t a good pitcher, but I get very skeptical. The reasons being exactly what happened last night. It felt like the terrible nightmare that was the NL Wild Card game though, this time, Gray did last longer as he went 4 innings. He did, however, give up 6 hits and 3 runs (all earned) along with 3 walks. On the bright side, he did get 4 strikeouts. For someone that is the ace of the team, most would expect a longer more stable outing than we got last night from him.

I’m not sure if Gray just gets the jitters or if he was haunted by the thoughts of the Wild Card game. It appears that something alters his repertoire and the batters get past his wall. If the Rockies truly want to continue going all in on this young pitching core, Jon Gray has to be the one to set the stage for the rest of the rotation. I’ve actually gone over someone who I believe may be a better fit at the helm of the rotation. But, let’s not forget it’s the first game there’s still

161 left.

Where were the bats?

So the Rockies scored two runs…and? DJ LeMahieu and Nolan Arenado (no surprise there) both hit homers and that was it. This entire game gave me Wild Card game vibes despite in that game the Rockies did have more runs. Everyone was sad when Charlie Blackmon struck out in the very first at-bat of the new baseball season. Though it was Trevor

Story I was truly disappointed in watching, he only got one hit and struck out three times. Altogether for the Rox, they struck out a total amount of 11 times and only put up 8 hits.

Where was the pitching?

I’ve already talked about Jon Gray, but the super bullpen was in serious action last night. Usually when the bullpen gets called in, the manager wants you to stop the bleeding. That did not happen last night. Chris Rusin put out the fire in the

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fifth when the bases were loaded with nobody out but it went downhill from there. Rusin was roughed up a bit and the

Rockies brought in three more relievers to stop the Diamondbacks, but they just kept adding as they would eventually by a score of 8-2 win. The best outing had to be from Adam Ottavino who got three K’s and just one hit in his one inning outing.

Altogether, the Rockies bullpen wasn’t looking to hot. Combined, the bullpen gave up 6 hits, 5 runs (all earned), and 3 walks. The bright side is the 7 strikeouts that they recorded. The super bullpen was one of the most hyped up things that

Rockies fans could look forward to. As of now I’d say it got hit by some kryptonite. Now we didn’t see every reliever (thank goodness), but as of now this super bullpen isn’t looking so super. It also should be noted that not one of the relievers acquired this offseason (Jake McGee, who was resigned, Bryan Shaw, or Wade Davis) made an appearance.

Injuries before we even get deep into the season

This has got to be one of the scariest things that could possibly happen on Opening Day. This almost seemed to happen with Gerardo Parra, who just came off a hand injury anyways. As he was fielding a fly ball, Parra only missed it by inches and took a serious dive to the ground. With Parra, he’s always going to want to get every ball that’s hit out in left and that’s what he tried to do. He did go down pretty hard, which was scary to see as he was bent over while Charlie

Blackmon retrieved the ball. He was very slow to get up and, even though he got up, Parra still had his hands on his knees. He did stay in the game, but that was still a chilling sight to see.

Final Thoughts

Where to begin? I can’t say I’m all that surprised about the outcome of the game. Of course, I want the Rockies to win.

However, all the questions still going through my head leaves me with some doubt. Now, the game is in the past and the

Colorado Rockies still have two more chances to win games in the series and start themselves off with a good record.

Sadly, this just made me have the same emotions as the Wild Card game. Despite these things we were all excited to see the Rockies in action. Tonight, Tyler Anderson will be on the mound and hopefully he last at least 6 innings. We’ll just have to wait and see.

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The Colorado Rockies’ secret weapon for the 2018 season by Brandon Ewing22 hours ago | RoxPile

He isn’t a household name, but the Rockies secret weapon heading into the 2018 season is utility man Pat

Valaika.

The Colorado Rockies took a chance when they selected Pat Valaika with the 259thpick, and in 9th round, in the MLB’s

2013 Amateur Draft. Just like every draft pick, there is a risk that he may not succeed or the player won’t have what it takes to play in the major leagues.

The most notable name to be selected in the ninth round is Fred McGriff, and that’s not saying either of the two players are similar, but players have been selected in the later rounds and gone on to have successful major league careers. You have to have that “it” factor, and the Rockies have that in Valaika.

Valaika made his MLB debut on September 6 as one of the Rockies September call-ups in 2016. He would get just 19 at bats in the month of September and finished his first season with just five hits, one home run, and two RBI’s. It wasn’t till last season when Valaika really broke out and became the Rockies best bat off the bench. In 182 at bats last season,

Valaika went deep 13 times and was ninth on the team in RBI’s with 40. Valaika also broke a record, as he was the first major league rookie to collect over 16 RBI’s as a pinch-hitter.

Another major trait that Valaika possesses is the “clutch” gene. Not all baseball players have it, but the ones who do are the ones who usually come up in the big moments of ball games. During last season, Valaika had a .351 batting average when hitting in close ball games, according to Baseball Reference.

He also drove in eight runs and hit four home runs in those clutch moments when the game mattered most. Guys who can come off the bench cold are hard to come by, but it’s something Valaika has shown he can thrive in throughout his first couple major league seasons.

Final Thoughts

Valaika’s role on the team this year is early similar to that of last year. When the team needs a bat off the bench, he’ll be the first guy up. When the team is playing a day game after a night game, expect Valaika to be in the lineup the next day.

Another one of the great traits of Valaika’s game is his ability to play numerous positions. He has the ability to play all 28

infield positions and has even appeared in five MLB games as a left fielder. That versatility is what’s going to allow Valaika to get a ton of playing time and it’s something the Rockies are fortunate enough to have.

So, as the Rockies embark on what looks to be another promising season, just keep your eyes and ears peeled for the name Pat Valaika. He might just become a household name before you know it.

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Ian Desmond wants consistency but remains flexible for Rockies in 2018 By Aniello Piro - March 29, 2018 | Mile High Sports

With the start of the 2018 baseball season finally here, the Colorado Rockies’ roster, starting rotation and bullpen are pretty much set; however, there are still some questions surrounding Ian Desmond, the recipient of the largest per-year contract in franchise history just a couple of offseasons ago.

The Rockies signed Desmond to a five-year, $70-million-dollar contract ahead of the 2017 season with the intent to play him at first base, but after a series of injuries, which contributed to a down performance in his first season in the Mile High

City, there is a sense of confusion that has been cast over Desmond and how he will be utilized moving forward.

A shortstop in his time as a member of the Washington Nationals, where he was an All-Star and three-time Sliver Slugger,

Desmond transitioned to the outfield in 2016 with Texas, earning an All-Star nod there, as well. Desmond has played a decent amount in the outfield (67 games in 2017) since signing with the Rockies, while also trying to learn how to play first base (27 games).

The emergence of 23-year-old first/third baseman Ryan McMahon, who this season made his first Opening Day roster, and the impending free agency of outfielders Charlie Blackmon and Carlos Gonzalez, have left Desmond somewhat in limbo.

In speaking with Desmond throughout Spring Training, it seems there has been little to no clarification given to him regarding his position on the field and his anticipated playing time in the coming season. For his part, Desmond is preparing to be shifted around the diamond often throughout the year.

“I don’t really know,” Desmond said during Spring Training when asked if he believes he will play more first base or left field. “That hasn’t really been made clear, you know, how that’s going to be divided up, but you have to imagine the whole objective of the offseason was to shorten the starters’ outings which means theirs going to be more pinch-hitting, more positional changes, so I would probably say there will be games where I play five innings in left, five innings at first, five innings in left, five innings at first. I think I’ll probably do that quite a bit because we don’t really have that veteran bat off the bench.”

Desmond has grown accustomed to shifting positions throughout his career and explained that doing so again this year will not be a problem as he tries to find a suitable home with Colorado.

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“When I signed here I thought there would be one position one year, then maybe another position another year, but I’m open to moving around,” he explained. “I don’t mind. That’s something I feel like I could get good at and make it like that’s a position.

“I’m really trying to continue to learn both left and first base so I can be a help to the team. Those are both still new to me, so I’m trying to get my work in at both of those [positions,” he said.

Desmond’s spot in the field is not the only thing in question entering the year as there has also been little clarity on where the 32-year-old will hit in the lineup.

“You would like to have one consistent thing,” he said. “Maybe if I don’t have a position [in the field] then I can know where

I’m going to hit in the lineup. Our lineup is so good. There’s not a bad spot in it. So it doesn’t really matter.”

Desmond hit towards the bottom of the lineup last season, mainly in the fifth and sixth spots; however, the Rockies tinkered with his place in the order throughout the spring. He spent a lot of time hitting leadoff as Manager Bud

Black toyed with the idea of moving Blackmon to third in the lineup. Desmond believes he is capable of hitting leadoff, but was not expecting to be called upon to fill that role, especially with Blackmon, who has been one of the best leadoff hitters in the sport over the past few seasons, still on the roster.

“In the offseason to think I would be hitting leadoff, I probably wouldn’t have expected that after hitting fifth, sixth all of last year,” He said. “It’s not like I’m getting younger. I think I can do it. I think I have a career sub-.320 on-base percentage so, you know, having Chuck who’s got like a .500 on-base percentage for his career, then going to me, I feel like it would be a little bit of a disappointment for the fans, but I’ve done it before, and I’ve been on winning teams where I’ve led off, so it’s a different approach, but I think if you win games you win games.”

Desmond is ready to rebound in 2018 and wants to help push the Rockies back into the postseason for a second consecutive season. He hit .274 with 40 RBI in 339 at-bats in his first season in Colorado. Desmond will need to pick up his offensive production this season if he wants to earn consistent playing time; however, not having a clearly defined role both in the field and at the plate may make it challenging for him to settle into a groove.

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