MEDIA CLIPS – March 31, 2016 Mark it down: Arenado primed for MVP season By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | March 31st, 2016 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Nolan Arenado, the 2016 National League Most Valuable Player. Nice ring to it, right? So there it is, the MLB.com Bold Prediction from Rockies Land. It makes a lot of sense to Rockies fans who last year watched Arenado, who turns 25 on April 16, hit 42 home runs to tie for the National League lead, drive in 130 runs to lead the Majors, and become the first NL third baseman to win Rawlings Gold Glove Awards each of his first three seasons in the Majors. Also, The Fielding Bible and the Wilson Defensive Player of the Year Awards named Arenado the Majors' best third baseman. But last year, voters from the Baseball Writers' Association of America weren't hearing the Arenado case. The Nationals' Bryce Harper, who also hit 42 homers, took all 30 votes. Arenado placed eighth in the voting. Opening Day coverage There’s no ignoring that Arenado's candidacy was hurt because the Rockies finished last in the NL West. But none of the top three vote-getters -- Harper, the D-backs' Paul Goldschmidt and the Reds' Joey Votto -- appeared in the playoffs. Of course, there is a Coors Field factor. Rockies hitters have been constantly downgraded because Coors Field's atmosphere is so friendly to hitters. This theory doesn't take into account that when the team leaves Colorado, it has a greater adjustment than other teams when they travel. Also, if Arenado was penalized for hitting .316 at home and .258 on the road, did he receive credit for hitting more homers away (22) than at home (20)? 1 One otherworldly player overcame the forces working against Mile High City baseball to win NL MVP -- right fielder Larry Walker in 1997. Walker led the league with 49 home runs and was tops in on-base percentage, slugging and OPS. Additionally, he took his third career Gold Glove. Can Arenado match Walker? He can't match the speed that led to Walker's 33 steals in '97. But Arenado has dominated his position defensively at a level greater than Walker through his first three years. Keys will be improving his on-base percentage -- .328 in 2014, .323 last season -- and continuing the climb in slugging that went from .500 in 2014 to .575. Arenado also needs greater production against left-handed pitching -- a tall order in the NL West. He had a .778 OPS against lefties last year, as opposed to .931 against righties. Practically no one is getting Arenado out this spring, as evidenced by his .566 batting average, 1.094 slugging percentage and .579 on-base percentage through 19 games. Granted, that goes away when the regular season opens Monday, but imagine if Arenado holds onto a chunk of that timing. Does a similar year, with incremental-to-dramatic improvements -- and improvement from a team that has built lineup and bullpen depth but is keeping its fingers crossed when it comes to starting pitching -- equal an MVP season? "That can only hurt me, thinking of those things," Arenado said. "Would it be awesome to win it? Of course. But I'm concerned about being as good as I can. My swing and everything -- I'm almost 100 percent comfortable and confident in what I'm going to bring. I just focus on winning and just helping the team out. "I'm trying to be consistent, find ways to keep getting better. Last year was a special year. I don't know if I'll do that again. But I know I can have a great year in a different way. I don't know if it's going to be 42 homers. I don't know if it's going to be 130 RBIs again. But I know there is a different way I can get better and be a good player." 2 Motte will likely start season on disabled list McGee, Qualls, Castro are candidates to close out games By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | March 30th, 2016 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Rockies righty reliever Jason Motte is battling a right shoulder strain, and he will likely begin the regular season on the 15-day disabled list. Motte experienced soreness during his most recent outing, a scoreless inning Thursday against the Mariners. An MRI revealed the injury. "He's going to be down for a little bit," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "I don't see it being for a long time, but we've got him down for the time being." Weiss had not revealed the identity of his closer, although Motte -- who signed a two-year, $10 million contract during the offseason -- figured to be part of the plan, if not the main closer. Motte earned 42 saves for the Cardinals in 2012 before undergoing Tommy John surgery in '13. Last year, in a bounce-back season for the Cubs, Motte went 8-1 with a 3.91 ERA and six saves, though he was not on the postseason roster because of right shoulder fatigue. But he was throwing simulated games during the playoffs. He might have been activated had the Cubs made the World Series. Motte was 0-1 with a 9.53 ERA in six Spring Training outings. Four of the runs came in an outing against the Giants on March 20. Motte, 33, said the good news is the pain is in the back shoulder area, as opposed to the sub-scapular area (lower in the back shoulder) where last year's problem arose, and the strength of the rest of his arm is not affected. Motte is resting and will soon begin strengthening exercises. He said neither he nor the Rockies are placing a timetable on his return. "I don't worry about much," Motte said. "Like I said with my elbow and the other thing, it'll work out the way it's supposed to." 3 Lefty Jake McGee, who was even more effective against right-handed batters (.190 batting average against) than lefties (.224) in 297 career appearances with the Rays (2010-15), could step in as closer. Righty Chad Qualls, who has 74 career saves, also could be in play. Another candidate could be power right-hander Miguel Castro, 21, who earned four early-season saves with the Blue Jays last season and joined the Rockies in the Troy Tulowitzki deal. Castro began his Spring Training with five straight scoreless outings, but in his two most recent outings before Wednesday, he gave up three runs, all on solo homers. He has given up six hits total, with eight strikeouts against no walks. Earlier in the spring, Weiss did not include Castro as a closer candidate. But Castro was considered a prime candidate for the Opening Day roster, because he can provide some of the power the Rockies lost when Jairo Diaz needed to undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. Story wins Abby Greer Award Rockies rookie Trevor Story, who will make his Major League debut Monday as the starting shortstop, was awarded the 13th annual Abby Greer Award as the Rockies' Spring Training Most Valuable Player (with an emphasis on players developed by the club). Story went into Wednesday's game against the Brewers with a 1.362 OPS. The award is named after Greer, who was 6 when she died in a tragic accident near Coors Field. 4 De La Rosa disappointed in spring finale By Thomas Harding / MLB.com | @harding_at_mlb | March 30th, 2016 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Rockies' Nolan Arenado and the Brewers' Scooter Gennett continued their big springs with homers Wednesday before Kirk Nieuwenhuis singled home a tiebreaking run in the ninth inning for a 5-4 Milwaukee victory over a Colorado split squad. Arenado, whose average sits at .566, poked a two-run shot in the sixth for his sixth homer of the spring, and Gennett's two-run shot in the second was his fourth spring homer. He went 2-for-4 to bring his average to .462. Rockies Opening Day starter Jorge De La Rosa labored, giving up four runs on four hits -- including Gennett's homer -- in three innings. De La Rosa let out a frustrated scream when he walked Ramon Flores to force in a run in the third. De La Rosa threw 68 pitches in his final tuneup for the regular season and finished Cactus League play with a 6.10 ERA. "I wished I could have finished stronger than that," said De La Rosa, who will start Monday against the D-backs at Chase Field in his second career opener. "I walked too many guys and gave up too many hits. I don't have the results that I want, but I have to work to get better." • Cubs ride Lester's arm, bat in win over Rockies Gennett has had success this spring against left-handed pitchers like De La Rosa. "It wasn't a big sample of at-bats, but he certainly had some good at-bats against them," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "He probably had seven or eight plate appearances against lefties, but he started against some good pitchers, so I'm glad he got some results." Gennett, a left-handed batter, has platooned most of the past two seasons. Could that change in 2016? "That's a decision we're going to have to make," Counsell said. "We haven't made it yet. We've talked about it. He's not doing anything to hurt his case, that's for sure." Brewers starter Ariel Pena, who is awaiting word on whether he'll receive the final bullpen spot, started and held the Rockies to one run on three hits in three innings.