MEDIA CLIPS – Nov. 16, 2018

Arenado finishes third in NL MVP voting Manny Randhawa | MLB.com | Nov. 15th, 2018

Rockies finished in third place on the Writers' Association of America National

League Most Valuable Player ballot, as announced Thursday on MLB Network. He finished behind the winner, Christian

Yelich of the Brewers, and runner-up, Javier Baez of the Cubs.

NL MVP Award voting

Christian Yelich, MIL 29 1 415

Javier Baez, CHC 19 4 5 2 250

Nolan Arenado, COL 3 8 9 5 203

Freddie Freeman, ATL 8 8 3 174

Jacob deGrom, NYM 1 7 1 1 4 141

Name, team 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Pts.

The third-place finish for Arenado marks the third consecutive season that the Rockies slugger finished in the top five in

NL MVP voting. He finished fifth in 2016, and fourth in '17. In this year's balloting, he received three second-place votes and eight third-place votes. His total score was 203 (Yelich received 415 points, and Baez received 250).

Arenado, 27, turned in another tremendous season, both at the plate and defensively. He .297/.374/.561 with an NL- best 38 home runs, despite playing through a right shoulder injury he sustained on a throw in mid-August. His 133 OPS+ was a career high, and his OPS+ has increased in every season of his career.

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Defensively, Arenado won his sixth in six Major League seasons and also took home his second consecutive Platinum Glove Award, an honor given to each league's best defender.

"I thank the writers for recognizing my body of work," Arenado said in an Instagram post. "I know that playing in Denver, sometimes it doesn't work out that way. But I really appreciate that they saw the best in me. ... I'm proud to be a Rockie, proud of my team. Congratulations to the other guys, Baez and Yelich; they're unbelievable ballplayers and I love watching them play."

Arenado will be entering the final season on his contract with the Rockies in 2019, as the two sides have not yet agreed to an extension. After the Rockies were eliminated from the postseason with a Game 3 loss in the NL Division Series against the Brewers, Arenado expressed his desire to remain in Colorado.

Colorado Rockies

@Rockies

Always classy, always humble, always grateful.#NolanBeingNolan 😍😍

"Obviously arbitration is going to come around, and that topic will come up, but I expect to be in with the

Rockies next year," Arenado said. "I love it here. This is a business, though, and things can get a little iffy because of the business side of it. But that being said, I expect to be in Spring Training next year."

Arenado became the sixth player in franchise history to finish in the top three in MVP voting, joining

(second, 1995), (third, '96), (first, '97), (second, 2007) and Carlos Gonzalez (third,

'10).

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Bowden: One move each MLB playoff team must make to get back to October Jim Bowden | TheAthletic.com | Nov 15, 2018

The offseason is underway, and playoff teams will be just as aggressive as those that missed the postseason in trying to improve their clubs. The Yankees have been everywhere, trying to add to their starting rotation while doing extensive research on superstar infielder . The Indians have been searching aggressively for help in both their outfield and bullpen, while the Astros have been digging in hard trying to improve in starting pitching, catching and left field. In the , the Braves have been looking to land a right-handed corner while also trying to find a way to acquire proven veteran pitching. The Brewers know they need starting rotation help, too, while the Colorado

Rockies are looking for offense in the worst way. It’s only a matter of time before the press conferences are called.

Here is my list of the one “must” move for each of 2018’s playoff teams:

Boston Red Sox

The Must-do Move: Re-sign free agent ,

The Red Sox had the best team in baseball this past season and arguably one of the three best teams I’ve witnessed in my lifetime (along with the Big Red Machine and the 1998 Yankees). If they can keep the team together, they should be the favorites to repeat as world champions. However, that’s not going to be easy, since three significant parts of their pitching staff are all free agents: closer Craig Kimbrel, set-up man Joe Kelly and starter/reliever Nathan Eovaldi. Among that group, the one key player the Red Sox have to re-sign is Kimbrel, who is one of the few elite closers in baseball and cannot be easily replaced. Kimbrel, 30, has 333 career saves with a 1.91 ERA. He has saved 108 games for the Red Sox the last three seasons.

New York Yankees

The Must-do Move: Trade for Indians’ Corey Kluber, RHP

The Yankees need to improve the top of their starting rotation if they want to compete in the playoffs next year, and although there are quality starters available in free agency — like southpaws Patrick Corbin and Dallas Keuchel — there aren’t any aces who match up favorably against your Justin Verlanders and Chris Sales. However, Kluber could be had in a trade with the Indians … if the Yankees are willing to pay the huge price of top prospects. That type of trade would be 3

extremely painful, and is the kind of deal that Yankees GM Brian Cashman has not wanted to make over the last few years. However, if New York could land Kluber to go with Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka at the top of the rotation, their chances of getting back to the would improve dramatically. Kluber, 32, is controllable through 2021 and is coming off a 5.8 WAR season where he went 20-7 with a 2.89 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP. He has pitched over 200 innings for five straight seasons for the Indians. As much as a Manny Machado or signing would be exciting — and give the Yankees a lineup to rival their 1927 roster — it wouldn’t be as significant in improving their team as trading for a

No. 1 starter like Kluber.

Cleveland Indians

The Must-do Move: Sign Free Agent A.J. Pollock, OF

The Indians have already been hit hard in free agency, having lost key relievers like and Cody Allen. But they have an even bigger problem, thanks to entering free agency and the rest of their outfield up in the air due to injuries, decline and players not living up to their potential. It’s critical that the Indians acquire an All-

Star-caliber outfielder this offseason, and their best bet is to take a chance on free agent A.J. Pollock, despite his injury- riddled career. When Pollock was healthy last year, he was playing at an MVP level. In fact, in the first two months of last season, he was getting on base at a 35 percent clip with 11 home runs and nine stolen bases in just the first 40 games of his season. He appears to be completely healthy now, and would really help lengthen Cleveland’s lineup around

Francisco Lindor, José Ramírez and Edwin Encarnación.

Houston Astros

The Must-do Move: Trade for Marlins’ J.T. Realmuto, C

The Astros have been trying to find their long-term solution at for several years, but haven’t been able to do it.

Brian McCann has become a backup due to age and decline. Houston learned that Martín Maldonado might be a Gold

Glove catcher, but he has too many holes at the plate, and the team wants to improve at the position with one of the game’s best. Their most appealing option is to trade for Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto. With a farm system loaded with starting pitching, and, yes, even catching prospects, there has to be an Astros’ package good enough to beat the competition. Of course, Houston GM Jeff Luhnow would like to make the deal with quantity over quality, like he did in the and Ken Giles swaps. But things will be different here, because the Marlins can’t afford to make another 4

bad trade for a star player. And Realmuto is probably the player worth giving up an elite prospect for — he’s certainly one of the best three all-around in the sport right now.

Oakland Athletics

The Must-do Move: Sign free agent Patrick Corbin, LHP

The Athletics were the surprise team of 2018 and their head of baseball operations, Billy Beane, was awarded the

Executive of the Year trophy as a reflection of that. If he wants to win the award in back-to-back years, Beane’s going have to improve the team’s starting rotation significantly this offseason. Patrick Corbin will have more bidders than maybe any free agent this winter, and I realize it’s a long shot that the budget-conscious A’s would sign him. But Oakland does have enough resources to overpay at least one starting and given the team’s defense, ballpark and lineup, this would be a perfect spot for Corbin. Most analysts didn’t think the A’s would outbid everyone for Yoenis Céspedes or be able to trade for Jon Lester, but they did. It’s time for the A’s to surprise everyone again.

Atlanta Braves

The Must-do Move: Sign free agent Manny Machado, SS/3B

Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos has made it clear that he’s not interested in giving 10-year contracts to any players, even the likes of top free agents Manny Machado and Bryce Harper. However, I think he should change his mind in the case of

Machado. A 10-year deal would put Machado at age 36, not 40, in the final year of the contract, and there’s no reason to think he can’t still be contributing at a high level at that point. In addition, I’m sure he’ll want opt-out clauses, which would be fine as long as they start after year three, giving the Braves the next few seasons to try and win the World Series.

Machado’s best position is third base, where he arguably is the game’s third-best defender behind only of the Athletics and Nolan Arenado of the Rockies. Machado’s ability to play also gives the Braves a short-term solution when is on the disabled list. The Braves could use a right-handed bat to hit behind . Imagine a lineup of , Ronald Acuña, Freddie Freeman and Manny Machado for the next several years? With all their young starting pitching on the way, Machado would help make them significant

World Series contenders for years to come.

Milwaukee Brewers 5

The Must-do Move: Sign free agent Dallas Keuchel, LHP

The Brewers were just one game away from the World Series as they tried “bullpenning” their way to a championship.

However, no matter how much their strategy worked with their relievers over starters, if they want to keep the bullpen healthy going forward, they’ll need to improve their starting rotation and add starters to go with Jhoulys Chacín, who can give the team 200 innings a year. Signing Dallas Keuchel would be the perfect fit. He would slide nicely in the rotation, bring more leadership, and with his strong character and sense of humor, would be a match made in heaven in the

Brewers clubhouse. A change of leagues would only help Keuchel. He has incredible command of his sinker and on both sides of the plate and under the knees, and that combination would work extremely well in Miller Park and with the left side of the Brew Crew infield.

Chicago Cubs

The Must-do Move: Sign free agent Michael Brantley, OF

The Cubs need another professional hitter in their lineup, and Brantley can provide that at a cost that would fit into the

Cubs’ budget. Brantley, 31, was fifth in the with a .309 batting average as he got on base at a 36 percent rate while hitting 17 home runs and stealing 12 bases. Brantley has made the All-Star team each of the last two seasons for the Indians and is also a solid defensive left fielder, which would be a significant upgrade over Kyle

Schwarber. This signing would then allow the Cubs to deal Schwarber to an American League team to either help improve their bullpen or perhaps even acquire another professional hitter. One thing’s for sure: the Cubs need another bat. If they feel that they can’t afford Manny Machado or Bryce Harper, then a second-tier free agent outfielder like Brantley would be a solid improvement.

Los Angeles Dodgers

The Must-do Move: Sign free agent Bryce Harper, OF

The Dodgers offered outfielder to the Nationals in exchange for Harper during the regular season last year, but were rejected by the Nats’ ownership. Although the Dodgers are saying they’re not planning on increasing the payroll enough to land a free agent at Harper’s level, it just makes too much sense for them not to change their mind. The

Dodgers could use another impact bat in the middle of their lineup to go with third baseman Justin Turner and shortstop

Corey Seager, and they could also use an everyday left fielder instead of their platoon of fourth outfielder types like Joc 6

Pederson, and Enrique Hernández. Harper brings the star power that’s required in Los Angeles and he would be a huge marketing point for the team with his hair, shoes and swag. Using Turner and Puig from the right side and

Harper, Seager and Bellinger from the left side, the Dodgers would have a strong left-right balance in the middle of their lineup. Harper, 26, grew up in Las Vegas — a short plane or helicopter ride away — and the bright lights of La La Land would, in my opinion, be a great place for him to call home for the next decade.

Colorado Rockies

The Must-do Move: Extend Nolan Arenado, 3B

Rockies GM Jeff Bridich is being very aggressive in trying to improve his team’s offense for the 2019 season, but before he does that, it’s critical that the Rockies extend the contract of their best player, Nolan Arenado, who’s eligible for free agency after next season. Arenado, 27, is the best defensive third baseman in the NL and he’s coming off a 5.6 WAR season where he belted 39 home runs and drove in 110 runs with an OPS+ of 133. Arenado has hit 37 or more home runs while driving in 110 or more in each of the last four seasons. He’s already a four-time All-Star, six-time Gold Glove winner and this will be the fourth straight year he’s finished in the top eight in MVP voting. The Rockies need to make him their priority, even if it means they have to wait until after Machado sets the new market with his free agent contract.

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AFL Report: Wrapping up the season with standouts from around the league Emily Waldon | TheAthletic.com | Nov. 16, 2018

Almost as quickly as it arrived, the will come to an end this weekend.

Split between two divisions, the league has played host to six teams of roughly 180 players from all 30 major-league clubs.

The Peoria Javelinas, consisting of prospects from the Braves, Brewers, Padres, Mariners and Rays have already clinched a place in the championship game slated for Saturday, Nov. 17. The Javelinas lead the league in home runs,

RBI, OBP%, SLG% and OPS through 27 games, sitting second overall in runs, hits, triples, and batting average. They’ll be facing the , home club to prospects from the Diamondbacks, Rockies, Marlins, Twins and Nationals.

Salt River sits atop the league in hits, batting average and stolen bases, and was second only to Peoria in runs scored.

With this being the final week of the AFL, we’re taking a look at the players who showed some of the most impressive work with their respective clubs. For the players, these last weeks have been an opportunity to polish what skills they already have, and for their parent clubs, it’s been an opportunity to observe their progress in a comfortable climate.

Here are my selections for the standouts from the 2018 Arizona Fall League.

East Division

Salt River Rafters

Teams: Diamondbacks | Rockies | Marlins | Twins | Nationals

Manager: Tommy Watkins (Twins)

Pitcher of the Fall: Jesus Tinoco, RHP, Rockies

15.2 IP, 1.72 ERA, 11 H, 3 ER, 6 BB, 14 K

Runner-up: , RHP, Marlins

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Originally signed out of Venezuela by the Blue Jays, Jesus Tinoco was sent to Colorado in the exchange for Troy

Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins in 2015. Tinoco, 23, works two above-average offspeed offerings in his curve and slider, adding a developing and a 93-96 mph with good sink.

Over 10 outings in Arizona, Tinoco held his ERA to 1.72, striking out 14 and walking six. Tinoco is still ironing out some mechanical inconsistencies but showed progress in Arizona that will hopefully carry into 2019.

Player of the Fall: Tyler Nevin, 1B, Rockies

54 AB, .426/.535/.593, 23 H, 9 R, 3 2B, 3 3B, 20 RBI

Runner-up: Sam Hilliard, RF, Rockies

After an up-and-down battle with his health, Tyler Nevin’s performance in Arizona left little doubt that he’s ready to go — and that’s exactly what the Rockies have been hoping for.

At 6-4 and 200 pounds, Nevin already commands attention, and a 1.126 OPS only adds to the appeal. Nevin, 21, also put his contact rate on display this fall. There isn’t the degree of power you’d expect from someone of Nevin’s build, but his five over 54 at-bats show plenty of patience and a sharp eye in the making.

If Nevin can stay healthy, what he showed at full strength could be a real asset for Colorado down the road.

Mesa Solar Sox

Teams: Red Sox | Cubs | Tigers | Angels | Athletics

Manager: Lou Marson (Angels)

Pitcher of the Fall: Eduardo Jimenez, RHP, Tigers

13.2 IP, 1.32 ERA, 8 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 12 K

Runner-up: Erick Leal, RHP, Cubs

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Reunited with his former pitching , Jorge Cordova, High-A reliever Eduardo Jimenez provided a promising trend with his work out in Arizona.

One of multiple high-heat arms in the Tigers’ farm on a quest for command, Jimenez made some Cordova-directed mechanical tweaks that resulted in some of his strongest work on the year.

For Jimenez to advance, consistency is key and this is the type of outing that Detroit needs to continue to see from him.

Player of the Fall: , SS, Cubs

89 AB, .337/.362/.506, 30 H, 10 R, 4 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 11 RBI

Runner-up: Eli White, SS, Athletics

Quickly acknowledged as one of the hardest-working players to arrive in Arizona, Nico Hoerner found a way to set himself apart and did so quickly, specifically at the plate.

Still fresh into his career, the Cubs’ 2018 first-round pick is a sound defender. It’s still being debated on whether Hoerner will stay at shortstop or if a move to second base may occur.

Hoerner, 21, has an innate ability to maneuver the barrel with advanced strike zone control, and as he showed this fall, contact comes naturally. There is a lot of growth ahead for Hoerner, but his progress over such a short period of time has been impossible to ignore.

Scottsdale Scorpions

Teams: Reds | Astros | Mets | Phillies | Giants

Manager: Willie Harris (Giants)

Pitcher of the Fall: Forrest Whitley, RHP, Astros

26 IP, 2.42 ERA, 18 H, 7 ER, 7 BB, 36 K

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Runner-up: J.B. Bukauskas, RHP, Astros

Despite a shortened regular season campaign, Forrest Whitley entered the Fall League season as the most seasoned arm to keep an eye on.

Whitley played as advertised, despite having to shake off a bit of rust early on. Whitley, who just turned 21 in September, has an arsenal that sits an easy above-average to plus across the board. Over 26 innings, Whitley carried a 0.96 WHIP, and lead the league with 36 strikeouts.

Out of all the arms in Arizona this fall, Whitley is poised to move the quickest in 2019.

Player of the Fall: Taylor Trammell, CF, Reds

84 AB, .298/.359/.393, 25 H, 10 R, 4 2B, 2 3B, 6 RBI

Runner-up: Abraham Toro, 3B, Astros

Since his CBA selection in 2016, Taylor Trammell’s ascent through the Reds’ farm system has been steady. Trammell,

21, was among the Scorpions’ hits leaders throughout the entire season.

Trammell is a well-proportioned 6-2, 195 pounds, with an ability to barrel the ball from a fluid compact stroke. He’s able to the game at his pace, producing good plate patience.

While he isn’t the flashiest hitter, Trammell works equally well on both offense and defense and has shown this fall that his work on both sides of the ball is only getting stronger.

West Division

Peoria Javelinas

Teams: Braves | Brewers | Padres | Mariners | Rays

Manager: Daren Brown (Mariners)

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Pitcher of the Fall: Anthony Misiewicz, LHP, Mariners

16.1 IP, 2.76 ERA, 13 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 13 K

Runner-up: Thomas Burrows, LHP, Braves

A 15th-round pick for the Mariners in 2015, Anthony Misiewicz has had to build his identity on deception more than on pure stuff. Misiewicz, 24, leads off with an above-average low-80s , complimenting a low-90s fastball and a below-average changeup.

The Michigan State alum worked five outings this fall, leaning on pitchability and enough consistency to allow him to throw strikes. Misiewicz doesn’t dazzle, but his production in Arizona was enough to stand out of the crowd.

Player of the Fall: Buddy Reed, CF, Padres

66 AB, .333/.397/.485, 22 H, 13 R, 5 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 6 RBI

Runner-up: , 2B, Brewers

In addition to the value that being a switch-hitter brings, Buddy Reed showed this fall that not only can he handle hitting from either side, but he can do it with some added power.

Reed makes his living off of pure athleticism, plus-plus speed and a fearless ability on the base path. The 23-year-old held a key role in multiple occasions for Peoria this fall, adding his developing skill set to both sides of the ball.

In addition to some adjustments to his swing, Reed is honing in on his identity as a hitter and should show more of the same power in 2019.

Surprise Saguaros

Teams: Royals | Pirates | Cardinals | Rangers | Blue Jays

Manager: Stubby Clapp (Cardinals)

Pitcher of the Fall: Nate Pearson, RHP, Blue Jays 12

20.1 IP, 6.20 ERA, 23 H, 14 ER, 13 BB, 23 K

Runner-up: Evan Kruczynski, LHP, Cardinals

Nate Pearson’s work out west went far beyond a stat line. Pearson’s dominant fastball (which reached 105 mph at one point) wasn’t without flaw, but the growth and self-correction leading into the final weeks of the league set Pearson apart.

Led by an above-average slider, Pearson’s three-pitch offspeed mix had to work to locate throughout his six starts, but leading into his final two starts, things began to click. To end the year, the 22-year-old elbowed his way through a combined nine scoreless frames for Surprise.

As Pearson’s arsenal continues to take shape, he’s poised to advance quickly.

Player of the Fall: Jr., 3B, Blue Jays

77 AB, .351/.409/.442, 27 H, 8 R, 7 2B, 17 RBI

Runner-up: Cole Tucker, SS, Pirates

It was already solidified that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would be the top offensive prospect even before he arrived in Arizona.

Much to the dismay of the fans, Guerrero didn’t post a , instead putting his bat speed on display, along with solid base running and defensive work at third base.

The combination of hand/eye coordination and natural raw strength, along with his patience at the plate, make Guerrero more challenging to opposing as each year passes. With his serviceable play at the infield corner, he’s being propelled to a Major League debut in 2019.

Glendale Desert Dogs

Teams: Orioles | White Sox | Indians | Dodgers | Yankees

Manager: Dave Anderson (Orioles)

Pitcher of the Fall: Chris Lee, LHP, Orioles 13

20.2 IP, 3.05 ERA, 18 H, 7 ER, 8 BB, 13 K

Runner-up: Ben Holmes, LHP, Dodgers

Although pitching was in short supply across the league this fall, Glendale, in particular, struggled on the mound. But there was a silver lining: Desert Dog Chris Lee sat among the more impressive pitchers able to produce.

The 26-year-old -A Baltimore lefty struggled with inconsistency during the regular season, turning his trip to

Arizona into a perfect opportunity to polish off his arsenal. Lee, who mixes a hard, above-average slider and a mid-90s fastball is teetering on the line of needing to produce for Baltimore and will hope to carry a solid fall performance into next season.

Player of the Fall: Ryan McKenna, CF, Orioles

61 AB, .344/.474/.590, 21 H, 16 R, 6 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 9 RBI

Runner-up: Yu Chang, SS, Indians

After introducing himself during the regular season with a career-best .315 batting average between High-A and Double-

A, Ryan McKenna carried his quiet success story into his work this fall.

The 21-year-old can work corner to corner of the field with enough line-drive power to do some damage. Posting multiple four-hit games, the outfielder proved contact was no issue. McKenna’s ability to barrel the ball, despite below-average natural power, has positioned McKenna to be a top name to watch in Baltimore’s pipeline in 2019.

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A blockbuster offseason move for all 30 teams David Schoenfield | ESPN.com | Nov. 16, 2018

Let's make a move for every team ... a blockbuster move. Because every team should think big. "Boldness be my friend," wrote William Shakespeare. Indeed!

Colorado Rockies sign Bryce Harper (and A.J. Pollock!).

The Rockies made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise history, which is somewhat remarkable since the team didn't have a good offseason either year. First, they flushed $70 million down the toilet on Ian

Desmond, and last year, they spent $106 million on three free-agent relievers and ended up with the third-worst bullpen

ERA in the National League.

Jeff Bridich has a good rotation. The bullpen, in theory, should be better. This team needs offense. The Rockies always think they have enough offense when they don't. Why spend money on Harper and Pollock when Nolan Arenado is entering his final season before free agency? Because you don't know if you're going to sign Arenado. Go all-in for

Arenado's final season, run the payroll up for one season and dream of Harper's numbers at , where he has hit .387/.489/.627 in his career. Pollock -- .338/.387/.597 at Coors -- gives the team a defensive upgrade in center field and allows to shift to a corner. If David Dahl is healthy and hitting, you can even give Harper some reps at first base (hey, Scott Boras said Harper can play there).

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Nolan Arenado finishes 3rd in National League MVP voting Luke Zahlmann | MileHighSports.com | November 15, 2018

Christian Yelich’s reign over the Colorado Rockies continued Thursday with the announcement of his National League

Most Valuable Player award, edging out Nolan Arenado who finished third.

Yelich, traded to the prior to the season, enjoyed a career renaissance, slashing .326/.402/.598 en route to an NL-leading 7.3 offensive Wins Above Replacement. The outfielders’ batting average, , and

OPS all paced the NL as well.

In the Crown race, Yelich fell short by only a pair of home runs and a single RBI. The MVP voting yielded different results though as Yelich amassed 29 first-place votes, a near unanimous selection.

The Brewers made it to the NL Championship Series behind the bat of Yelich, falling to the in seven games.

Finishing second was ’ utility man Javy Baez who registered zero first-place votes. Seeing time at every infield position at least once, the by trade slashed .290/.326/.554 and led the NL with 111 RBI. On the base paths, Baez snagged 21 stolen bases as well.

Baez’ success came despite the fifth-most strikeouts in the league as the free swinger was able to finally put a full season of hitting together after showing flashes in his first two full seasons.

Surprisingly, the only other first-place vote was cast for ’ ace Jacob Degrom who was awarded the NL Cy

Young yesterday.

As far as Arenado is concerned, 2018 marks the fourth consecutive year that Arenado finishes top-10 in MVP voting.

Arenado tallied a respectable .297/.374/.561 line, but fell prey to once again to a slash line of .248/.325/.447 on the road.

The Rockies have now gone without an MVP winner since 1997 when Larry Walker took home the award. Walker is also the only Rockies’ player to earn the honor in the franchise’s 25-year history. 16

Projecting next season’s Colorado Rockies pitching rotation Luke Zahlmann | MileHighSports.com | November 14, 2018

Heading into the 2019 season, the Colorado Rockies are riding a pitching high.

Last year, the Rockies posted the fourth-lowest as a team in franchise history. The starting staff — five pitchers that started at least 20 games — enjoyed an ERA of 4.15.

In the upcoming season, all of the pitchers that pitched their way into the rotation last year will once again return, without a single notable starter set to hit free agency. Figuring out who’s going to be part of the rotation is difficult prior to the conclusion of free agency, but here we go:

Ace: German Marquez

What better way to start the predictions than with a surprise?

German Marquez, part of the haul from the Tampa Bay Rays for former outfielder , has turned the corner.

Set to be a Rockie until at least 2023, the team has found their ace of the future.

A first look at last year’s numbers (3.77 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) is not going to blow anyone away. As a pitcher that pitches half his games at the hitter’s haven that is Coors Field, they give cause for optimism, but the numbers are still merely average.

However, the impactful numbers came in the second half of the year in 2018.

After garnering a 4.81 ERA in his 19 starts in the first half of the year, Marquez was dominant. In 14 starts to end the regular season, the hurler registered a 2.61 ERA, as well as a WHIP of 1.00. The starts highlighted Marquez’s prowess with a league-high 124.

The Rockies showed their hand when they chose to start Marquez in the National League West tiebreaker game against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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“He’s one of the best pitchers in the National League, in my opinion, especially in the second half,” Manager Bud Black said prior to the game.

2nd Spot: Kyle Freeland

A former Thomas Jefferson High School standout, Kyle Freeland has become a Rockies’ darling in the past two seasons following his debut.

Despite a hometown pedigree, Freeland has earned the right to contend as the staff’s ace.

In his two seasons as part of the starting rotation, Freeland has registered a 3.39 ERA with a 1.35 WHIP to boot. Last year was the true coming-out party for the southpaw, though.

Although he did not make the All-Star Game, Freeland was one of the NL’s elite arms. He tallied the fifth-most innings in the NL, with an ERA that was lower than that of premier starters , Corey Kluber and Gerrit Cole among others (2.85).

Unlike Marquez, Freeland did not see a spree of elite starts, instead, he was a consistent force atop the rotation for the season’s entirety. Outside of a 4.24 ERA in the season’s first month and a half, Freeland registered only one month with an ERA north of 3.00.

A lowered home run rate, meshed with a 1.5 raise in K/9 played a large role in the promotion to staff stalwart.

The fruits of his high school career in Colorado also came to fruition as Freeland actually totaled a lower ERA at home by nearly a full run, and a 10-2 record to show for it.

No matter the order, Marquez and Freeland will be atop the Rockies’ rotation next year, the order is merely a formality.

3rd Spot: Tyler Anderson

The third spot and beyond is where things get interesting. 18

Tyler Anderson, after breaking into the league with a 3.54 ERA across 19 starts in 2016, has faltered in recent years.

Despite his struggles, the second lefty in the Rockies rotation has shown flashes.

In his one postseason start last season, Anderson rattled off six innings, allowing a single earned run and striking out five.

Furthermore, in five games he started in both July and September through October, Anderson posted an ERA of 2.16 and

3.25 respectively.

A key portion of Anderson’s game that needs to improve before next season is his allowance of home runs. Baked into his

4.55 ERA last year was a league-leading total of round-trippers allowed (30) as well as a major league career-high 39.3- percent flyball tally.

Getting back to his 2017 mark groundball rate of 43.7, as opposed to his 36.7-percent mark last year would benefit him greatly.

The third spot seems just right for Anderson given his mark of third-most innings pitched last season, as well as being third-most effective with his innings. Having a lefty to split up the three-consecutive right-handed arms, though not a must, would be nice for the Rockies’ staff as well.

4th Spot: Jon Gray

Once thought to be the future ace of the staff, Jon Gray has seen his career hit a crossroads.

In 2017, Gray posted a 3.67 ERA in only 110.1 innings due to an early-season foot fracture. After struggling to star following his injury, Gray registered an under 3.00 ERA from August onward.

Riding the momentum of a strong final stretch, Gray was slated to be the ace last season following his nod.

He went on to allow three runs in only four innings, beginning the lost season that was.

After sputtering to an ERA north of 5.00 in the first half, Gray was sent down to Triple-A Albuquerque. In a pair of starts for the Rockies’ minor league affiliate, he tallied a 3.38 ERA with 13 Ks in 10.2 innings. 19

Following his inception back into the rotation in mid-July, it looked as though the former ace was back. Gray went 7.0+ innings in each of his four starts following the demotion, allowing two or fewer earned runs in each. Each start was an efficient sub-100 pitches.

In the final 2.5 months of the year, Gray’s struggles returned, highlighted by his final five starts. In each, he failed to go more than four innings in all but one, allowing multiple earned runs in each, sans the one start north of four frames.

Which Gray the Rockies boast will likely determine their ability to garner playoff victories. Despite making the postseason in back-to-back years, the Rockies have failed to win more than one game.

If Gray can juxtapose his struggles, that fate could change.

Final Spot: Jeff Hoffman

A revolving door for a majority of franchise history, much like the rest of the league, the final spot of the Rockies’ rotation is a wild card next year.

Names like Chad Bettis and Antonio Senzatela immediately come to mind, having each made double-digit starts last season. The pair is worthy of the final spot, but for the team to reach their ceiling, both would be better used in the bullpen.

Instead, Jeff Hoffman should take the final spot.

The key piece of the Troy Tulowitzki blockbuster, Hoffman has seen his reign in the Rocky Mountains fail to sustain. This year needs to be the year the Rockies allow the lanky right-hander to prove his worth.

Formerly a ninth-overall pick, Hoffman has posted a 5.88 ERA in his 23 major league starts for the club. The epitome of his struggles has come at home with a 7.43 ERA across 13 starts at Coors Field.

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Not set to become a free agent till 2023 like Marquez, the franchise would be wise to allow him to prove his worth this year, dealing the righty elsewhere if he falters.

Hoffman entering the rotation would also allow the Rockies’ bullpen to gain Bettis and Senzatela to bolster their long relief.

With Adam Ottavino set to depart in free agency, allowing Chris Rusin or Yency Almonte to enter a setup role alongside

Scott Oberg would benefit the club’s bullpen prowess.

Hoffman, in five relief appearances last year, allowed six earned runs in 5.1 innings, signaling his preparedness in the pen is far from beneficial.

With the top four spots in the rotation all able to win a majority of their starts, utilizing the final spot as an audition for what was once thought to be a future ace could pay dividends.

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Castellani Is Back on Track; AFL Gave Him a Chance to Regain the Funk Tracy Ringolsby | InsidetheSeams.com | Nov. 15, 2018

SCOTTSDALE — Rockies right-hander Ryan Castellani is what the Arizona Fall League is all about.

He is a prime Rockies prospect. The franchise’s second-round draft pick out of Brophy High School in Phoenix, he opted for pro ball instead of a scholarship to Arizona State, and three seasons into his pro career he was on the fast track.

Baseball America even ranked him the No. 1 prospect in the High A California League in 2016.

Then came that bump in the road. He spent the last two years at Double-A Hartford, his trip to the big leagues detoured, not because of his ability, but because he lost direction. He has always had dominating stuff but with funk in his delivery.

He wanted to be more mainstream.

It didn’t work.

“I am an unconventional pitcher,” Castellani said. “I have a lower arm slot and a bit of a funky delivery, and, honestly, what happened was I was getting too conventional. I’d make an adjustment to get on top of the ball and try to create backspin.

What I was doing was getting away from what made me consistent.”

In the past two months, however, the funk has returned.

“My arm slot is pretty even with my shoulder, even with my ear,” he said. “It’s a low three-quarters. The Rockies provided me information and data that literally showed where my arm slot was when I was throwing harder, when I was throwing more strikes.”

To help reinforce Castellani’s focus, the Rockies filled their slot on the Salt River staff with Dave Burba, a 15-year big- league veteran who has been a pitching coach in the Rockies system since 2011.

It took some time, but in the final weeks of the AFL, the Rockies saw the return of the Ryan Castellani they remembered from his earlier times. 22

Castellani had a no-decision in his final AFL start on Wednesday, but he did pitch the first five innings, allowing one run, in the 4-2 Salt River victory that clinched the AFL East crown for Salt River, which will face Peoria, which finished first in the

West, in the AFL title game on Saturday afternoon.

What’s more, after struggling early in the fall, Castellani was right on track in three of his last four AFL starts, working five innings and allowing one run each time.

“Really, it was an easy fix because I’m just dropping down, feeling like I’m an athletic pitcher, and it really has made a difference,” Castellani said. “I felt like I was starting to get the feeling at the end (of the minor league) season, so I felt (the

AFL) was a good opportunity to work on the consistency.”

Now, there was one outlier in those last four starts, but after working a combined 8 1/3 innings, allowing eight runs on eight hits and eight walks in his first three starts, he got back on course in the final four starts of the Fall.

The key? Castellani is back to being Castellani.

It may be unconventional, but it is what makes him successful.

“It’s funny,” said. “All of the problems, all the adjustments I was trying to make, it came down to, `You’re trying to be conventional and you are not,’” he said with a smile. “I would never teach my kid to throw like I throw. It’s almost sidearm, but for me, I throw more strikes, I’m more consistent. And I feel I am back to being that pitcher.”

There is an old-time baseball development philosophy about not making changes in players until they struggle.

“You know what they say, `You can’t hit if you wrap the bat,’” the late Hal Keller liked to say. “Well, somebody forgot to tell

Julio Franco.”

In Castellani’s situation, it was a matter of a player not making changes in himself because he hadn’t struggled.

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And there is the physical factor. Castellani’s mechanics may be abnormal, but they are the mechanics he has had ever since he can remember. His muscle structure has adapted, and when he tried to become conventional, the body said no.

“Exactly,” said Castellani. “All season (at Double-A Hartford) I knew what I needed to do,” he said. “The next day (after a start) I was sorer than I had ever been, my velocity was down, but now I have it back.

“I knew, `lower your arm slot,’ it is like there was a disconnect. It seems like a small thing, but it makes a huge effect. It is hard to fix in a bullpen session between starts, when you are in a season, trying to win games. Getting to the end of the season, I was able to slow things down.”

And the AFL reinforced that mentality. The way the league is set up, a pitcher gets one start a week, and there is a limited workload each game. That helped keep Castellani fresh for heavy duty bullpen sessions with Burba to get Castellani back on track.

“It’s not like you are taking a break, but you really focus and break things down,” he said. “It’s really nice to see the movement back. Now it’s like it used to be, get ahead in the count and let guys beat the ball into the ground like they used to.

“It’s a confidence thing. You build off it each game. There’s no forced manipulation.”

Castellani is back in his comfort zone, ready to resume his path to the big leagues.

Date OPP W L IP H R ER HR BB SO AVG

9-Oct @SUR 0 0 3 4 3 3 0 1 3 .333

15-Oct @PEJ 0 0 3.2 0 0 0 0 3 2 .000

20-Oct PEJ 0 1 1.2 4 5 5 0 4 2 .444

26-Oct @PEJ 1 0 5 3 1 1 0 1 7 .158

31-Oct GDD 0 0 5 5 1 1 1 0 6 .250

7-Nov PEJ 0 0 3 6 4 4 0 2 4 .429

14-Nov GDD 0 0 5 2 1 1 0 3 7 .118

Totals 5.13 ERA 1 1 26.1 24 15 15 1 14 31 .235 24

Colorado Rockies: Nolan Arenado falls short in latest MVP bid Ryan Ladika | RoxPile.com | Nov. 15, 2018

After leading his club to consecutive postseason berths for the first time in franchise history, Colorado Rockies star third baseman Nolan Arenado was announced as a finalist for the 2018 NL MVP award last week, marking the fourth straight season he finished in the top 10 and third straight in the top five. Unfortunately for Arenado, he’s going to have to wait at least one more year for his award.

Perhaps the discussion on MLB Network’s MLB Now early Thursday afternoon could have foreshadowed how the MVP voting would go for the Rockies’ representative. Arenado was essentially an afterthought during the program’s NL MVP segment, with most of the debate surrounding fellow finalists Christian Yelich and Javier Baez, and even 2018 NL Cy

Young winner Jacob deGrom.

Yelich did win the honors for his incredible breakout season after being traded to the Brewers from the Marlins last offseason, deservedly so. After being named to his first NL All-Star team, Yelich wasn’t content with how he performed in the first half of the season, and brought his game to a new level during his club’s push for its eventual NL Central title.

Overall, Yelich hit for a .326/.402/.598 slashline with an OPS of an even 1.000. He led the league in batting average, slugging percentage, OPS, OPS+ (his was 164; 100 is league average) and (343). His 7.6 fWAR was also the best in the NL. Oh, and he hit for the cycle not once, but twice.

Embedded video

#Statcast

@statcast

💪💪 + 🏃🏃 = ANOTHER cycle for @ChristianYelich.

On this 110.9 mph shot into the gap, Yelich races from home to third in just 10.95 seconds, the fastest time by a

@Brewers player this season, and 9th fastest in @MLB.

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During the second half of the season, Yelich was other-worldly. He posted a wRC+ of 220 (100 is league average). He slugged .770 with a weighted on base average (wOBA) of .502. For context, Fangraphs reports anything above .320 as above average when it comes to wOBA. He also hit 25 homers and drove in 67 runs.

Not to mention the fact that, whether you agree with this criteria for judging an MVP or not, he led his team to a division title, as opposed to having to settle for a Wild Card berth.

This shouldn’t be taken as a slight to Arenado, who had a phenomenal season himself and was deserving of his top three finish. Arenado led the league in home runs for the third time in the past four seasons with 38, and finished with his second best single-season batting average at .297. He won his 6th straight Gold Glove, his second straight Platinum

Glove, and his fourth straight Silver Slugger. He also finished with the best OPS+ of any season in his career, with a shining mark of 133.

MLB Stat of the Day

✔

@MLBStatoftheDay

Nolan Arenado becomes just the 2nd player in @MLB history with 4 consecutive seasons of 35+ HR, 35+ doubles and

100+ RBI (, 93-96).

Yelich was simply better in a lot of these major statistical categories than Arenado was over the course of the season.

Yelich’s slashline bested Arenado’s .297/.374/.561, his wRC+ was better than Arenado’s 132, his OPS was higher than

Arenado’s .935, and his OPS+ was better as well.

Not to mention the fact that while Yelich turned it up to 11 after the All-Star Break, Arenado struggled to produce consistently, at least by his standards. During the second-half, Arenado hit just .275 with a wRC+ of 112 and 15 homers, as opposed to his first half wRC+ of 145 and 23 homers.

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It should also be noted that Rockies shortstop Trevor Story got significant consideration as well. He came in eighth place, just one point behind for seventh place. Overall, 19 players got at least one vote. You can check out the full voting breakdown here

Rockies fans should still be proud of their guys and how they performed this season, but as Arenado enters his final year of team control in 2019, the entire baseball world will now be waiting on pins and needles to see if he will re-sign with the

Rockies, or test his luck on the market next winter.

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