OOTP 19 save: Colorado Rockies (post 3) - notsobabybombers's Blog

notsobabybombers's Blog

OOTP 19 save: Colorado Rockies (post 3)

Posted on July 18, 2018 at 07:18 AM.

July was one long, rough month for fans of the Rockies and the team itself. On the first day of the month, the team traded longtime Rocky Carlos Gonzalez to Washington. The next day, the Rockies got spanked at Coors Field by the rival Diamondbacks 18-2. Adam Ottavino gave up 6 hits and 6 earned runs without getting an out. He was DFAed after the game and cut after he cleared waivers despite being owed a few million dollars. His ERA stood at 8.10 after that outing.

Then, July 12, Geraldo Parra, who had been playing well, went down with a fractured foot. Raimel Tapia was called up from AAA to take his place.

Mike Dunn became the next Ottavino; after giving up 5 runs in 1/3 of an inning, he was DFA�ed and cut despite being owed money and having a contract through 2020. His ERA was 7.62 and his selfish personality were too much for the team to bear.

The Rockies stood at 44-52 at the break, putting them in 4th place in the NLW, 19 games back of the lead and 10.5 games out of the WC.

One bright spot: Arenado and Gray made the ASG. Gray tossed a clean 1-2-3 inning and, starting at 3B, Arenado hit an RBI double in the NL�s 5-1 victory.

During the break, the Rockies decided to sell high on Chris Rusin�s 3.27 ERA, sending him to the rival Dodgers for JT Chargois (who joined the big league club right away) and SS Erol Robinson.

The team also cut Anibal Sanchez, who posted a 6.18 ERA in 7 starts.

The toughest day of the month came on July 28. The Rockies, clearly out of the playoff hunt, knew they had a decision to make with star 2B DJ LeMahieu. His contract is up at the end of the year. He said he wanted to resign, but Colorado probably didn�t have the budget space to keep him without sacrificing depth/improvement at other areas.

So, with the deadline approaching, Colorado pulled the trigger. LeMahieu was shipped to the Cubs for Victor Caratini, Duane Underwood and Trevor Clifton. The Rockies wanted more for the start player. But, as a rental, they could only get so much. Caratini hit .450 in 10 games with the Cubs but he was at AAA at the time of the trade. Underwood is a highly touted prospect and Clifton could be a nice backend starter someday.

The fans were really upset. They saw the move coming. They knew it was probably for the best. But they didn�t like the move.

It was a good trade, though. Chicago needed DJ; Ben Zobrist was their starting 2B and he was hitting .237. Addison Russell was only hitting .250 and starting at another infield spot. DJ steps in as their leadoff hitter and instantly provides a big boost to the offense.

The next day, Parra suffered a setback in his injury, which means he will miss 5 more weeks.

And the next day, young starter Jeff Hoffman went down with a shoulder injury, ending his season. The team called up MILB signing Yovani Gollardo to take his place and eat some innings.

Another bright spot: waiver claim Renato Nunez continues to play very well. He won NL Rookie of the Month as he hit .462 (wow!) with 6 HR. He�s hitting .317 overall and he could be a part of the team�s future.

The team has stressed that they are retooling. In every press conference/interview, the Rockies have avoided the phrase �rebuilding� like the plague. They still like their Arenado/Blackmon and Co. core. Blackmon is a FA at the end of the year and the club basically chose him over LeMahieu. Time will tell how that plays out.