How much will the Rockies miss LeMahieu when he’s gone?

Kiz: The business of baseball has a nasty habit of intruding on the fun. At age 29, DJ LeMahieu is a fixture in the Colorado batting order, infield and clubhouse. He has all-star skills and never gets hurt. Check that. LeMahieu has been bulletproof … until this year. With a second trip to the disabled list, have we been offered a glimpse of Rockies life after LeMahieu? When this season ends, his contract expires. Should we color him gone? Saunders: Kiz, as we all know, LeMahieu is a man of few words, but what he does say — and how he says it — speaks volumes. Early this season, when the Rockies locked up Charlie Blackmon to a long-term deal, I asked LeMahieu about his chances of staying in Colorado to play alongside his best friend. He said he had not heard anything from the Rockies. He made it clear to me that he would love to stay, but he also acknowledged that he thinks he’s playing his final season in LoDo. Kiz: In a Colorado batting order where the strikeout has become a plague, no hitter better exemplifies the approach of putting the ball in play than LeMahieu. That alone makes him a relative bargain at a salary of $8.5 million per season. Despite offensive inconsistency so chronic it could give manager Bud Black a case of the hives, the Rockies have hung tough in the National League West race, within striking distance of first place. Can this team thrive if LeMahieu misses significant time? Saunders: No, the Rockies can’t afford to lose LeMahieu for more than a smattering of games and stay in contention. Actually, with the way the Rockies are hitting right now, the loss of any consistent bat in this lineup is crippling. There is no depth, so unless Ian Desmond or Chris Iannetta pull out of their funks, the Rox will have trouble rollin’ without DJ. Plus, the 6-foot-4 second baseman is a hit robber, an aspect of his game that often gets overlooked. Kiz: Here’s what doesn’t compute. During the first 10 games without LeMahieu in the lineup this season, the Rockies won six times. While that’s a painfully small sample size, it’s also a reminder that strong pitching can overcome serious offensive woes. I’ve been among those who have assumed the budget in Colorado cannot allow for a long-term contract for a player that celebrates his 30th birthday in July. Is this a mistake on my part, and more important, would general manager Jeff Bridich regret letting LeMahieu hit the open market? Saunders: Here’s the deal. Like many midmarket teams, the Rockies’ lifeblood is draft and development. You have to hand it Bridich and company, because they have done an excellent job of that in recent years. Brendan Rodgers is currently honing his craft at Double-A Hartford, and Ryan McMahon is getting a Triple-A tuneup in Albuquerque. When they’re ready, sooner rather than later, it’s going to create a logjam. Unless the Rockies decide that Nolan Arenado won’t stick around after 2019, LeMahieu is probably gone after 2018.