Is cash-poor TV deal or talent-poor farm system the Rockies’ bigger problem?

The Rockies have crumbled. Well, playoff-quality baseball was fun while it lasted. But is sustained success realistic in LoDo? We’ve heard forever it’s hard to win at altitude. And now the apologists want to tell us the Los Angeles Dodgers are simply too rich for the Rockies to beat. Is that true? Is it really all about the Benjamins of TV revenues? Or do the flaws in Colorado’s organization begin at the grassroots level, where minor-league stars seem few and far between? Newman: Prior to this season’s June draft, Fangraphs ranked the Rockies as having the 24th-best farm system in baseball. That’s dismal compared to the Padres’ riches in the No. 1 spot and even the Dodgers, who ranked No. 9. But the bottom line is it isn’t all about the mega-TV bucks, Kiz. It’s just that mid- and small-market teams have to make up their monetary disadvantages by building from within. The Rockies have done a decent job of that, but not well enough to keep pace with Los Angeles. Kiz: There’s no doubt the Rockies’ TV deal, which expires in 2020, has put the team at a competitive disadvantage against the Dodgers’ lucrative 25-year, $8 billion contract. But I don’t want folks to cry poor for our local baseball franchise unless they also take a close look at the lack of impact talent in the farm system of this organization. Trevor Story and David Dahl are homegrown allstars in their mid-20s. That’s awesome. But where are the other young, solid contributors to this 25-man roster? Newman: Growing pains have been visible this season as Colorado put a lot of expectations on the shoulders of unproven major-leaguers. While it’s way too early to give up on the potential of youngsters such as second baseman Ryan McMahon, 24; outfielder Raimel Tapia, 25; utiltyman Garrett Hampson, 24; or infielder Brendan Rodgers, 22 (out for season with shoulder injury), it’s clear that too much was asked of them collectively in 2019. Los Angeles, meanwhile, has gotten big-time contributions from rookies Alex Verdugo and Matt Beaty.

I’ve given Ian Desmond more than his share of grief. But it was general manager Jeff Bridich who gave Desmond a big contract, then asked him to pick up a first baseman’s mitt to learn a new position.That was a panic move. Why haven’t the Rockies been able to develop a first baseman or a catcher or a bullpen in the minor leagues? Homegrown L.A. stars Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler and Cory Seager are the real reasons Colorado cannot compete with the Dodgers. Newman: First base has been an issue since Todd Helton retired, but there is hope coming up the pipeline. The Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes’ Roberto Ramos, 24, earned an all-star nod in the Pacific Coast League this year, while Tyler Nevin, 22, continues to show flashes of future potential with the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats. The catching prospects are rather slim (not a single catcher is ranked in MLB Pipeline’s top 30 prospects for the organization), while the best pitching prospects are Isotopes left-hander Ben Bowden and Yard Goats righthander Justin Lawrence. In short: The development of prospect depth at those three spots is still a work-in-progress.