Life for Rockies after 103
Looking to move past a franchise-worst season
Spring training blooms with green grass and the crack of the bat. For six weeks, optimism lives.
New pitches are unveiled, tested and often discarded. Veterans are rejuvenated. Prospects shine bright but are often humbled. Positions are won and lost.
Through it all, hope prevails.
But when Rockies pitchers and catchers hold their first official workouts on Wednesday in Scottsdale, Arizona, they’ll be lugging the baggage of last year’s 103-loss season, the worst in franchise history. That’s a lot of weight for a franchise struggling to find its way.
“It still stings to this day,” veteran left-hander Kyle Freeland said. “It’s going to sting until we step on the field for Game 1 of 162. It leaves a bad taste in your mouth and it’s not something that any team wants to go through. But we are ready to take on this season.”
Still, baseball after 103 will be a challenge.
The Rockies, committed to a youth movement, coming off a quiet offseason, and facing major questions regarding nearly every aspect of the club, are once again projected to finish last in the National League West. Fangraphs is predicting a 64-98 record, the worst in the majors. In ESPN’S latest major-league power rankings, Colorado ranks 29th, ahead of only the hapless Oakland A’s.
Still, despite the dire forecasts and five consecutive losing seasons, veteran third baseman Ryan Mcmahon says the Rockies are on the right track.
“Last season is not something we were proud of, and I think you feel it even a little more in the offseason when you look back on it,” he said. “So if that doesn’t motivate you through your offseason workouts and such, I don’t know what else will.
“But I like this team. I think we have some good young players, sprinkled with a few vets. So I’m thinking that we can make some noise. I’m hoping that we can sneak up on some people. I don’t think a lot of people are expecting much from us, and that’s not a bad spot to be in.”
The Rockies’ to-do list at Salt River Fields is extensive: build a starting rotation, find a closer, evaluate a slew of prospects, improve a tepid offense and, most of all, begin writing a fresh chapter.
The sophomore trio consisting of shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and outfielders Nolan Jones and Brenton Doyle, along with tantalizing prospects such as Zac Veen, spark faith that there are better days down the road.
But, first things first. “We are going to stay healthier,” manager Bud Black predicted. “You never know, but I think we will. It’s hard not to, so that gives me optimism.”
The 2023 club was ravaged by injuries, especially to the starting rotation, which lost right-handers German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela to elbow injuries and subsequent Tommy John surgery. The Rockies used a franchiserecord 57 players in 2023, two more than the previous record of 55 in 2011. A franchise-record 34 pitchers took the mound in ’23, including 17 starters, also a franchise record.
Injuries, a dearth of talent and a lack of quality depth resulted in some ugly numbers. The team had a 5.67 ERA, the highest in the majors and the secondhighest in franchise history behind the pre-humidor 1999 Rockies (6.01). Colorado starters posted a 5.91 ERA, the worst in the majors and the second-highest in franchise history behind the 1999 team (6.19).
Little wonder what few moves general manager Bill Schmidt did make this offseason were focused on pitching: a trade for righthander Cal Quantrill and a one-year, $1.5 million deal for free-agent right-hander Dakota Hudson.
With Marques not expected to return until after the All-star Game and Senzatela unlikely to pitch this season, the Rockies need Quantrill and Hudson to supply quality innings. Given their recent track records, that might be wishful thinking.
Quantrill, 29, struggled with a shoulder injury much of last season when he pitched to a 5.24 ERA over 99 2/3 innings with the Guardians, who ended up designating him for assignment.
Schmidt, however, is optimistic he will turn things around. “He pitched nearly 190 innings in ’22 when he went 15-5, and he was very effective,” Schmidt said. “He had some shoulder (problems) last season, but if you look at his last six starts, that was the best he was all year. He was pretty good and that showed us that he was healthy.”
Quantrill went 2-1 with a 2.76 ERA in his six September starts, limiting hitters to a .230 average and giving up just three home runs.
Hudson, 29, was a firstround selection by the Cardinals in the 2016 draft. He’s a groundball pitcher who pitched well in his first three seasons, going 23-10 with a 3.18 ERA over 67 games, including 40 starts. But Hudson missed most of the 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, and he struggled last season, posting a 4.98 ERA in 81 1/3 innings of work. He was demoted to Triplea, where he made 11 starts and had a 6.00 ERA.