Time for Rockies to step up to plate regardingCarGo

The CarGo quandary is getting thicker. Carlos Gonzalez— the Rockies’ star right fielder and one of the team’s most popular players among fans and inside the clubhouse— is off to a terrible start. Entering this weekend’s series against Arizona, he was hitting .200 with two homers and six RBIs— count ’em, six. And that’s hitting from the No. 3 or No. 4 spot in the lineup. With runners in scoring position, Gonzalez is batting .083.

The Rockies, 18-12 after Friday’s loss, have been winning with pitching, and winning in spite of Gonzalez’s slump. He has been a sinkhole in the middle of the order.

But here’s the rub: We’ve seen Gonzalez in this early-season funk before, and we’ve seen him pull out of it quickly and become a potent offensive force. On May 13, 2015, Gonzalez was batting .188 with two homers and a .245 on-base percentage. By the end of May, he was hitting .219 with just four homers.

Then came June: .280 average, six homers, 15 RBIs.

And July: .386 average, 11 homers, 24 RBIs.

By season’s end, Gonzalez hit .271 with 40 homers and 97 RBIs and won a Silver Slugger award.

But in 2015, Gonzalez was not at the end of a seven-year, $80 million contract. He is now, hence the Rockies’ predicament. He’s the team’s highest-paid player, collecting a $20 million salary, plus $428,571 as the final installment of a $3 million bonus.

I’m sure the Rockies, first-year manager Bud Black included, believe Gonzalez will pull himself out of his funk. That’s why Black has been so patient. And who knows, perhaps Gonzalez will launch two home runs Saturday or Sunday, including a CarGo special into the second deck.

But then what? Do the Rockies simply hang on to Gonzalez for the remainder of his contract? That would make sense only if he starts producing and if the Rockies remain in contention for the playoffs. When Gonzalez gets hot, he can carry the team a long way.

But the chances of Gonzalez resigning with the Rockies are shrinking.

“There’s not a whole lot to say there,” general manager Jeff Bridich said just before spring training when asked about a contract extension. “We’ve contemplated the possibility of an extension with him. We’re hopeful we can at least explore that further. We feel like there’s a good chance we’ll be able to at least explore it further. After that, there’s really not much to say.”

Right now, the chances of Gonzalez staying in Colorado after this season seem almost nonexistent. The more immediate question is whether he will be here after the July 31 trade deadline. I can’t imagine there is much demand for Gonzalez in his current state, and certainly the Rockies couldn’t get much for him now.

So what should the Rockies do? If I were in Black’s shoes, I would start shuffling the lineup more. Continue to play Mark Reynolds at first base— he has earned the right and his fellow infielders trust him. Play Ian Desmond in left field and at first base, and let Gerardo Parra take Gonzalez’s place in right field from time to time.

Give Gonzalez enough at-bats so he can regain his mojo, but don’t hurt the team’s chances while he finds it. The Rockies’ current 10game homestand, with games against the Diamondbacks, Cubs and Dodgers, is an important one that can legitimize their hot start.

I’m not advocating benching Gonzalez, but he shouldn’t automatically be playing every day right now. The Rockies have options, and he’s not vital to the lineup the way Nolan Arenado is.

Patrick Saunders is the president of the BaseballWriters’ Association of America: psaunders@denverpost.com or @psaundersdp