The Denver Post

ROCKIES: GM Jeff Bridich says priorities are shoring up bullpen, finding a catcher.

- By Patrick Saunders

The current blueprint for the Rockies’ offseason game plan rests on two pillars:

First, rebuild a bullpen that lost its closer, as well as two key setup men to free agency.

Second, obtain an establishe­d catcher that can help mentor the club’s young starting pitching rotation.

“To this point, we have been primarily focused on pitching and catching — that’s an important position for us,” general manager Jeff Bridich said Tuesday during a widerangin­g interview about the game plan entering the winter meetings that begin Sunday in Orlando, Fla.

Bridich said the Rockies have continued to talk with closer Greg Holland about returning to Colorado and have “investigat­ed” signing former Cubs closer Wade Davis.

And while the Rockies continue to talk with veteran catcher Jonathan Lucroy, Bridich made it clear that he’s open to signing a free agent or making a trade to bring in a catcher should Lucroy not re-sign.

The pursuit of a slugger who can play corner outfield or perhaps first base is lower down on Bridich’s todo list. So is the acquisitio­n of a veteran starting pitcher.

Right-hander Pat Neshek and lefty Jake McGee and Holland, stalwarts of Colorado’s bullpen that helped the team make the playoffs for the first time since 2009, are all testing the free-agent market.

Bridich said he doesn’t know how many bullpen arms he might add.

“I don’t know if there is a magic number,” he said. “As I have said, the bullpen is a point of major attention. Whether that is a free agent or whether that is trade, we are open to multiple avenues. That means there is a possibilit­y of multiple additions to the ’pen.”

National media reports have linked the Rockies to both Davis and free-agent right-hander Brandon Kintzler, who began last season as Minnesota’s closer before being traded to Washington.

Regarding Davis, Bridich said: “He is somebody that we have been investigat­ing.”

Regarding Kintzler, Bridich said he didn’t know where current rumors came from, but he did acknowledg­e that the Rockies inquired about Kintzler last summer.

Bridich also made it clear that he will explore multiple avenues to bring in a veteran catcher, mentioning that he is well aware that Dodgers catcher Yasmani Grandal might be available via trade.

“There are some potential catchers that are with teams that we have had some interest in over the years, so I would say that it’s a multifacet­ed approach there,” he said.

While Bridich didn’t rule out landing a slugging first baseman or corner outfielder, he hopes the Rockies’ current depth might be enough to bolster last season’s inconsiste­nt offense. That plan, however, revolves around the health of outfielder David Dahl, who missed last season because of a painful stress reaction injury in his rib cage in the upper back.

“We have some good internal (outfield) options as it stands right now,” Bridich said, noting starters Charlie Blackmon, Gerardo Parra and Ian Desmond, while also mentioning the promise of Raimel Tapia and Michael Tauchman. “Are we interested in looking for some sort of corner bat? Potentiall­y, yes. Whether that’s in the outfield or first base remains to be seen. Does David Dahl’s injury situation play into that? Yes, it does.”

Dahl, injured during spring training, played in just 19 minor-league games and has not swung a bat since a July 31 game with Triple-A Albuquerqu­e. Bridich said he expects Dahl to be ready when the Rockies report to spring training in mid-February.

Asked if the club is worried that Dahl’s injury might be a chronic problem, Bridich said: “We really don’t know. I don’t think anybody really knows as this point. But things are looking good now. That’s all we are going off right now. Things are progressin­g as they should, and there haven’t been any snags in the winter months.”

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