Arenado, Story: Is duo the best left side in baseball?

There is no doubt in Bud Black’s mind: The Rockies have the best left side of the infield in all of baseball between third baseman Nolan Arenado and shortstop Trevor Story.

“You’re talking about perennial all-stars now — Nolan’s shown it for five years, Trevor now for the last couple,” the Rockies manager said. “They’re the best (left) side when you combine defense, offense and being an allaround player: Baserunning, instincts, all that.”

In 2019, each player had 588 atbats, and the duo combined for a .304 average, 76 homers, 203 RBIs, 213 runs, 12.8 in WAR and 26 stolen bases (all but three by Story). Arenado won his seventh straight National League Gold Glove Award at the hot corner, and Story was a finalist for the award at shortstop.

Other tandems that might challenge Arenado and Story for the title are the Cubs’ Kris Bryant and Javier Baez, the Dodgers’ Justin Turner and Corey Seager, the Padres’ Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. and the Athletics’ Matt Chapman and Marcus Semien.

But in Black’s eyes, those guys don’t top what Colorado has.

“I don’t see a better left side,” Black said.

Summer camp continues. Colorado continued to gear up for its July 24 season opener in Texas with an intersquad scrimmage Tuesday night at Coors Field. Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story picked the teams and filled out their respective lineups, with Kyle Freeland starting for Arenado’s Purple team and Jon Gray starting for Story’s Pinstripe team.

Jake McGee, Yency Almonte and Jesus Tinoco headlined the relievers scheduled to pitch in a game-type atmosphere in LoDo, as the contest featured three umpires. In previous intersquads, bench coach Mike Redmond was the umpire.

“(Nolan and Trevor) came to me about a week ago, and they wanted to be captains and pick teams,” Black said. “They were not only like scouting directors looking at players, but it was sort of like being out at recess in sixth grade, picking teams… They were excited about that.”

The question of closer. Black has been continuously pressed about who will be the Rockies’ closer this year — either Wade Davis or Scott Oberg, who took the job from Davis in the second half of 2019 before Oberg’s season was ended by blood clots.

Both Story and Raimel Tapia hit homers off Davis on Monday, but Black said the club “is still bullish on Wade” despite the right-hander’s unsightly 8.65 ERA in 50 appearances last season. By contrast, Oberg had a bullpen-best 2.25 ERA in 49 games. But Black isn’t ready to name a closer just yet.

“In 2018 (Davis) led the NL in saves and was a big part of our success going to the playoffs,” Black said. “Wade truly feels he’s going to bounce back, and I’m right there with him.”

The skipper shot down the idea of a “closer by committee,” but again indicated the toughness of giving the job to one individual heading into the season based off virtually no tangible sample sizes on which to judge performance.

“This is a tricky one, just because these guys have not had a lot of repetitions on the mound in the game — practically zero,” Black said.

Wolters donates locks. The Colorado catcher had been growing his hair out, but cut off all seven inches Tuesday to donate to Maggie’s Wigs 4 Kids, which provides wigs and support services to Michigan children in need.

Wolters, whose community outreach also includes helping out as a “buddy” in the Miracle League of Arizona, said he was “glad that I could put my locks to good use.”

Con mucho swagger. With Ian Desmond opting out of the 2020 season, the starting left field job is Raimel Tapia’s to lose. He feels confident about the work he’s done in the offseason and during the postponement to put himself in position to do just that — and more.

“I’m here ready to go and ready for the opportunity,” Tapia said. “My (ultimate) goal this season would be to win MVP.”