[Saevel]

2027 Season Planning:

Winter is coming, and we've had some decisions to make.


Brian Serven was very good for us in our first season. After that, he's just been a backup for Drew Romo. His catching ability and arm have waned, he hit for .215 avg this year, and he's due to earn close to 3 million dollars, so his time at the club is over.

Austin Gomber actually had his best year, ERA-wise. His strikeout rate is steadily decreasing though, and our scouts think that his current shoulder injury has set his stuff back even more. He will have to step aside, and let one of our youngsters get a chance.

Justin Lawrence has been a good and faithful pitcher to us, and one we've relied upon a lot. His last two seasons have really been solid, and he probably could have done a fine job for another year, but his UCL injury last year has taken it's toll. It saddens us, but it's probably time to let him go.

Another reliever that was not renewed is Jake Bird. He's had a lot of injuries over the past two seasons, and never really hit his stride. I suspect he will do well on another team, if he manages to stay healthy, but we've decided not to take him to arbitration.


Let's run through our position players for the coming year:


Designated Hitter:
Kris Bryant has two years left on his gigantic contract. He's injury prone, and will be protected as much as possible in a DH role.

Catcher:
Drew Romo is our captain and one of the league's best catchers.

Ronaiker Palma will back him up. He's got a good arm, and has proven he can hit in the big leagues.

First Base:
Michael Toglia is locked up for 6 more years at 6 million. He will get on base and give us home runs. This year he was soild defensively, committing only 4 errors in 154 games, and providing a lot of range his with large frame.

Elehuris Montero will play some first base, and probably some DH if (when) Kris Bryant goes down with injury. He was much improved this year, facing mostly lefties, and is probably a good enough player to be relied upon more, going forward.

Second Base:
Ezequiel Tovar had another great offensive season for us at second base. He probably isn't an ideal fit, defensively, but he will be back this year, and he will play a lot of games.

Shortstop:
Ryan Ritter will play solid defense and not generate a lot of offense. If he can improve his hitting just a bit, we will be satisfied.

Third Base:
Adael Amador is good enough to play shortstop, and that's probably where we should start him. Unfortunately, we don't have a good third baseman, so it's looking likely that Amador will get a fair share of starts there.

Cole Tucker was out for almost two months with a hamstring strain, but did well when he was around. His defensive play, especially at third base, meant he was often slotted in to protect leads in late innings, and we foresee a similar role for him this year.

Nolan Jones did not impress at bat or infield this season, and we're still not sure what to do with him. We will probably wait until April before making a decision.

Left Field:
Zac Veen was our best player this year by a country mile. .997 OPS, 78 stolen bases and a WAR of 8.0. He's locked up for 9 more years and has a chance to make himself a real Rockies legend.

Right Field:
Brenton Doyle had another good year. He's very solid defensively, and seems to thrive when being the leadoff man.

Center Field:
Benny Montgomery barely hit, but was good defensively and ended up with a positive WAR.

Yonathan Daza had an excellent year as a utility player. He returns this year as a defensive substitute, as well as in center field when Montgomery is unable to play.


On the cusp:
Yanquiel Fernandez played really well in his 30 games, getting 10 home runs and an OPS of .913. Should Bryant get injured, he will be the first to get called up.

Will Taylor took some time to get used to MLB pitching, but was sound defensively. Should Montgomery get injured, he could get more time in the majors next year.

Dyan Jorge is looking like a solid infielder- he's sound defensively and gets on base. We've been giving him time to develop, but he could get a look this season if we get injuries.

We've tried forcing both Sterlin Thompson and Jordan Beck a bit, but they haven't really broken through. Beck, in particular, looks to have what it takes, but might be held back by Doyle and Veen, who are locking down the corner positions. This is the last option year for these guys, so they will soon sink or swim.

Juan Guerrero was looking good in his two games last May. He still has a couple of option years left, but it looks like he could be developing some health issues.