Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag. Pose a Rockies — or MLB — related question for the Rockies Mailbag.

Greetings, Patrick. (Many) of the sports fans in the Denver/Colorado viewing area cannot view the Avalanche, and Nuggets (two teams actually in the playoffs) due to the Altitude-Comcast standoff. Now with Warner Bros. Discovery on the verge of transferring the TV rights back to their teams — Rockies with AT&T SportsNet — who would possibly be responsible for televising all of the team’s games? If commissioner Rob Manfred goes through with MLB covering those costs, would that not constitute revenue sharing? It’s nice Warner Bros. gave the teams so much time to negotiate with another entity. Thanks!

— Robert Emmerling, Limon

Robert, as I believe you are aware, regional sports networks (RSNs) have been struggling for a number of years and the writing of a pending fall was on the wall. Still, the people I have spoken to — including some of the folks at AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain — didn’t see this coming so quickly.

The corporate folks are not talking right now, and neither are the Rockies or owner Dick Monfort. They are trying to figure this out before they say anything publicly.

Major League Baseball has promised that it has a plan in place to ensure fans can watch their teams when Bally and AT&T’s RSNs close shop. What local “channel” could pick up the telecasts? Would games only be available via a streaming service? I don’t know the answer to that right now.

I do believe that MLB’s increased involvement in televising games will put more money in the pot and increase league-wide revenue sharing.

There are a lot of questions about what this seismic shift will mean for local baseball broadcasts in 2023 and beyond.

Baseball America’s J.J. Cooper makes some excellent points in his recent article:

“For the baseball teams and MLB, the shift (away from RSNs to streaming) will be much more dramatic. The next era of baseball broadcasting may be very different. There are significant questions over whether teams can come close to recouping the revenue they received for local broadcast rights from RSNs if they sell directly to consumers through MLB.tv.

“But that’s only one significant question. Equally important is the reality that teams will go from a world where RSN income is steady and consistent to one where they have to win over fans each and every year, or in some cases, each and every month.

“… Every year, teams will have to convince their fans to sign up for a yearly or monthly subscription to their broadcasts, much like the sales team has to drum up season ticket and group sales every year.”

Happy return to baseball, Patrick! I know it’s early, but who’s impressed you down in Scottsdale so far? Also are there any under-the-radar guys who could be a surprise addition to the opening-day roster? Thank you!

— Mike, Denver

Mike, you’re right, it’s very early and first impressions during spring training can be misleading. But here are some of my early impressions:

• Outfielder Zac Veen looks like a beast, adding nearly 25 pounds to his 6-foot-4 frame since he was named outstanding offensive player of the Arizona Fall League. Early in the Cactus League season, he’s shown power, good pitch recognition and aptitude on the bases. The plan remains for Veen to start at Double-A Hartford, and he needs to prove he can consistently hit quality pitching, but he’s been impressive.

• Right-hander Peter Lambert, who’s had a long, difficult comeback from Tommy John surgery in 2020, has been sharp. I thought his career might have hit a dead end, but if he can stay healthy, he has a chance to be part of the starting rotation.

• Utilityman Harold Castro certainly catches your eye when you watch him play. He’s fast, puts the bat on the ball and can play middle infield and the outfield. His versatility is a plus and manager Bud Black likes having a player like Castro on the roster.

• Right-hander reliever Justin Lawrence is throwing well and has a legitimate shot to make the bullpen out of camp.

I’m a fan of all sports. I like all local teams. My level of fandom is proportional to the level of success local teams have (other than the Buffs, I’m always a supporter). Thus, I have not cared about the Rockies since they paid Nolan (Arenado) to leave. My question: When will I care about the Rockies again?

— Todd Salzer, Golden

Well, when I look in my crystal ball, I see a Todd from Golden, as well as a Shirley from Conifer and a Bill from Broomfield, caring again when the Rockies make a playoff run. That’s what happened to the Nuggets and Avalanche when they bottomed out and were then reborn.

Seriously, I think the Rockies will be an improved and more entertaining team as soon as 2024. Whether that’s enough to capture your interest, I don’t know.

As for the Rockies making the playoffs again, my crystal ball clouds up when I raise that question.

Hi Patrick, I have a question about the consequences of all MLB teams playing each other this year. Will we see more hitting and fewer strikeouts because pitchers won’t be as familiar with what kinds of pitches to throw where for batters they have not faced before? It seems like scouting will need to be more extensive also.

— Judy Frieman, Denver

Judy, I agree with you that advanced scouting will be more important than ever before. But I disagree with you about the battle between the hitters and pitchers. I think pitchers usually have the edge when teams are unfamiliar with each other.

What do you think the rotation is going to look like on March 30? With Antonio Senzatela out until at least May, I have German Marquez, Kyle Freeland and Austin Gomber as the only ones in. Who else fills the remaining spots? Peter Lambert? Jose Urena? Maybe Ryan Rolison gets a shot?

— Ron, Parker

Ron, unless there is an injury, this is how I see it playing out:

• The rotation locks are Marquez, Freeland and Jose Urena.

• Lefty Austin Gomber definitely has an inside track but he needs to improve a lot from last season. And he had a rough Cactus League outing on Tuesday.

• The fifth starter will likely be right-hander Ryan Feltner, but Peter Lambert is having a strong camp and I wouldn’t rule him out.

• Ryan Rolison is still weeks away from pitching in games as he recovers from shoulder surgery. I would not count on him pitching in the majors this season.

• And you’re right, Senzatela, coming back from knee surgery to repair a torn ACL, is on track to join the rotation at some point in May.

Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.