Twenty questions on the Rockies as spring training heats up:
1. With the addition of right-handers Cal Quantrill and Dakota Hudson, and hoped-for bounce-back seasons from lefties Kyle Freeland and Austin Gomber, will Colorado’s rotation improve its 5.91 ERA from last year? The rotation’s ERA, by the way, was the worst in the majors and second-highest in club history after a 6.19 ERA in 1999.
2. Which right-hander will win the fifth starter’s job: Peter Lambert, Ryan Feltner or Noah Davis? As is the case in most big-league camps, the fifth-starter job isn’t usually locked up until the very end.
3. Who will win the closer’s job? Will it be Justin Lawrence, Tyler Kinley or Daniel Bard, the latter of whom is coming off recent arthroscopic knee surgery?
4. Colorado’s bullpen needs help. A lot of it. It posted a 5.38 ERA last season, the highest in the majors and the fifth-highest in franchise history. Colorado’s 33 blown saves were tied with the Rangers for the most in baseball. Can lefty Evan Justice help shore up the pen? How about Rule-5 Draft pickup Anthony Molina?
5. Could LSU product Jaden Hill, who’s been converted from starter to reliever, pitch well enough during camp to make the roster early in the season?
6. First baseman/designated hitter Kris Bryant Bryant, now 32, has dealt with lower-back issues, plantar fasciitis, a bruised left heel, and a broken left index finger in his first two seasons with the Rockies. He’s played in just 32% of Colorado’s games since signing his seven-year, $182 million deal. The two-pronged question: Can Bryant stay healthy and can he produce?
7. Can Sean Bouchard parlay his strong showing at the end of last season into a starting job in right field? Bouchard, who missed most of last season because of a ruptured biceps tendon suffered in spring training, has a .304/.429/.563 slash line through his first 48 major league games. His .429 on-base percentage through his first 40 games with a plate appearance is the highest in franchise history.
8. How much does Charlie Blackmon, who signed a one-year, $13 million deal to stay in Rockies purple, have left at age 37?
9. Blackmon wants to play right field on occasion — not just be the primary designated hitter — but would that plan block the development of younger players?
10. The Rockies need to hit more home runs and versatile Hunter Goodman hit 70 homers and drove in 217 runs over his last two seasons in minors. Can Goodman bash his way into the lineup with a strong showing in the Cactus League?
11. Middle-infield prospect Adael Amador isn’t going to make the big-league club out of the gate, but how much will he grow during spring training?
12. Brenton Doyle won a Gold Glove in center field as a rookie last season but he struggled mightily at the plate. Will his offseason work translate this spring?
13. Left fielder Nolan Jones is a tremendous athlete and has a chance to be a star, but he’s still a work in progress in the outfield. How much better will he look patrolling the outfield grass this spring?
14. Second baseman Brendan Rodgers won a Gold Glove in 2022 but injuries have prevented him from fulfilling his potential as a hitter. Can a hot spring training translate to a hot start to the regular season?
15. As a follow-up to question No. 11, will Rodgers, who signed a one-year, $3.2 million deal in his final arbitration year, be on the block as the trade deadline nears in late July?
16. Third baseman Ryan McMahon honed his swing during the offseason, but will that show up in Cactus League games and into the regular season? And can he cut down his 31.6% strikeout rate?
17. The Rockies lost a franchise-record 103 games last season, leading Freeland to say, “It still stings to this day.” The question is, will there be a hangover from last season or will the club start developing a fresh new culture this spring?
18. Will first baseman/right fielder Michael Toglia — once pegged as the heir apparent to Hall of Famer Todd Helton — ever figure out how to hit big-league pitching? In limited action over two seasons (76 games), his slash line is .187/.246/.325 and his strikeout rate is 34.6%. Against breaking pitches, Toglia has a .089 average and a 54.4% whiff rate. As a caveat question, is it time for Toglia to abandon being a switch hitter?
19. Outfielders Jordan Beck and Zac Veen both got invitations to big-league camp. Can either of them make a big enough splash to force their way onto the roster, sooner rather than later? Veen, who underwent wrist surgery last season, has a lot left to prove and will likely begin the season at Double-A Hartford.
20. When will the Rockies announce an alternative local TV plan to complement the recent unveiling of their new live-streaming site, Rockies.tv? And how many fans will pay $19.99 a month to stream games now that the area blackout has been lifted?
Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.
