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.

With the Rockies off to a terrible start — 7-17 entering Tuesday’s game at Cleveland — I wasn’t surprised to receive questions about manager Bud Black. Here are three of them:

Why is the media so soft on Bud Black? If any other coach in Denver professional sports had the kind of start the Rockies have had, you’d be calling for the manager to be fired. The team can’t pitch, hit or field. Who is accountable? Bring back Clint Hurdle.

— John, Denver

Why haven’t Bud Black, (bench coach) Mike Redmond and (pitching coach) Darryl Scott been fired yet? If you get swept two series in a row shouldn’t heads roll?

— Daniel, Denver

How many games until Bud Black is made the scapegoat and is fired? As a 30-year Rockies fan, I’ve seen this play out one too many times. The (manager) is to blame for the lack of investment by ownership and handcuffing of the general manager.

— Robert Reilly, Charleston, S.C.

Guys, these are legitimate issues, although, Daniel, heads should not roll just because a major league team gets swept two series in a row. That’s part of the 162-game season.

As for the media being “soft” on Black, I can understand that perception, but it’s not correct. Black is a media-friendly manager and he does his job with humor and charm. He’s good at deflecting criticism about his team and he’ll never throw a player under the bus. What fans don’t see is how competitive he is and how honest he can be — off the record and when the TV camera isn’t rolling.

Should Black take some of the blame for the Rockies’ terrible start? Absolutely. He captains the ship, he handles the bullpen, and he’s the one who’s setting the lineup and looking for matchups.

But Black is not the person who put this flawed team together. That’s on owner Dick Monfort and the Rockies’ front office. Firing Black is not going to change the dynamics of this team. Bringing back Clint Hurdle is not the answer, either.

Black’s not perfect, and there are some who believe he can be too old-school in his approach. But he can only manage the talent he’s been given. For example, if the Rockies had team speed, Black would utilize it, but they don’t.

I’ve asked a number of players on the team, as well as people throughout baseball about Black, and the consensus is that he is a smart baseball man, a players’ manager and an excellent communicator. Given a talented team, he can produce a winner, as he did in 2017-18.

During spring training, Black signed a contract extension that will take him through the 2024 season. Will he serve out the length of his contract? I honestly don’t know. If this team continues to play poorly, Black could well be fired. But Robert is correct, Black would simply become the scapegoat.

Hey Patrick, thanks for your coverage. It’s nice to see the likes of Noah Davis and Brenton Doyle being promoted. Do you believe more are on the way sooner than later, either from Triple-A or Double-A? Hard to imagine players such as Yonathan Daza, Jose Urena and Dinelson Lamet being more deserving of big-league jobs than some of these prospects. Also, can you explain the short leash on Elehuris Montero? Understanding his flaws defensively, he commits a few errors and then doesn’t see the field for a week, yet Urena can’t throw strikes and serves up home runs at an alarming rate but still gets the ball every fifth day. Where’s the consistency?

— Jon, California

Jon, you present several good questions. Let’s take them one at a time.

• Regarding promoting more young players, general manager Bill Schmidt has made it clear that they will be promoted on a case-by-case basis. Yes, the Rockies are in a youth movement, but it won’t come as a tidal wave. Promoting players before they are ready is a disaster waiting to happen.

Next up? In regard to top prospects, it might be outfielder Zac Veen and catcher Drew Romo, depending on how they do at Double-A Hartford. I had predicted Veen getting called up before the All-Star Game but now I’m thinking it won’t be until the second half of the season. Veen is hitting just .167 with one home run in the very early going and Romo is batting just .217. The Eastern League is a tough proving ground.

• Regarding Montero, I don’t see it as a short leash at all. It’s apparent that he simply doesn’t have the skills to be a big-league third baseman — poor footwork, inaccurate arm and limited range. It’s not just me saying that. Many people close to the Rockies have the same opinion. Now Montero will get a shot playing first base at Triple-A Albuquerque.

In a lot of ways, he reminds me of former Rockies catcher Wilin Rosario, who swung a powerful bat but was a liability behind the plate and, later, at first base. The difference is, Montero could stick around the big leagues as a designated hitter now that the National League has the DH.

• Regarding Urena, you’re talking about two different circumstances. Until Noah Davis arrived, the Rockies didn’t have much choice but to go with Urena. I believe he’ll be out of the rotation as soon as this week. That the Rockies gave him a $3.5 million, one-year deal shows how shallow their starting pitching depth is.

I’d love to see The Post start publishing attendance for every home game of the Rox. Better yet, do it like the weather, with historically high and low numbers for that date since they started the team. Maybe that can shame Montfort & Co. into fixing this team.

— Paula, Boulder

Paula, owner Dick Monfort doesn’t need a Denver Post chart to tell him how the Rockies are doing at the gate. I’m sure he’s quite aware — or soon will be — of the fans’ growing apathy. First and foremost, Monfort is a businessman, so it will be interesting to see how he deals with this situation. Will Monfort be bold enough to allow for a true rebuild? Or will he maintain the status quo?

Anyway, I have made it a point in my coverage this season to note the attendance for games at Coors Field because I believe that’s part of the story of this team right now.

What do you think about the trade value of Rockies hitters in their final contract year? Barring a miracle, there’s no good reason for C.J. Cron, Randal Grichuk, Moose (Mike Moustakas), Harold Castro and Jurickson Profar to be on the team after the trade deadline. It’s time to play more prospects. Charlie Blackmon perhaps has PR value to finish out his contract. Thanks!

— Craig Miller, Denver

Craig, those of us who cover the team discuss this quite often. Yes, the Rockies need to trade some veterans, but they have to get legitimate value in return and it remains to be seen what those veterans are worth. Cron, for instance, has run hot and cold since making the All-Star Game last season and I’m not sure there is a huge market out there for him. We’ll see.

Also, you have to remember that it makes no sense to completely gut a team and simply throw prospects into the fire. Young baseball players need some veterans on the team to show them the ropes, so to speak. And yes, I know that fans want to see prospects called up — yesterday — but if a player is not ready, it makes no sense to throw them into a losing situation.

When will Dick (Monfort) finally sell the team?

— Garrett, Denver

Garrett, I’m answering your question because I get it a lot from neighbors, casual fans, family,  etc. The answer is that he’s not going to sell. His two sons, Walker (vice president of corporate partnerships) and Sterling (director of professional scouting), are in place to inherit the team and I don’t see that changing.

Hi Patrick, whoa, it’s tough to come down from Alaska and see this type of baseball being played. But we did beat the Phillies (5-0, last Thursday). Do we have a stud catcher in our minor leagues? A kid who can play third base? Why have a Moose when we ain’t going anywhere? Let the young kids have a shot. They can’t do any worse. Go with the youth? Your thoughts, Patrick? Thank you.

— Dan G., Erie

Dan, I touched on much of this earlier, but in regard to a “stud catcher,” Drew Romo, currently at Double-A Hartford, has a chance to be that guy. We’ll see. Evolving from a prospect into a big-league catcher is often a long and difficult process. Check out the feature I did on Romo during spring training.

As for “Moose,” you’re referring to veteran third baseman Mike Moustakas. I have no problem at all having him on this team as a veteran backup at third and first base. If he was the starter, that would be a different story.

Would losing 100 games this season even be enough for Dick Monfort to change? I have my doubts. Thank you.

— Nathan, Lamar

Nathan, as I’m sure you know, the Rockies have never lost 100 games in a season. That could well change this season. Would that make a difference in how Monfort runs the franchise? I really don’t think so. There might be some changes in the front office but I don’t think they would be dramatic.

Should the Rockies make some dramatic changes? Yes, I believe they should. At the very least, they should bring in front-office personnel from other teams to provide some outside perspective.

This is probably a good time to remind fans about the letter Monfort wrote to season-ticket holders after last season.

“Our expectations were high going into the 2022 season, but unfortunately, we did not meet those expectations,” Monfort said. “It has now been four years since our last postseason appearance, and this is not acceptable.

“Our road record was abysmal, our defense was not what we are accustomed to, our situational hitting was disappointing, and our pitching was inconsistent.  Excuses serve no purpose, and we are committed to devoting all our efforts this off-season to improving this team for 2023.”

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