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.

C.J. Cron is as good as gone next year, right? It doesn’t make sense why we’d keep him, especially when we need to go all-in on the rebuild and Michael Toglia is getting more playing time. The kid is our “first baseman of the future,” as everyone says.

— Mike, Denver

Mike, I understand why you would assume that given that Cron will make “only” $7.25 million next season. The thinking is that the Rockies should trade Cron for pitching — if they can.

That’s what I would attempt to do if I were the general manager, but there are layers to this premise.

First, we can’t assume that either Togila or Elehuris Montero are ready to be productive, everyday major-leaguers. The Rockies like both players’ potential but Montero has struggled against breaking balls and Toglia’s strikeout rate is almost 35%.

But If I were in charge of the Rockies, I would sink or swim with the Kid Rockies next season. If the Rockies surprise and become a wild-card contender in 2023, then make some trades at the deadline and go for it.

But I’m not sure the Rockies think the same way. They still want some stability in the lineup and if the Rockies were to trade Cron, the lineup would lack proven power, even if Kris Bryant has a bounce-back season.

Second, although Cron had an All-Star season and has hit 29 homers and knocked in a career-high 102 runs, his home/road splits are drastic and potential trade partners will consider that. At Coors Field, Crons slashed .302/.354/.601 with 22 homers and 75 RBIs. On the road, Cron has slashed .216/.279/.322 with seven homers and 27 RBIs. So I don’t know how much Cron would bring in a trade.

Hey Patrick. It’s Don from Dolores. I have a theory on the Rockies struggling with runners on base. My take after coaching 50 years is that several, if not most of the hitters, struggle with a “fear of failure.” I think a sports psychologist could benefit them more than a hitting coach. What do you think?

Thanks and have a great offseason!

— Donald Story Jr., Dolores

Well, hello Don from Delores. I had a college buddy from Dove Creek.

I think you’re partly right. I do think that hitting in the clutch is about confidence and mindset. But fear of failure? I’m not sure about that. In a lot of ways, baseball is a game of failure, and players who make it to the majors are well-acquainted with failure.

But there is an expression that says when players aren’t hitting well, they start “grabbing the bat too tightly.” I definitely think there is something to the idea that failure builds tension and that starts to feed on itself. Is that fear of failure? I’m not sure.

But also consider this. The Rockies hit .325 with runners in scoring position at Coors Field this season but are hitting .191 with RISP on the road. Without going into great depth here, my theory is that the approach Colorado hitters use at home often gets rewarded (bloop hits, doubles into the gaps, etc.) but that same approach often fails on the road.

Do the Rockies coaches know that Justin Lawrence, if the automated strike zone was in play, would have struck out three of the four batters he faced?

— Levy Padilla, Littleton

Levy, I believe you are talking about a specific inning in a specific game. So that’s a tough question to answer because I don’t know the specifics. I will say that the Rockies believe that Lawrence has made great strides this season, even if his 4.19 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, and 4.64 walks per nine innings don’t show it. He now has a better command of his fastball and slider and it’s clear that right-hander batters don’t like facing him because of his sidearm delivery.

Patrick, where does Connor Joe fit into the team’s plans moving forward? It seems like we have a ton of guys in the outfield who deserve playing time — Kris Bryant, Yonathan Daza, Randal Grichuk, and, of late, Sean Bouchard. I hope Joe doesn’t become the odd man out especially with Zac Veen just a year out. Also, after his performance, Sam Hilliard has to be gone, right? That .182/.280/.264 slash isn’t going to cut it.

— Mark, Arvada

Mark, Joe’s season ended with him on the injured list and I can’t help but wonder if he played hurt for much of the second half of the season. He never said so, and neither did the Rockies, but his dropoff in performance was dramatic.

As it stands now, Joe is going to have a tough time making the roster next spring, especially given how both Bouchard and Yonathan Daza have played over the last month or so. Plus, Kris Bryant will be back, and a center fielder who could hit leadoff is near the top of Colorado’s offseason wish list.

As for Hilliard, I would be surprised if he’s still on the 40-man roster by next season. The Rockies gave him a lot of chances.

Patrick, how is Scott Oberg doing? I loved watching him pitch. Any improvements regarding his blood clots? Thanks.

— Bennett, Denver

Bennett, I’m glad you asked the question. It prompted me to call Oberg.

Here’s what he told me: “I haven’t been throwing and I’ve been back home (in Sewell, N.J.) with my wife and two daughters. Everything is good. I occasionally have doctor’s appointments out in Denver and everything has been looking good for me.”

FYI, the Rockies hold an option on Oberg’s $8 million contract for 2023. Nothing is official yet but I can’t imagine the Rockies picking that option up. But, in my opinion, Oberg would be an excellent addition to the organization as a coach or pitching coordinator. He’s smart, knows the game, and is an excellent communicator.

What are the Rockies’ plans for Dinelson Lamet? I think he’s looked pretty good since he joined us. He had a 3.00 ERA in relief for us before that Dodgers game. We need bullpen help and he could be a steady hand there.

— Ron, Parker

Ron, as I’m sure you know, the Rockies took a flyer on Lamet, the former Padres right-hander. He’s been a volatile pitcher with the ability to strike out batters but also prone to bouts of wildness. A look at his statistics with the Rockies shows you that. In 18 games (18 innings), he has a 4.50 ERA and has averaged 12.5 strikeouts per nine innings. He’s also walked an average of 5.0 walks per nine.

I don’t know if Lamet provides “a steady hand,” as we saw Saturday night at Dodger Stadium when he walked three batters in a row. But he’s got a terrific arm and he certainly has potential.

He’s under the Rockies’ control for 2023 and will be arbitration-eligible for the final time. He avoided arbitration last year by signing a one-year, $4.775 million deal with San Diego and was then traded to the Brewers on Aug. 1. But the Brewers designated him for assignment on Aug. 5 and the Rockies claimed him off waivers.