SB Nation - Casey Weathers

Wednesday Rockpile: Rockies want Street long term

Rox Girl — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:54:47 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

Brian Fuentes says that there aren't enough celebratory man-hugs in Colorado.

Among Troy Renck's notes, which include tidbits about Scott Boras as well as two of his clients with Rockies connections in Matt Holliday and Carlos Gonzalez, plus an update on former Padres GM Kevin Towers, he mentions running into Brian Fuentes at the ALCS and in passing notes that the Rockies are looking into signing closer Huston Street to a multi-year deal. Street would be eligible for free agency after the 2010 season, so this would seem to be a departure from the club's usual arbitration buyout plus an option year, and a strong indicator that the club won't be going through a fire sale and rebuild any time soon. Of course, Holliday would be a good example that there are limits to the Monforts' generosity when it comes to contracts, and some players clearly are still out of the Rockies range and a few others still see themselves that way.

The news also seems to put Street in a core category as far as Dan O'Dowd's blueprint for the team over the next few seasons, and bullpen stability in general is also a noted departure from the first five years of his tenure as Rockies GM. Colorado does seem to be stockpiling some young bullpen arms. If Taylor Buchholz and Corpas can return strong from lost seasons and join Street, Matt Daley and Franklin Morales, the Rockies would seem to be well situated in relief over the next two seasons, particularly if Casey Weathers proves worthy of his hype.

Fuentes' statement to Renck is also somewhat enlightening,

"I came here to be in the playoffs. There is an expectation to win," Fuentes said. "They were just starting to develop that in Colorado when I left. It takes time, but obviously they are on the right track."

There's no longer a filter for Brian of having to be nice to the hand that writes the paychecks as far as the Rockies are concerned, so you can read a little more into his statement. The "just starting when I left..," phrase echoes similar statements I've read by other former Rockies that have left the team in the last three or four seasons, including Holliday, IIRC. In player code, this still puts Colorado cleanly in the second division. It's not a backwater dive where a veteran player feels they're at the end of their run, unwanted and trying to hang on to the last vestiges of their career, but for some reason, it's not yet a glittering beacon drawing them in for the chance of post season glory, either.

This means that despite having a better record and more post season appearances over the last five years than Atlanta or San Francisco, for instance, the Rockies still seem to be perceived among players in some respect as an inferior quality professional organization. Maybe I'm reading too much into Fuentes' words, as the Angels clearly are a step ahead of the Rockies right now, but the other teams he was most interested in signing with last season, the New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals, are not when it comes to the results that matter. And since it's not just Fuentes that says it, but other players, I'm seeing it as a little more credible as a prevailing notion.

Obviously, I think this gets fixed by repetition of success. For 2010, there needs to be an expectation within the Rockies and among fans that they return to the post season. In fact, I think beating the Dodgers and winning the NL West are almost a necessity if the franchise really wants to elevate itself to that next tier.

Revisiting Purple Row's interview with Marc Gustafson

Russ Oates — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:00:18 -0000

About a month ago, RockiesMagicNumber and I worked on a plan, and that led to RMN's three-part interview with Marc Gustafson, the Director of Player Development for the Rockies. This wasn't the first time Purple Row became involved with the Colorado Rockies organization. Earlier in the year, Bill Geivett stopped by and answered a few questions from the community. A few weeks ago, Geivett re-emerged in response to a comment by biondino in this FanShot. Come back when you can, Bill!

Back to Marc Gustafson. I'll look at some key points from the interview after the jump, but there are several general points to be made.

This was a step forward for both the Colorado Rockies and Purple Row. While we were politely told "no" back in February, that was likely due to shooting too high to begin with. But after a few months, an ever-improving Rockies team, and a return call, both sides came together.
The Rockies acted in a way to connect with the fans in a new medium. The future is now, but MLB is still creeping forward, unsure of how to embrace blogs.
This has not (yet, anyway) opened up Pandora's Box. Giving one blog (I prefer to call Purple Row a community these days) access to the organization doesn't necessarily mean having to give access to every blog that comes calling. That isn't to say that in the Rockies blog world, Purple Row should have the only access to the organization; rather, Purple Row has been covering the Rockies for five seasons to a high degree no other Rockies blog (that I know of) has. And Purple Row is part of SB Nation, a company that over the last year has gained prominence on the sports scene. One needs only to look at the archives of Blog Huddle to see the credibility of SB Nation and its individual communities throughout the sports world. Blogging is not a zero-sum venture.
This is more of a general point for anyone seeking to gain some sort of access to an organization: Work with the team on the degree of access they are willing to give. Don't shoot for the very top in the beginning; look for someone who is involved with the day-to-day running of the organization, but not necessarily well-known. In our case, we knew who Marc Gustafson was beforehand, but that's because we run a site about the Rockies that has had an update almost every day since the start of the 2006 season. But the regular fan probably hasn't heard of Marc before or once heard his name during a broadcast before and then forgotten. This is a way to help fans understand what goes on behind the scenes.
This interview brought about a very positive response from the Purple Row community. I hope this leads to the Rockies providing Purple Row greater access in the future.

Comments on Marc Gustafson's responses after the jump.

Part I

The first part of this interview dealt more with the overall picture of the internal workings of the Rockies and how the club approaches their philosophies. What follows are some highlights and commentary.

In response to organizational philosophy:

Marc Gustafson: I would say it's a long-term plan that focuses primarily on scouting and player development, which also includes a component in Latin American operations. We're all on the same page; we're committed to our players in the minor league system. We're going to do everything we can to give the players in the system a chance to reach the major league level, and once they get there, we hope they have a chance to solidify and stabilize their career a little bit with the Rockies. The primary goal is to develop the players within the system.

I look at this in two ways. The first is that the Rockies believe they have system set up that will send their homegrown players to the majors. This has certainly worked over the last decade as this team has a decidedly home-built feel to it. Look at the roster now. Eighteen players on the active roster were either drafted or signed on the international free agent market by the Rockies. That number increases to 22 if we add those on the 60-day DL.

On the other hand, this also means that the Rockies need to continually keep this process going because the team won't necessarily be able to retain these players once they hit the free agent market. Case in point being Matt Holliday. However, as we all should know by now, one player does not make a team or win a championship.

On seeing and statistics:

Marc Gustafson: Well, we have guys in the office; they do a hell of a job in terms of getting the information that we need. We don't overdo any specific area; we try to look at all areas. We try to be really good in a lot of different areas. Our scouts out there are doing their thing, the guys in the office and the statistics and the analysis they do, they do a fantastic job. We've got player development people who have a heck of a good idea on how to teach guys to play the game. So for me, and for the organization, it's a balanced approach. We have to stay in tune with everything going on, but we have to evaluate and we have to teach. That would be the best answer I can give you on that question.

You can't overlook one and completely go with only the other. While we don't really get an explanation for how this balanced approach takes place, I figure it's one of those things that you really need to take part in and witness.

Part II

The second part shifted gears by moving to a discussion on the Rockies' minor league talent.

We found out where Gustafson sees the strengths of the organization:

Marc Gustafson: Hector Gomez is a very talented SS, and he'll be in the AFL as well. I would probably look to the middle infield as being a strength in the organization. I would also look at the pitching depth in the bullpen, some big-time arm strength guys. Shane Lindsay, Edgar Escalona with the Tulsa Club, Alberto Alburquerque with the Tulsa Club, Andrew Johnston, Craig Baker with Modesto. We've got some really good arms and bullpen depth in the minor league system.

We also received an update on Casey Weathers (who failed to update his blog after Mother's Day):

Marc Gustafson: He's doing well. He had a couple of setbacks here and there throughout the rehab process. In terms of his strength and range of motion and how he's feeling right now, he's feeling as good as he's ever felt since the surgery. He's throwing in a long-toss program; he'll be off the mound before too long as we get into Tucson. To have a guy like that back and contributing in the bullpen, that gives us the depth we're looking for.

[...] He's going to rehab and get back and be ready for Spring Training next year. That's his primary focus. Sometimes to go through some adversity - it might sound crazy, but it's not the end of the world. It's getting the arm fixed at a young age and come back and have a successful major league career. We're very confident he's going to be in that category.

The thought of having a healthy, fully-recovered Casey Weathers in the bullpen for those late innings of the game have me salivating.

Part III

Watch out for Chris Balcom-Miller:

[...] He'll be a hot topic of conversation because of the great start he's having. He's a little bit like Brandon Hynick - Brandon pitched in Casper when he first came out, and did a very great job. Balcom-Miller has a little more arm strength, but definitely pounds the strike zone. Very aggressive, they're not scared. So that's a good situation when you're looking at Balcom-Miller coming out, whether it be Asheville or Modesto.

Thoughts on Tyler Matzek:

We're just building up his arm strength and taking it slow. He will not pitch in a game this year for Casper, but he will be ready to pitch in the Instructional League in Tucson. Once he gets settled in, and we get to know him a little bit, he gets to know us, obviously the sky's the limit for him; he's a premium talent. We'll be patient. He's probably looking at an Asheville situation next year to start out, see where it takes him. Right now we're just getting him settled in to the Rockies' system.

Who can't wait to see Matzek dominating opposing Sally batters?

On the Coors Field Myth:

RMN: Now, a lot of the mainstream media doesn't seem to understand that Coors Field doesn't play as it did in the 90s. Do the pitchers in the minors still look at Coors Field as being the Terrordome?

Marc Gustafson: Absolutely not. I always laugh, too, because I still hear it. You turn on ESPN or whatever the show is, and everybody says that you can't pitch at Coors Field. I just don't get it. It doesn't work out that way. If you look at the numbers, and I'm sure you have, Coors Field - you'd rather pitch at Coors Field rather than Citizen's Bank Park, I would think.

RMN: Or Chase, for that matter.

Marc Gustafson: Or Chase, or a lot of different places. No, we don't talk about it internally. We don't even think about it, to be quite honest with you. We're going to teach guys how to pitch down in the strike zone. We're going to make sure they can command the fastball, we're going to make sure they have feel for a changeup. We want guys that are tough, we want guys that have heart, we want guys that compete. That's kind of the philosophy when we look at pitching.

The question left for us to answer is, how does that perception of Coors ever change? Or is it able to?

Thanks again to Marc Gustafson for taking the time to be interviewed, to Jay Alves for setting this up, and to Purple Row for building a strong community!

Fall 2009 Top 30 PuRPs List

Russ Oates — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 19:38:54 -0000

	Fall 2009 PuRPs List	Ballots	Sum	Pnts
1	Christian Friedrich	28	810	810
2	Tyler Matzek	28	808	808
3	Jhoulys Chacin	28	804	804
4	Esmil Rogers	28	713	713
5	Eric Young, Jr.	28	666	666
6	Wilin Rosario	27	622	622
7	Hector Gomez	27	619	619
8	Mike McKenry	28	608	608
9	Rex Brothers	28	583	583
10	Casey Weathers	28	559	559
11	Chris Balcom-Miller	28	529	529
12	Tim Wheeler	26	504	504
13	Charlie Blackmon	28	501	501
14	Samuel Deduno	27	486	486
15	Nolan Arenado	26	386	386
16	Brandon Hynick*	27	382	382
17	Chris Nelson	28	360	360
18	Juan Nicasio	27	330	330
19	Cole Garner	26	324	324
20	Chaz Roe	27	291	291
21	Kiel Roling	24	240	240
22	Parker Frazier	23	228	228
23	Delta Cleary	24	225	225
24	Darin Holcomb	21	204	204
25	Shane Lindsay	22	178	178
26	Matt Reynolds	16	117	117
27	Mike Zuanich	17	95	95
28	Scott Robinson	12	88	88
29	Edgmer Escalona	11	78	78
30	Ben Paulsen	11	54	54

The last five out were: Kent Matthes, Alving Mejias, Craig Baker, Cory Riordan, and Bruce Billings. Thanks to jlot10 for providing the calculations that determined the list.

* - No longer with the organization.

Purple Row interviews Marc Gustafson, Part 2

RockiesMagicNumber — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 15:00:33 -0000

As you read in our first in this 3-part series, Rockies Director of Player Development Marc Gustafson took time to answer some questions for Purple Row. In this installment, Mr. Gustafson answers a lot of questions about specific farmhands, and we begin to touch on players recently drafted.

Apologies for the delay in Part 2, but here we have it.

RMN: Now, since a lot of fans don't get a chance to watch the guys - I mean, we can follow the box scores, we do a near-daily report on what the minor league clubs have been doing - is there a particular player that might not be having that great of a year that Rockies fans should be more aware of?

Marc Gustafson: Wow, that's a tough question. If you look at box scores and you look at team statistics and stats and things like that, I think that we should all be very proud of the year that we've had. In terms of an individual, you know, we've had some success there too. Maybe a guy under the radar screen would be Darin Holcomb, 3B in Tulsa, starting to hit, starting to put up big numbers. He's a guy that we think - coming out of his season last year in Asheville, he was voted the Most Valuable Player, he went to Hawaii, he struggled, we jumped to Modesto with him, we sent him to Tulsa. He struggled early, but now he's starting to hit. He's going to go to the Arizona Fall League. So he might be one example of a guy...the batting average isn't going to jump out at you - I think it's about .275 right now, he has 13, 14 home runs, but those numbers are starting to build up, starting to rise to the top. He was just voted to the postseason All Star team in the Texas League. Maybe a guy like that would be somebody early on that was under the radar screen that is now starting to surface a little bit.

RMN: I know that Rox Girl and Russ keep an eye on these guys a lot closer than a lot of the other people do. How do you feel about Holcomb's glove at 3B?

Marc Gustafson: Yeah, he's solid. He's a solid major-league defender. He's got a very strong arm, he's got an accurate arm, he moves well, he's an athlete at 3B. He loves to play the game, he's a grinder. He's a tough guy over there. Definitely, he'd be in the "prospect" category, as he moves into what we would hope to be a AAA situation next year.

RMN: AAA would be a big jump, definitely exciting to hear that we have more coming, given our depths. Where would you say the strongest and weakest positional groups are in our farm? Obviously, in the majors we have a glut of solid Outfield.

Marc Gustafson: Well, I would have said Middle Infield. Obviously, we lost Cabrera, we loved Everth Cabrera, and I hope he has a wonderful career, because he's such a special person. He's with the Padres right now.

RMN: I promise you we're aware of Everth Cabrera on Purple Row!

Marc Gustafson: Hector Gomez is a very talented SS, and he'll be in the AFL as well. I would probably look to the middle infield as being a strength in the organization. I would also look at the pitching depth in the bullpen, some big-time arm strength guys. Shane Lindsay, Edgar Escalona with the Tulsa Club, Alberto Alburquerque with the Tulsa Club, Andrew Johnston, Craig Baker with Modesto. We've got some really good arms and bullpen depth in the minor league system.

RMN: Oh, so we're pretty high on Alburquerque. We didn't know much about him when we heard about the [Jeff] Baker trade. It's good to hear that he's a guy that everybody has their eyes on. Speaking of Hector Gomez, we kind of lump Hector Gomez and Wil Rosario into the same category: a couple of years out, but these guys have a lot of raw stuff. When do you see them being able to contribute?

Marc Gustafson: Well, I would think a couple of years. They're high-end talent. You look at prospect categories, and each organization is a little bit different, but they'd be in the "top tier" category in our system in terms of position player prospect talent. Hector and Wilin Rosario are going to play in the AFL, and that's a very very talented league. So if they go and they handle that league well, you're looking maybe at a AA situation next year, and shortly thereafter, you'd hope they'd be knocking on the door at the big league level.

RMN: We're all looking forward to it as well. We all know 2B has been a little bit of an interesting situation the last couple of years.

Marc Gustafson: Yep.

RMN: In terms of other prospects we were expecting to be seeing soon, what do you expect of the injured guys like Chris Nelson, Casey Weathers, Greg Reynolds, or even Greg Smith? What's the word on them right now? What do we think about them going forward?

Marc Gustafson: I'd put Jeff Francis in that category as well. I know he's been there and done that, but those guys are looking at the Arizona Instructional League Program, they're going to participate in that program very soon as we head to Tucson on the 19^th of September. To get them back onto the field, that makes us even better, to have that caliber talent helping and contributing and getting ready for next year. Really, their focus is on their health number one, getting back on the field this fall and being full-strength and ready to go for Spring Training next year.

RMN: Speaking of injured players rehabbing, my understanding is Casey Weathers is with the Dust Devils right now. How is his rehab coming along?

Marc Gustafson: He's doing well. He had a couple of setbacks here and there throughout the rehab process. In terms of his strength and range of motion and how he's feeling right now, he's feeling as good as he's ever felt since the surgery. He's throwing in a long-toss program; he'll be off the mound before too long as we get into Tucson. To have a guy like that back and contributing in the bullpen, that gives us the depth we're looking for.

RMN: Obviously being injured and coming back from Tommy John, it's always a bit tricky to try and forecast in general. A lot of people have complained that all our relief pitchers seem to be rentals. It's important to remind them that we do have Corpas and Buchholz coming back next season, but can we consider Weathers to be someone in the 2010 mix?

Marc Gustafson: Yeah, I think definitely. This is a guy that competed in the Olympics and had a great season in Tulsa, and was getting real close, and unfortunately, he had the injury. He's going to rehab and get back and be ready for Spring Training next year. That's his primary focus. Sometimes to go through some adversity - it might sound crazy, but it's not the end of the world. It's getting the arm fixed at a young age and come back and have a successful major league career. We're very confident he's going to be in that category.

RMN: Along with him, are there any other AA/AAA players that we see making an impact or being a surprise for us next year?

Marc Gustafson: You guys have already probably seen and talked about Jhoulys Chacin, he's a special talent; he's going to be back in the mix in the very near future. Esmil Rogers, starter in AAA Colorado Springs, he's a very talented right-handed starter. You go to Sammy Deduno, who was just named Texas League Pitcher of the Year, he's going to be in the mix. You know, you keep those pitchers coming, and then you mix in a few guys who have done well in the bullpen - Matt Reynolds from Tulsa, Andrew Johnston from Tulsa, the Colorado Springs group that we have there now, we do have a few veteran guys, but at the same point in time, you're looking for as many quality arms as you can find, and I think we've got a few.

RMN: Does Deduno look more to be in the rotation mix or the bullpen mix?

Marc Gustafson: Right now we're going to keep him in the rotation, just because he has such premium stuff, he deserves the opportunity to start. But it wouldn't be too far-fetched to say that next year he could be in the bullpen mix coming out of spring training.

RMN: Given the amount of starting talent we have coming up the pipe pretty soon, that wouldn't be a surprise at all. Now, a personal favorite of mine, Keith Weiser in AA - I'm not sure why, but I just latched onto the guy - tell me how awesome Keith Weiser is, please.

Marc Gustafson: He's an awesome guy. You picked a good one to have as a favorite; he's just as great off the field as he is on! He had a great outing last night, in fact. He's had some rough ones here and there, but you know what, he's at the AA level, and there's some good hitters, so you have to give credit to them. It's a matter of making adjustments, and he certainly did last night against the Springfield club.

RMN: Absolutely. In terms of adjustments, let me jump to a more extreme case. Is Scott Beerer the next Rick Ankiel?

Marc Gustafson: Haha, it's interesting you bring that up, because this has been a wonderful story. This guy has so much heart and he has so much passion to play the game, I wouldn't put it past him. He's at Modesto and his numbers still are great. We're trying very hard to get him a winter ball job so he can continue to play - because that's what he needs, he needs ABs, he needs to play. I wouldn't put it past him, just because he believes he's a big leaguer and he's gone out and done a pretty good job each and every night. I love the kid, personally, and the organization is very proud of what he's been able to do. We'd like to see him play winter ball and see where that takes him as we go into spring training next year.

RMN: That's very encouraging. Everyone loves to watch the hard worker type. Now, Russ told me to say that he asked this specifically: "I'm a really big fan of Joey Wong's, but I realize he has a tough road ahead of him. Can he be the organization's David Eckstein?"

Marc Gustafson: Yes.

RMN: ...Alright!

Marc Gustafson: Yes, this kid can play defense. He might be the best defender that we've had at Tri-Cities level or rookie ball level. He knows how to play the game, without a doubt. He's a wonderful talent in terms of his glove, his ability to make throws off-balance, his ability to move around in the field to get himself in the right position. And you know what, his bat, we're going to work very hard with his bat in the Instructional League and we'll see where it takes him, but I would say Yes.

RMN: Alright, I'm sure Russ will be excited to hear that. He brought up another player in Jeremiah Sammy, says "He came out of nowhere as an undrafted free agent. What is the strongest aspect of his game?"

Marc Gustafson: Well, we got him based on his defense and his arm strength, thinking that if we didn't see development with the bat, then we'd put him on the mound and see what we could do with his arm strength because he's got premium arm strength. He's shown up extremely well, and he's put together a great season up here in Tri-Cities. We're going to take him to Instructional League and keep working with him, and let him - I guess the best way to say it is let's let him fail first, if he does fail at the infield position, and then we'll see what he can do if that point in time comes. And who knows, that time may not come!

RMN: It's always a possibility! Now, Tri-City being the lowest A-ball level, where does it fit into the organization in terms of what players are sent there? You hear about a lot of people jumping right over Tri-Cities, or jumping right over Casper and going straight to Tri-Cities. Can you speak a little bit to that?

Marc Gustafson: Well, Tri-Cities is a step higher, in our opinion, above Casper. Casper is our lowest entry-level club. Tri-Cities and Casper, we try and find a balance. When we go into the draft we put the names on the board of who we have in spring training and then we fill in with what Bill Schmidt and the scouting department takes in the draft. A lot of it is based on age and where they've played. For example, the high schoolers: Nolan Arenado and our 1^st round pick Tyler Matzek, they're in Casper. The older, maybe college players, for example Tim Wheeler and Rex Brothers, they started in Tri-Cities, although Rex Brothers is now with Asheville. It's more, in our organization, age and where they've played.

RMN: Well, I'm glad you brought up the guys in the draft, because we have a handful of questions about them. What are the club's plans for Arenado, position-wise? I know he's been playing 3B as we're a bit thin there, but are there any plans to try him out as a catcher?

Marc Gustafson: We're not going to rush into that. We know that is an option for us, but this kid can play 3B. He doesn't have the straight-ahead running speed that some of the others do, but he has wonderful hands, and he can throw. So that's an option behind the plate with him, but our primary focus right now is let him play 3B and let him swing the bat. Because he can really swing the bat.

RMN: I'll save my Matzek questions for the end, as he's the biggest story there. What kind of power is the organization projecting for Tim Wheeler?

Marc Gustafson: The power is going to come. It's going to be a bit like Charlie Blackmon. I don't know if you're familiar with Charles Blackmon at Modesto right now, but these guys are line drive type hitters, meaning gap-to-gap, hit the ball where it's pitched. With some maturity and some strength developing, I think the home run potential and their ability to drive the ball out of the ballpark is going to come. But that's going to come a little bit later in their career, maybe a little bit like [Garrett] Atkins or even Matt Holliday, and they came from the system. But both Tim Wheeler and Charlie Blackmon, they're athletes, first and foremost. They can play CF with ease, they've got great arms, they move around well, they can steal bases, they get on base. They really do everything that you're looking for a CF to do.

----

That will be the end for this time, but we'll have one final installment covering the draft, some other favorite farmhands, and some parting words from Mr. Gustafson!

Rockies interested in Pittsburgh's Freddy Sanchez

RockiesMagicNumber — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:13:06 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Freddy Sanchez: Soon to be in the Purple Pinstripes?

Browse more photos »

According to John Perrotto at The Insider On Pittsburgh Sports, the Rockies are interested in Pittsburgh's Freddy Sanchez. The Pirates have been known to be incredibly interested in Eric Young, Jr., and it would seem that some sort of swap of the two would be something in the works.

Sanchez is making $6.1M this season, with a $8M club option for the 2010 season. 2B has been somewhat of an offensive hole for us so far this season, but the benefits that Sanchez would provide are definitely above Clint Barmes' level of production, but his miserable 2008 suggests that he's somewhat of a crapshoot.

Sanchez is listed as a 2.4 WAR player this season, and is posting a .316/.355/.477 batting line this season, with 6HR, 33RBI, and a wOBA of .358.

Barmes has provided 1.6 WAR, most of it based on his fielding numbers, with .282/.324/.482, 10HR, 43RBI, and a .343 wOBA. He's also making $1.625 this season.

It should also be noted that Sanchez is a .858 OPS batter at home, .808 on the road, with about an even split between his plate discipline and power dropping away from PNC, and a miniscule drop in batting average. Barmes is putting up a .906 OPS at home, dropping to a .725 on the road, with a .040 split in his batting average and a massive power outage away from Coors Field. His weak plate discipline is consistent home and away. Young is showing a.331/.433/.459 line in Sky Sox Stadium and a .262/.335/.360 line on the road.

ZIPS projects Barmes to be a .330 wOBA player the rest of the season (read that as a league-average bat) with the defensive skills we're all familiar with, while Sanchez is projected at a .331 wOBA, and while his glove has been positive this season, it would definitely be a dropoff for the rest of the season.

Sanchez is also batting with a .356 BABIP, as compared to a career .329 BABIP, so there's a distinct chance that his batting average will drop, but there's also the infamous Coors Field effect that might boost his production.

The real question mark is if the Rockies really want to give up a guy like Eric Young Jr., a potential fan favorite thanks to EY Sr.'s legacy, who has the speed to bring back a lot of the 1-2 distraction we had in 2007 with Kazuo Matsui and Willy Taveras.

Longterm thinking, I don't feel this is a smart move for the organization, especially if we're boosting payroll that could be used to support pitching instead. While Sanchez might provide a better bat at 2B than Barmes', I feel we'd be taking a potential weapon away from the lineup in EYJ and that Sanchez is just as streaky as Barmes, with less of a glove to support him during the cold spells.

On the flip side, this might be the kind of move that most people have been suggesting (in general): Move some of our prospect depth and get some MLB talent in the lineup. The issue is that while we have "depth" at the middle infield positions, the "real" talent we're expecting in Chris Nelson or Hector Gomez is a couple of years away.

Many here on Purple Row feel that EYJ could be a contributor now, and while he hasn't been explicitly linked to this trade, it's no secret that Pittsburgh wants a 1-2 punch of McCutchen and Young, Jr. at some point.

**UPDATE**

According to Perrotto, it appears that the Rockies are willing to part with Casey Weathers as a part of this trade. Carlos Gonzalez' name has come up as well, but I sincerely hope that we could get more if we were to move Gonzalez.

Poll

Would you be okay with this trade?

Yes.

66 votes

No.

257 votes

323 votes | Poll has closed

Wednesday Pebble Report: Happy birthday Casey Weathers!

Russ Oates — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 12:52:41 -0000

Happy birthday to Casey Weathers, our 2007 1st round pick!

Colorado Springs, W 4-3
Jason Hirsh toed the rubber and put in a good performance. He allowed two runs in six innings and struck out three. He walked three also. Making his Colorado Springs debut, Adam Eaton allowed two hits in one inning and struck out two.

Matt Miller drove in two runs; Eric Young Jr. collected two hits, scored twice, and stole his 38th base; and Mike McCoy swiped base 21.

Tulsa
The Texas League had the day off.

Modesto, W 6-2
Bruce Billings continues to pule up the K's, this time striking out eight in six innings. He allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits and a walk. And in what we don't like to see, his GO-FO was 2-7.

Maikol Gonzalez fell a homer short of the cycle in his 3-for-4. He was caught stealing home, too. Charlie Blackmon went 4-for-4, drove in two runs, and stole his 14th base. Wilin Rosario notched three hits and scored twice.

Asheville, W 5-0
Juan Nicasio delivered on the mound last night, holding Lexington to one hit in 7 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out six. Mike Marbry held down his opponents for the the final two outs in the eighth, and Kurt Yacko ended things with a perfect ninth.

Thomas Field went 3-for-4 with two RBI. Delta Cleary hit a triple as part of his 2-for-5, two run night.

We'll have Day 2 of the MLB Draft covered shortly before the picks start rolling again around noon ET.

Rockies Retro: First Round Draft Pick History

theoldgrizzlybear — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 02:31:21 -0000

More photos » by Tom Gannam - AP

It's definitely safe to say that this guy has been the best first round draft pick in the history of the Colorado Rockies franchise.

Browse more photos »

With the MLB Draft taking place this Tuesday, I thought it would be appropriate to review the history of the Rockies' first round draft picks. Since the franchise first played in 1993 (and drafted in 1992), this is easily possible (so take that, Red Sox fans). Sandwich picks are included. So, without further adieu, here we go...

1992: John Burke (RHP - University of Florida - drafted 27th overall)

All of Burke's success with the organization came in the minor leagues. In 1993, he was a California League All-Star while posting a 3.20 ERA and 114 strikeouts in 119 innings. In 1995, Burke helped lead Colorado Springs to the PCL Championship, as he went 7-1 with a 4.55 ERA and was voted the league's best pitching prospect. However, it was all downhill for Burke once he reached the majors, finishing his career in 1997 with a total of 4 wins, 6 losses, and a 6.75 ERA in 28 appearances.

1993: Jamey Wright (RHP - Oklahoma City, OK - drafted 28th overall)

Wright has had a long and somewhat successful career as a big leaguer, and showed flashes of brilliance during his two stints with the Rockies, but wasn't really ever able to put it all together. He was unable to strike anybody out for the most part, and thus was extremely hittable - especially in pre-humidor Coors Field. His best year in the big leagues came last year with Texas, where he finished 8-7 with a 5.12 ERA.

1994: Doug Million (LHP - Sarasota, FL - drafted 7th overall)

Million was a highly regarded prospect, coming off a fantastic senior year in high school in which he was named the 1994 High School Player of the Year by Baseball America. He was 6-3 with a 2.20 ERA in his first professional season, and was making his way up the ladder in the Rockies organization before he tragically passed away on September 23, 1997 from a severe asthma attack.

1995: Todd Helton (1B - University of Tennessee - drafted 8th overall)

No explanation necessary...the guy's only been one of the best hitters and arguably the best defensive first baseman in baseball over the past decade-plus.

1996: Jake Westbrook (RHP - Danielsville, GA - drafted 21st overall)

Before he really had a chance to make any impact in the organization, Westbrook and two other minor leaguers were traded to the Expos for Mike Lansing in 1997. Soon after finding his way to the Indians organization, Westbrook had some success in the big leagues, as he won 44 games between 2004 and 2006. He's still with the Indians, but has been battling injuries for the past few seasons and is currently recovering from Tommy John surgery.

1997: Mark Mangum (RHP - Kingwood, TX - drafted 18th overall)

Mangum went 4-6 with a 4.80 ERA in Rookie league ball in '97. The next year, he was pitching in the Expos organization after being the PBTNL in a trade that brought Dave Veres to the Rockies. He never made it to the big leagues.

1998: Matt Roney (RHP - Edmond, OK - drafted 28th overall); Choo Freeman (OF - Rowlett, TX - drafted 36th overall); Jeff Winchester (C - Metairie, LA - drafted 40th overall)

Roney (with the Tigers and A's) and Freeman (with the Rockies) eventually made it to the big leagues, while Winchester (who is most famous for sharing a rookie card with Matt Holliday), did not. Roney and Freeman did not enjoy much success in the major leagues, and all three guys are now out of professional baseball.

1999: Jason Jennings (RHP - Baylor University - drafted 16th overall)

Jennings was the first Rockies pitching prospect to ever pan out at the major league level. He had a very successful cup of coffee in 2001, and was the 2002 National League Rookie of the Year. Following several more seasons that were deemed successful (the numbers weren't great, but he pitched at Coors Field for half of his games), Jennings was traded to the Houston Astros after the 2006 season for Taylor Buchholz, Jason Hirsh, and Willy Taveras. After battling injuries for a couple of seasons, Jennings has revived his career pitching out of the bullpen for the Rangers. He is currently 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA in 17 relief appearances.

2000: Matt Harrington (RHP - Palmdale, CA - drafted 7th overall)

Harrington's story has been well documented as of late. He failed to sign with the Rockies, and despite being drafted four more times, he never made it to the big leagues.

2001: Jayson Nix (SS - Midland, TX - drafted 44th overall)

The Rockies only had a compensation pick in 2001 (granted to them for their failure to sign Harrington a year earlier), and they used it to draft Nix, a prototypical "AAAA player" who spent 8 years in the organization (but only a portion of 2008 with the Rockies) before being picked up by the White Sox prior to this season. Although he's shown a little bit of pop (4 HRs in 56 ABs), Nix's OBP is just .297.

2002: Jeff Francis (LHP - University of Lethbridge - drafted 9th overall)

Francis cruised through the Rockies organization, posting a 29-12 career minor league record before breaking in for good with the big league club in 2004. Francis is the franchise's all-time leader in victories for a left-handed pitcher. He also led the Rockies staff with 17 wins in 2007. He struggled while trying to pitch through an injury last year, though, and is sidelined for all of 2009 with said injury. It's safe to say that overall, though, he's been a success.

2003: Ian Stewart (3B - La Quinta, CA - drafted 10th overall)

From this point on, the jury's still out on everybody and that's certainly the case with Stewart, who has the potential to be a star at the major league level. He currently leads the team with 9 home runs this season, and his bat is beginning to heat up as of late.

2004: Chris Nelson (SS - Stone Mountain, GA - 9th overall)

Nelson has shown the potential to be an impact player in the big leagues, but he has battled with injuries and inconsistency so far in his minor league career, and has yet to advance past AA. However, he performed well and received rave reviews in the Arizona Fall League in 2008, so the hype is definitely still there. He's currently hitting .280/.355/.477 in a repeat year with Tulsa.

2005: Troy Tulowitzki (SS - Long Beach State University - drafted 7th overall); Chaz Roe (RHP - Lexington, KY - drafted 32nd overall)

Tulowitzki has basically been the big league version of Chris Nelson (a fast start followed by struggles with injuries and inconsistency), but there's no denying that he's a terrific ballplayer and that he still has a bright future. However, the time to make adjustments is NOW, and some time spent in AAA may not be a bad thing for Tulo at this point. Roe is 27-22 with a 4.25 ERA in 5 minor league seasons, and is currently pitching out of the bullpen for Tulsa. At some point in the future, he should break in with the Rockies in some capacity.

2006: Greg Reynolds (LHP - Stanford University - drafted 2nd overall)

Much has been made of the fact the Reynolds was taken ahead of guys like Evan Longoria and Tim Lincecum, among others, but it's way too early to label Reynolds as a bust. Sure, he has not been good (albeit, in a small sample size) at the big league level. Right now, however, the key to any success he wants to have is how quickly he can bounce back from injury. He's made only one start this year, and he was roughed up.

2007: Casey Weathers (RHP - Vanderbilt University - drafted 8th overall)

Weathers is sitting out the 2009 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He was very strong before the injury, so let's hope he's able to return to form. If so, there's no reason to think he won't be in a Rockies uniform at some point in 2010.

2008: Christian Friedrich (LHP - Eastern Kentucky University - drafted 25th overall)

Friedrich was thought of as being a steal at the time he was drafted, and so far he's shown no reason to think otherwise. After dominating in low-A to begin the season, he's now pitching well in Modesto (high-A). He could be a candidate to join the Rockies rotation at some point in 2010, provided he's handled correctly at the minor league level.

Thursday Pebble Report: Three quite close games, two walk-off wins, and a Morales start to excite all of thee

Poseidon's Fist — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:47:59 -0000

More photos » by Jae C. Hong - AP

Franklin Morales strengthened his bid to rejoin the black and purple with a solid start for AAA Colorado Springs last night

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AAA Colorado Springs, L 2-5 - (4-2)

Exactly one week after pitching his first start of the season in the majors, Franklin Morales made his 2009 minor league debut against the Reno Aces, Arizona's new AAA affiliate. The Tucson Sidewinders moved to Reno this season. Despite walking five, Morales' performance lent itself well to optimism. He allowed just two hits and no runs in six innings while striking out four. Reno scratched out a single and two walks in the first inning, but Morales showed some oft-absent composure and escaped without allowing a run.

Randy Flores and Steven Register combined to give up 5 runs on 5 hits and two walks to blow the shutout, lead and game in the eighth inning. Carlos Gonzalez has started to de-ice his bat, as he reached in 3-of-4 plate appearances, and Matt Murton went 2-for-3 with a walk to raise his average to .364. Eric Young Jr was caught stealing for the first time this season. Every starter managed at least one hit in a well-balanced, ten hit attack. Box Score

AA Tulsa, Off Day - (3-3)

At 6:05MDT today, Samuel Deduno will try to prove lightning strikes twice as he faces the Corpus Christi Hooks (Astros) in a rematch of his stellar season debut.

High-A Modesto, W 3-2 - (6-1)

With the help of Connor Graham, Sean Jarrett, and Randall Taylor, the Nuts swept the Stockton Ports by holding the Athletics' affiliate to just two runs for the third consecutive day. Like Morales, Graham allowed just two hits but five walks; however the Nut gave up two runs and failed to finish the fifth inning. Jarrett and Taylor permitted just one baserunner the rest of the way, though he was thrown out at second trying to stretch a single.

Brian Rike and Lars Davis, the two players the Rockies selected in succession after Casey Weathers in the 2007 draft, each notched two hits while Radames Nazario recorded three hits and a walk. Nazario scored the walk-off run from first after a single by Davis and an outfield error. Modesto outhit Stockton 10-3. Box Score.

Modesto opens a 4-game series at the former Rockie affiliate and undefeated Visalia Rawhide (Arizona) tonight at 8:05MDT.

Low-A Asheville, L 0-2 and W 6-5 - (2-5)

The Tourists played a doubleheader to make-up for Monday's postponed game and split the ~~dual~~ duel against the Greensboro Grasshoppers (Marlins). In the matinee, Asheville failed to produce any offense to back a solid starting performance by Ethan Hollingsworth. James Cesario stayed hot by poking two singles, and David Christensen once again went hitless. Box Score

The Tourists unleashed their penned up offense with a five run first in the night-cap. Every starter recorded at least one hit, but Christensen did not play. Kurt Yacko blew a save opportunity by permitting a walk and double in the seventh, but he became the winning pitcher after Carlos Martinez singled in Cesario for a walk-off win. Box Score

Robinson Fabian will close out the series vs. Greensboro at 5:05MDT tonight.

Rockies Farm Report: Looking at Rockies Prospects ages 22-24

Rox Girl — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 22:00:10 -0000

I've mentioned this before, but I don't like top 100 prospect lists. They are simply not specific enough about a team's strength to tell you much. If your team has six top 100 players, it might sound great in theory, but if four can only play first base or DH and two are pitchers, your system might not be as strong as the quantity of prospects would lead you to believe.

Similarly, if three of your top 100 players are 24 years old, and three are 18, another issue arises in that the peaks of these players won't match, the 24 year olds will either be long gone, too expensive to keep any longer, or already in decline when the 18 year old prospects start contributing. For this reason, I like it when publications break it down a little further by position as Baseball America has done in this week's issue. Subscribers to BA can find that article online here. If you are a subscriber, and I strongly encourage it if you love following prospects as much as I do, also be sure to check out Ben Badler's piece on how the Rockies wait it out approach to international signings has paid off in a big way. And in a bit of a pleasant surprise, read Jack Etkin's article about the return to the organization of 2005 draftee Kyle Hancock.

The simple formula to figuring out whether your team is on the right track with its farm system is to consider each position separately and look for top 15 caliber players in the same age range, or top six/seven caliber players in your team's league. So if you show to me that you have top 15 prospects at several positions between 22 and 24 years old (with quality big leaguers or lots of money filling in the gaps) and at least three top 45 pitchers, I will buy your team's near contention status a lot quicker than if you just say, "Look at how many prospectz we haz, loozer."

Because BA was so kind in breaking out top lists by position like this, we can take a closer look at how the Rockies are stacking up relative to the rest of the National League. This week I'm going to start with that most important 22-24 year old age range. Because these players are closer to contributing in a big way, it's easier to project success or failure three to five seasons down the road. I'm going to look at each position and try to make a determination if the Rockies are on the right track, or if they should be looking for better prospects/players to fill the gaps.

Since in the end not having prospects doesn't matter if you have young Major Leaguers already at the position, I will consider all of the players in the Rockies organization in that age range for this exercise and even extend the view one year either direction to get a real sense of what the team will be looking at. Most of the players that are still prospects should be with the Tulsa Drillers or Colorado Springs Sky Sox by the end of 2009 if things are going particularly well, but reality will have a few held back in Modesto.

Michael McKenry

#67 / Catcher / Colorado Rockies

Height: 5-10

Weight: 200

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Mar 04, 1985

C - Michael McKenry (BA rank #25) - Catcher is a particularly deep minor league position right now, so while McKenry looks on the outside of that top 15 barrier at first glance, closer inspection shows he might be a lot closer to being a contender worthy player. Eight of the catchers ahead of him are 20 years old or less (including Wilin Rosario) which immediately should put them in a separate category.

Few of the catchers left in his age group could match his defensive abilities and a handful may have to switch positions in the near future. Another issue is that the catchers are concentrated among a few teams who have multiple players on the list. Many are in the AL (thank you LA for trading Carlos Santana away) so that once you strip down the list to the players that McKenry currently projects to be in competition with, it certainly appears he's capable of being a top NL receiver. If you narrow the list to only NL catchers 21-24 years old, McKenry would be eighth, which is close enough to passing considering a couple of the players ahead of him are likely to drop or switch positions and the Brewers can't have both their catchers play at once.

A solid season in 2009 for McKenry should keep Rockies fans secure that their backstop will remain a solid piece of the puzzle until Rosario arrives.

1B- None. The Rockies really aren't in a good position at first, the team needs an impact corner bat in the system.

Chris Nelson

#64 / Short Stop / Colorado Rockies

Height: 5-11

Weight: 175

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Sep 03, 1985

2B- None. This isn't nearly as bad as the first base issue since we have Chris Nelson. The unimpressive list of top NL second base prospects 21-24 is limited to Chris Coghlan, Ivan Dejesus Jr., Shelby Ford and Eric Sogard. Nelson could and should be better than all four if he plays up to his potential. Eric Young Jr. could be right in the lower part of this range as well. Regardless of who it is, the Rockies need one or both to show they are ready for that next step in AAA this year.

Ian Stewart

#9 / Third Base / Colorado Rockies

Height: 6-3

Weight: 205

Bats: L

Throws: R

Born: Apr 05, 1985

3B - None. As with second base, I look at the top of the list in Mat Gamel and Todd Frazier, and suspect that Ian Stewart (24) should be just fine as an NL contender worthy starter even though he no longer qualifies for these lists.

Troy Tulowitzki

#2 / Short Stop / Colorado Rockies

Height: 6-3

Weight: 205

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Oct 10, 1984

SS-None. Even though I'm going to technically disqualify him from the bold print. With my comments, I'm considering 21 year olds like Hector Gomez (#11) in this age category as well, as they're capable of sliding into either the older or younger group of prospects depending on when they peak. Still as with third base, the Rockies already have a solid player in this age range even if Gomez doesn't qualify. No worries at short stop for the moment.

Carlos Gonzalez

#5 / Center Field / Colorado Rockies

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Oct 17, 1985

Corner outfield - None. This is why looking more closely at the context is important sometimes. The NL corner outfielders listed in BA's top 20 between those 21-24 ages are Dominic Brown, Michael Saunders, Daryl Jones, Michael Taylor, Kellen Kulbacki and Cedric Taylor. How would Carlos Gonzalez fit with these players? If he's able to get an acceptable rate of contact, just fine, but that's a particularly big if. If Charlie Blackmon skips Asheville and lands in Modesto to start the year, he could also be in range of these players, right now I'm cautiously optimistic about our corner OF's in this age range, but added offensive depth certainly wouldn't hurt. One of my future farm reports, btw, is going to look in detail at how while we complain about a lack of power in our outfield prospects, Brad Hawpe's horrific defense should be telling us that the team is in fact, going about this the right way at the lower levels in looking closely at outfield defense as a bigger part of the puzzle.

Dexter Fowler

#24 / Center Field / Colorado Rockies

Height: 6-4

Weight: 175

Bats: B

Throws: R

Born: Mar 22, 1986

Center Field- Dexter Fowler #3. No explanation or justification necessary here. Fowler should be great.

Ubaldo Jimenez

#38 / Pitcher / Colorado Rockies

Height: 6-4

Weight: 200

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jan 22, 1984

Righthanded Starters-None. Ubaldo Jimenez falls outside the 22-24 age range on the top end, Jhoulys Chacin (#10) falls outside it at the bottom end, but their proximity to it leaves us okay here, especially when you consider that Connor Graham and Shane Lindsay have the stuff to make the top 45, if not the polish just yet.

Franklin Morales

#56 / Pitcher / Colorado Rockies

Height: 6-0

Weight: 170

Bats: L

Throws: L

Born: Jan 24, 1986

Lefthanded Starters-None. Christian Friedrich (#10) suffers from my same arbitrary age cut-off that Chacin does, but our LHP's otherwise just don't quite add up when you consider only prospects. Add in ineligibles Franklin Morales and the just too old Greg Smith, however, and overall, our list of young starters age 21-25 could compete with anybody in the NL.

Casey Weathers

#50 / Pitcher / Colorado Rockies

Height: 6-1

Weight: 200

Bats: R

Throws: R

Born: Jun 10, 1985

Relievers- None. Clearly concern over how Casey Weathers comes back from surgery kept him from getting notice, but not even an "X-factor" mention? Come on. At any rate, if he does come back well, he could be as good or better than anybody currently on BA's list. I will mention once again that Xavier Cedeno will surprise a lot of people when he's converted to a fulltime reliever, and Will Harris and others leave the Rockies in decent shape, especially once we get David Patton back from the Cubs.

Conclusion: So if you look at a 3-6 year peak window for players in the 22-24 age range, the Rockies seem to be building a very solid 2011-2014 team at the moment, with few visible holes. I would like to see more depth at the corners and a big bat or two added to the group, and as the saying goes, you can never have enough pitching. Second base will remain an issue until one of the Nelson/Young/Gomez group steps up and clearly shows that they are ready for the MLB challenge, but the fact is that middle infield's a weakness everywhere and the Rockies are in much better shape here than most teams. If the current Rox can hold their own in a weak division for 2009, 2010 should really start to show some early fruit. Next week I'll look at the team's younger generation, which doesn't look quite so promising right now, but there's a lot of time to fix that over the next five years or so.

Tuesday Pebble Report: Compiled Top Prospects Lists for the Colorado Rockies

Russ Oates — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 13:30:07 -0000

Here's a look at how our PuRPs list compares with three of the more reputable prospect rankings. Baseball America won't have the Rockies list until January 26.

Rank	Minor League Ball	BP	PuRPs	BA
1	Dexter Fowler	Dexter Fowler	Dexter Fowler	?
2	Jhoulys Chacin	Jhoulys Chacin	Jhoulys Chacin	?
3	Christian Friedrich	Wilin Rosario	Christian Friedrich	?
4	Wilin Rosario	Christian Friedrich	Brandon Hynick	?
5	Connor Graham	Casey Weathers	Michael McKenry	?
6	Michael McKenry	Michael McKenry	Eric Young, Jr.	?
7	Eric Young, Jr.	Hector Gomez	Chris Nelson	?
8	Aneury Rodriguez	Connor Graham	Casey Weathers	?
9	Casey Weathers	Eric Young, Jr.	Charlie Blackmon	?
10	Charlie Blackmon	Charlie Blackmon	Connor Graham	?
11	Darin Holcomb	Seth Smith	Aneury Rodriguez*	?
12	Will Harris	-	Hector Gomez*	?
13	Dan Mayora	-	Wilin Rosario	?
14	Hector Gomez	-	Keith Wesier	?
15	Seth Smith	-	Darin Holcomb	?
16	Chris Nelson	-	Chaz Roe	?
17	Brandon Hynick	-	Joe Koshansky	?
18	Parker Frazier	-	Shane Lindsay	?
19	Chaz Roe	-	Delta Cleary	?
20	Delta Cleary	-	Cory Riordan	?
21	-	-	Everth Cabrera**	?
22	-	-	Matt Miller	?
23	-	-	Christian Colonel	?
24	-	-	Esmil Rogers	?
25	-	-	Jeff Kindel	?
26	-	-	Ryan Mattheus	?
27	-	-	Corey Wimberly	?
28	-	-	Jonathan Herrera	?
29	-	-	Juan Morillo	?
30	-	-	Aaron Weatherford	?

* - Tied for 11 on PuRPs list.

** - With the Padres right now after being chosen in the Rule 5 draft.