SB Nation - Hector Gomez

Colorado Rockies Top 20 2012 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review

John Sickels — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 12:00:25 -0000

Colorado Rockies Top 20 2012 PRE-SEASON Prospects in Review

Moving forward with our mid-season reviews of our pre-season Top 20 prospect lists, we switch back to the National League with an examination of the Colorado Rockies. Remember, this is the pre-season list. It is not a new list.

This list was originally published December 30, 2011.

The next four teams on the list for review are the Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, and the Oakland Athletics.

1) Nolan Arenado, 3B, Grade A-: I really liked him pre-season but he hasn't had a great year, hitting .264/.326/.381 with 31 walks, 43 strikeouts in 349 at-bats for Double-A Tulsa, along with vague rumors about needing to "grow up." Too young at age 21 to be truly concerned at this point.

2) Drew Pomeranz, LHP, Grade A-: 2.31 ERA with 50/21 K/BB in 51 innings for Triple-A Colorado Springs, 3.79 ERA with 32/22 K/BB in 40 innings in the majors. Has some command issues but upside is obvious.

3) Chad Bettis, RHP, Grade B: Borderline B+. Out all year with shoulder problems.

4) Trevor Story, SS, Grade B: Streaky but overall a solid debut in Low-A, .262/.357/.492 with 43 walks, 79 strikeouts in 325 at-bats, good defense at shortstop.

5) Tim Wheeler, OF, Grade B: Hitting .296/.364/.381 with 18 walks, 40 strikeouts in 189 at-bats in Triple-A. Just one homer this year after knocking 33 last year in Double-A. Power loss may have something to do with hamate injury that resulted in a late start.

6) Tyler Anderson, LHP, Grade B: Borderline B-. 2.64 ERA with 44/19 K/BB in 78 innings in Low-A, 68 hits, 1.59 GO/AO. Throws strikes and keeps the ball down, but low strikeout rate is a caution flag, and as a college guy he should be expected to do well in the Sally League.

7) Wilin Rosario, C, Grade B-: Hitting .255/.291/.535 with 15 homers, 10 walks, 53 strikeouts in 200 major league at-bats. Miguel Olivo comp remains valid.

8) Kyle Parker, OF, Grade B-: .318/.427/.496 with nine homers, 41 walks, 55 strikeouts in 242 at-bats for High-A Modesto. Fewer strikeouts this year and has doubled his walk rate, transition to Double-A should be highly interesting.

9) Joe Gardner, RHP, Grade B-: 5.00 ERA with 66/32 K/BB in 95 innings for Tulsa, 103 hits, 1.92 GO/AO. I felt he was capable of better.

10) Josh Rutledge, SS, Grade C+: Borderline B-. .306/.338/.508 with 13 homers, 14 steals, 14 walks, 69 strikeouts in 356 at-bats for Tulsa. Love the power/speed combination, we'll have to see if his plate discipline will hold up in the majors. 6-for-20 (.300) with two walks and three strikeouts so far in six major league games.

11) Kent Matthes, OF, Grade C+: Borderline B-: .211/.269/.425 with 15 homers, 20 walks, 73 strikeouts in 308 at-bats for Tulsa. Nice power, but at age 25 he's got to do better than this in Double-A to project well as a major league contributor.

12) Charlie Blackmon, OF, Grade C+: .287/.343/.426 with 11 walks, 22 strikeouts, six steals in 122 at-bats for Colorado Springs. I still see him as a useful fourth outfielder if he can stay healthy.

13) Edwar Cabrera, LHP, Grade C+: 11-4, 3.03 with 111/34 K/BB in 119 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, 83 hits allowed. Vulnerable to homers (17 thus far) but he's steadily proving the doubters wrong.

14) Christian Friedrich, LHP, Grade C+: 5.85 ERA with 71/26 K/BB in 75 major league innings, 93 hits, getting a shot in the majors after better conditioning and five strong Triple-A starts turned his career around. Erratic, but he's had some impressive games and has something to build on now.

15) Tyler Matzek, LHP, Grade C+: 4.98 ERA with 107/71 K/BB in 98 innings in High-A, 86 hits. Better than last year, and you have to love the strikeouts, but his control remains a serious hindrance. Still just 21, still has time.

16) D.J. LeMahieu, INF, Grade C+: .314/.368/.396 with 23 walks, 29 strikeouts in 255 at-bats in Triple-A, .205/.262/.231 in 39 major league at-bats. I have little objective evidence for this, but I still like him and I think he will have a surprisingly strong season in 2013 or 2014.

17) Rosell Herrera, SS-3B, Grade C+: Overmatched in Low-A (.202/.271/.272) and sent back to the Northwest League, with adequate but better results (.286/.326/.405). Young at age 19, solid glove.

18) Rafael Ortega, OF, Grade C+: .292/.351/.413 with 29 walks, 55 strikeouts, 21 steals in 34 attempts in High-A. Very impressive glove in center field, still young enough at age 21 to show more with the bat.

19) Rob Scahill, RHP, Grade C+: 5.44 ERA with 105/56 K/BB in 98 innings in Triple-A, 104 hits, 1.78 GO/AO. Easy to overlook due to the ERA and age 25, but he gets strikeouts and grounders, and any improvement in his control could result in a surprise season.

20) Hector Gomez, SS, Grade C: Constantly plagued with injuries. Claimed on waivers by Brewers, hitting .097/.174/.210 in 19 games in High-A.

I was skeptical about Corey Dickerson pre-season due to his extreme home/road split last year in the Sally League, but he's answered a lot of doubts with a .322/.380/.564 campaign in High-A and Double-A, not losing anything at the higher level. I would rank him much higher now. Edwar Cabrera is the pitching version of Dickerson: it has taken scouts a long time to warm up to him, but he just keeps producing.

Will Swanner is another rising-stock guy. He has serious defensive problems behind the plate, but he's cut his strikeout rate and continues producing big numbers with the bat, giving hope that his bat will play at first base if necessary. 2012 draftees David Dahl, Eddie Butler, and Tom Murphy have all looked good in their debuts and should rank highly on the 2013 list.

Friday's Frosty Mug

Kyle Lobner — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 15:30:11 -0000

Some things to read while not getting scammed.

It was a largely quiet off day for the Brewers yesterday but they did make one relatively minor roster move, claiming shortstop Hector Gomez off waivers from the Rockies and designating reliever Brandon Kintzler for assignment (FanShot).

Gomez is a former top prospect who has been derailed a bit by injuries over the years. He's a 24 year old .268/.306/.425 career hitter in the minors, but has already played seven minor league seasons and has only appeared in more than 100 games one time since 2007. The Brewers have assigned him to Brevard County.

Kintzler, meanwhile, will almost certainly clear waivers and remain in the organization. He posted a 3.68 ERA in the majors before getting injured in 2011, but has a 5.24 mark between Brevard County and Huntsville in 2012.

Those transactions probably won't move this needle very much: This week's BCB tracking poll shows that just 30% of voters think the Brewers can still make the playoffs. That number was at 64% just two weeks ago.

Elsewhere in recent roster moves, Todd Rosiak (behind the paywall) has a story on Livan Hernandez and the immediate "veteran leader" role he's assumed in the Brewer clubhouse. Hernandez has certainly had his share of troubles over the years, with this April report saying his wages have been garnished this season, but the story makes it sound like he's eager to help some of the Brewers' young players.

Now that we've covered past and present roster moves, we might as well move on to potential future transactions: Jon Heyman is confirming that a Rangers scout was in Cincinnati to see Zack Greinke last night but says he's "not available yet."

We won't know the actual All Star selections for a few more days, but you can add Ken Rosenthal to the list of people expecting Ryan Braun and Zack Greinke to represent the Brewers. Adam McCalvy talked to Ron Roenicke about his favorite All Star moment, which came last season. Roenicke, by the way, was in Appleton to watch his son Lance play for the Timber Rattlers last night.

The Brewers open a three game series with the Diamondbacks tonight but won't be seeing former team broadcaster Daron Sutton. Sutton had been suspended by the Diamondbacks for insubordination, and now Bob Wolfley of the JS (behind the paywall) is reporting that he's also been removed from tomorrow night's national broadcast on Fox. Supposedly this whole thing is over Sutton's insistence on calling games in suits instead of the team-mandated polo, but that seems too ridiculous to be true.

In the minors:

The affiliates went 1-5 last night with the lone win coming from Wisconsin, where right fielder Ben McMahan had a three-RBI night to power the Timber Rattlers to a 7-3 win over Peoria. You can read about that and more in today's Minor League Notes.
Rattler Radio has highlights from Wisconsin's win.
John Sickels of Minor League Ball raised some early concerns about first round pick Clint Coulter, noting that he's already allowed five passed balls and seven stolen bases in his first three Arizona League games at catcher.
@Mass_Haas is reporting that 32nd round pick Nick Anderson expects to sign soon.
Nashville reliever Jim Henderson will represent the Sounds in the AAA All Star Game after posting a 1.93 ERA in 24 first half appearances. Nashville broadcaster Jeff Hem interviewed him about the honor.
The Brevard County Manatees have a story on John Dishon, Seth Harvey and Jason Rogers, three players promoted from Wisconsin during the All Star break.
Jeremy Warnemuende of MLB.com has a story on Helena pitcher and UW-Milwaukee alum Eric Semmelhack.

In power rankings: Yahoo has the Brewers 24th, down two spots.

If you'd like more Brewer coverage today but you're sick of reading, I'll be making my weekly appearance on The Home Stretch on 95.3 FM/AM 1570 The Score in Appleton at 2 pm today. Justin Hull is off this week so I'll be in studio with Joey D taking your calls and answering Brewer questions.

Finally, congratulations are due out this morning to 54438Crew, yesterday's winner in our SB Nation Pick 6 contest. Here's the full leaderboard:

Rank	Player	Points
1	54438Crew	87.7
2	ObiBraunKenobi	67.8
3	arails4	67.4
4	MadtownTim	67.2
5	-JP-	65.9
6	PCLOUSE7	61.3
7	MadisonWino	60.4
8	mamaro68	59.0
9	BrewCrewBrian	56.2
10	Beaver9	55.6

There's still plenty of time to make your picks for today if you haven't already. Also, a new series means a new set of Prognostikeggers.

Around baseball:

Orioles: Placed first baseman Nick Johnson on the DL with a wrist injury.
Phillies: Designated pitcher Chad Qualls for assignment.
Red Sox: Signed third baseman Andy LaRoche to a minor league deal.
Yankees: Placed pitcher Andy Pettitte on the DL with a fractured ankle.

This morning's edition of Today In Brewer History marks the 27th anniversary of Moose Haas throwing a one-hitter against the Yankees in 1985. Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times notes that it's also been 7000 days since Graeme Lloyd became the first Australian pitcher to win a major league game.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to shower.

Drink up.

Tuesday Pebble Report: Modesto, Grand Junction Open Up The Offenses

Russ Oates — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 16:30:17 -0000

Modesto 14, Lancaster 4
The Nuts used innings of eight and four runs to demolish Lancaster pitching. In the eight-run fourth inning, Rafael Ortega and Hector Gomez each hit a two-run triple while Brett Tanos had one of his two doubles and drove in a run. Tanos went 4-for-6 with three runs scores and two RBI.

Jared Clark drove in his first run of the game on a sac fly in the fourth, but he unleashed his bat for a three-run home run (13) in the sixth inning.

Grand Junction 11, Orem 6
Julian Yan and Franmy Pena had the big bats in this game, hitting a grand slam and a three-run home run, respectively, in the fifth inning. Max White hit a double and stole a base, but also struck out three times. David Dahl picked up two singles and stole a base.

Grand Junction used seven pitchers in this contest.

Colorado Springs 5, Tacoma 4
Dustin Molleken and Mike Ekstrom nearly surrendered the lead to Tacoma in the final two innings of play by allowing three runs, but the Rainiers were able to completely collapse the Sky Sox relievers.

Sky Sox starter Carlos Torres threw five innings of one-hit ball. Chad Tracy drove in three runs, one on a solo home run (4) and two more on a double.

Springfield 5, Tulsa 1
Parker Frazier allowed four runs over five innings, three of those runs coming on a Jamie Romak three-run home run in the four-run first inning. Angelys Nina had a pinch-hit RBI single in the fifth inning for the only Drillers run of the game. Nolan Arenado has at least one hit in his last four games after singling in this one.

Augusta 3, Asheville 2
Asheville scored its two runs in the sixth inning on a Will Swanner single to left field and Trevor Story scoring on a Will Swanner stolen base that resulted in a throwing error by the catcher. Swanner went 3-for-4 at the plate.

Daniel Winkler allowed three runs, one in the fourth inning and two in the fifth, and completed six innings of work. He struck out five. Augusta's pitchers combined to strike out 13 batters, including Jared Simon four times.

Yakima 7, Tri-City 3 (11 innings)
Tri-City took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on Tom Murphy's three-run blast and then went scoreless for the next 10 innings. After Ryan Arrowood threw 3.2 shutout innings and struck out four, Trent Blank allowed three runs over the next 3.1 innings, two runs on a two-run home run.

In the top of the 11th inning, Chris Dennis allowed two singles and walked a batter to load the bases. Josh Parr then clubbed a grand slam. The Dust Devils went down quietly in the bottom of the inning on a called strike three and two ground outs.

DSL Rockies 8, DSL Reds 3
Angel Lezama struck out seven and allowed three runs (one earned) in five innings for the win. 2B Miguel Dilone went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI. CF Marcos Derkes went 3-for-4 with two RBI.

The Complete Spring 2012 PuRPs List

Jeff Aberle — Sat, 23 Jun 2012 20:00:26 -0000

After revealing the PuRPs list five players at a time in six installments, it's time to wrap up the spring list by showing the full list. So without further ado, here is the full Spring 2012 Purple Row community prospect list:

Rank	Player	Total
1	Nolan Arenado	915
2	Drew Pomeranz	909
3	Trevor Story	843
4	Tyler Matzek	775
5	Chad Bettis	765
6	Christian Friedrich	744
7	Tyler Anderson	730
8	Josh Rutledge	633
9	Tim Wheeler	619
10	Kyle Parker	616
11	Edwar Cabrera	606
12	Rafael Ortega	589
13	Will Swanner	577
14	Corey Dickerson	566
15	Charlie Blackmon	459
16	Rosell Herrera	379
17	Peter Tago	320
18	DJ LeMahieu	259
19	Zach Putnam	253
20	Cristhian Adames	242
21	Harold Riggins	229
22	Joe Gardner	222
23	Sam Mende	197
24	David Kandilas	174
25	Kent Matthes	154
26	Ben Paulsen	142
27	Jayson Aquino	134
28	Dillon Thomas	133
29	Parker Frazier	125
30	Rob Scahill	121

31 ballots were cast in this edition of the PuRPs poll, with 30 points being granted for a first place vote, 29 for second, etc. Until a player was named on 11 ballots, his vote totals were modified on a sliding scale to avoid an individual ballot having too much say over the community forecast -- but none of the above players had that problem, as all thirty players on the PuRPs list were named on at least 14 ballots.

Some commentary follows after the fold.

It was a two horse race for first place in this edition of the PuRPs poll, between the top pitching and position prospects in the system. Nolan Arenado took the top slot with 17 of the 31 first place votes, while Drew Pomeranz was a pretty close second, with 13 first place votes. Behind those two, Trevor Story was a clear 3rd place, then 4-7 were a clear tier, as were 8-14 (all of which were named on at least 30 ballots). Looking back on past PuRPs lists, it appears that Colorado's farm system is a little thinner than the Fall list, due in part to the MLB graduation of two top six PuRPs.

In all, 10 players were on every ballot, 62 players received at least one vote for this PuRPs list, 54 got mentioned on multiple ballots, 34 were named on at least 11 ballots (and therefore were unmodified), and 20 were named on at least 75% of ballots cast, showing that the top 2/3 or so of the list was more or less agreed upon by the community, if not necessarily the order. Here is a link to the polling thread.
Players from the fall list that exhausted their ROY eligibility (two of them could win it this year but not next year) and who therefore were no longer eligible are Wilin Rosario (3), Alex White (6) and Jordan Pacheco (24). In addition, Albert Campos (23) was no longer in the organization and therefore was not eligible either. In addition to those four players, three additional members of the last PuRPs list were bumped off of this edition: Thomas Field (20), Josh Slaats (27), and Hector Gomez (30).
If you've done the math right, you've realized that 7 new players made this spring's PuRPs list. The new entrants to the list are DJ LeMahieu (18), Zach Putnam (19), Harold Riggins (21), Sam Mende (23), Dillon Thomas (28), Parker Frazier (29), and Rob Scahill (30). Of the five new players that were in Colorado's system when the last poll took place, Riggins made the highest debut at 21.

Here are the five players who came closest to inclusion on the Spring 2012 PuRPs List:

35. Matt McBride (45.8 points, 7 ballots), Trade 2011, UT at Colorado Springs (27)
34. Thomas Field (83 points, 11 ballots), 2008 24th round, 2B at Colorado Springs (25)
33. Nick Schmidt (90 points, 15 ballots), Trade 2011, LHP at Tulsa (26)
32. Coty Woods (99 points, 18 ballots), 2009 33rd round, LHP at Tulsa (24)
31. Carl Thomore (101 points, 17 ballots), 2011 2nd round, OF at Grand Junction (19)

With the very large exception of Thomore (who represents a very raw, high ceiling prospect in rookie ball), this is a group of older players with limited ceilings but who are close to being MLB contributors if called upon. Two players from last fall's honorable mention list made their way into this edition of the PuRPs list -- of the 5, Thomore has the best chance to get on the list in 3 months.

Breaking the list down by position, there are 12 pitchers (11 of them are starters, six -- including five of the top six pitching prospects -- are lefties, six are righties), 8 outfielders (2-4 of which could play CF, depending on the scout you ask), 6 middle infielders (if you classify Herrera, LeMahieu, and Mende as such), 3 corner infielders, and 1 catcher who might not stick at the position. The position to watch the rest of this season for the minor league system is outfield, where a lot of quality players will continue to compete and try to separate themselves from the pack.

It looks like there will be quite a wave of top prospects that will be MLB ready all in the next year or two, so it won't be long before we start seeing some of these guys producing for the Rockies. By my count, Colorado should have 6 of the top 10 ready for a big league call-up in 2012 or 2013, with 5-7 of the lower prospects on the list also making a MLB impact. In fact, 5 of them already have been up with the Rockies.

Friday Pebble Report: Rafael Ortega Has 5 Hits, David Dahl Has None in Professional Debut

Jeff Aberle — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 14:36:02 -0000

Since I spent most of this morning writing up the top 5 of the Spring 2012 PuRPs list, this Pebble Report will be a little more brief than usual. Today marks the first day that the new list is in effect, so the rankings you'll see below are from the Spring 2012 list. The affiliates went 4-3 yesterday.

AAA: Colorado Springs 9, Salt Lake City 5

The Sky Sox (35-38, 9.5 GB) were able to get 9 runs across on 11 hits. HM PuRP Tommy Field had a double and a triple, while Brandon Wood and Brandon Roberts both had multi-hit games and Andrew Brown hit a 2-run shot (10). Newly minted PuRP 30 Rob Scahill got the win (5-9), striking out 7 in 5.1 IP, but allowing 9 hits and 5 runs (4 earned).

AA: Tulsa 5, NW Arkansas 4

The Drillers (41-31 overall, 1-1 2nd half) scored all 5 runs in the 6th inning. It was PuRP 8 Josh Rutledge provided the big hit with a 3 run homer (10). Tulsa also got a 3 hit night from Kiel Roling -- including a double and a homer (8), while Angelys Nina had two hits. PuRP 11 Edwar Cabrera got the win (9-3), striking out 9 in 7 strong innings while allowing 5 hits and 3 runs (2 earned).

High A: Modesto 6, Stockton 5 (F-11)

The Nuts (35-36 overall, 1-0 2nd half) started the 2nd half off right with an extra innings victory. Modesto scored 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th and won in extras on a walkoff walk. In the game, Modesto pounded out 14 hits -- and it was PuRP 12 Rafael Ortega who got the most, with a 5-5 game (including a double and a steal) that raised his batting line to .301/.348/.419. Brett Tanos and Juan Crousset both had multi-hit games (and triples) for the Nuts. There was also a Hector Gomez sighting -- the injury prone SS (playing 2B here) went 1-2 in the game in his 2012 debut.

Low A: Rome 7, Asheville 3

Every time I see Rome in a minor league box score, I resist the urge to tell the same lame joke about Rome...and the streak continues today, but it was a struggle. The Tourists (47-24, 0-1 2nd half) got into a 6-0 deficit early and weren't able to claw their way back despite getting 11 hits. Jared Simon had 3 knocks, while Taylor Featherston and Brian Humphries both had 2. Ben Alsup was roughed up (6 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 K) to get the loss (7-3).

Short season ball, including David Dahl's debut, below the fold.

Short Season: Vancouver 3, Tri-City 1

The Dust Devils (3-4, 1st) saw their scoring woes continue (they've averaged only 3 per game thus far), as the team got only one run across despite getting 10 hits on the night. Both Derrick Jones and Robert De La Cruz had 2 hits to lead Tri-City. The Dust Devils got a good outing from former PuRP Josh Slaats who allowed 1 run on 3 hits while walking 4 and striking out 5 in 6 innings.

Rookie League: Grand Junction 4, Idaho Falls 3

The GJ Rockies (1-3) got their first win of the year, withstanding a 2 run rally by the home team in the 9th. Colorado's 1st round pick in 2012, outfielder David Dahl, made his professional debut, going 0-3 with a BB and a RBI. So too did the Rockies' 3rd round pick, local prep pitcher Ryan Warner, who threw 2 innings, allowing 1 run on 4 hits to get the win. Julian Yan, Jason Stolz, and Matt Wessinger all had multi-hit games for the GJ Rockies.

Dominican Summer League: DSL White Sox 7, DSL Rockies 6 (F-12)

It was yet another heart-breaking loss for the DSL Rockies (8-9, 3 GB), who allowed 5 runs in the bottom of the 9th, then lost the game in extras. Raimel Tapia and Wilson Soriano both had 3 hits -- 2 extra base hits each -- while Marcos Derkes and Henry Garcia added 2 hits as well.

Double Transactions Notes: 5/25/12 - 6/7/12

Greg Stanwood — Fri, 08 Jun 2012 18:16:40 -0000

Back this week to discuss the past two weeks in Rockies transactions:

MLB

This two week period began with Ramon Hernandez moving to the 15 day disabled list after it became clear his hand injury was hampering the ability to get him into games. The Rockies purchased the contract of Wil Nieves and recalled him to fill the backup catcher role behind Wilin Rosario. The Rockies had a full 40 Man Roster at the time, so the team moved Hector Gomez to the 60 Day DL to make room for Nieves.

A few days later, the final phase of Jorge De La Rosa's rehab assignment began, and he at last reached the AAA level after spending time with the Nuts and Drillers. Unfortunately, recurring minor injuries have prevented De La Rosa's rehab assignment from continuing, and his expected return timeline is now a question mark once again.

The scheduled double header against the Astros at the end of May began a roster move odyssey for Carlos Torres. The pitcher was recalled to be the 26th man for the double header, interrupting his optional assignment, only to be sent right back down afterward as the roster returned to 25 players. Torres was placed on the Reserve List for the Sky Sox, waiting to return back to the Sky Sox rotation, but he ended up being recalled again before that chance occurred. Torres returned to the Rockies bullpen when the Rockies designated Jamie Moyer for assignment. Torres was optioned back down again when the team decided to recall Rex Brothers back from AAA after he had impressed there. Since that final assignment, Torres' 2012 option has officially burned. It was his final regular option, and he will not qualify for a bonus option so he will be going into 2013 "out of options". Brothers was recalled from optional assignment before the option was burned, and therefore has a chance to retain all three of his options moving forward, and also to gain MLB service time at the end of the season equivalent to the time he missed on assignment.

Three days after designating Moyer for assignment, the Rockies released him as he was not a valuable trade or outright candidate. Moyer has since signed a MiLB contract with Baltimore.

The Rockies received rotten news the morning after Troy Tulowitzki suffered a groin strain. The injury was too risky to justify playing Tulowitzki on the field, leading to a DL stint. The Rockies activated Chris Nelson from the DL, wrist injury resolved and fresh off an excellent rehab assignment at AAA, to take his place on the roster. In other injured middle infielder news, Jonathan Herrera began his own rehab assignment with the Drillers.

The final move of this period at the MLB level was yet another injury. Juan Nicasio was placed on the 15 Day DL with a knee injury, making every one of Colorado's opening day rotation miss time this season. Nicasio was replaced on the roster by Guillermo Moscoso, who is working in a long relief role for the time being.

For the minors check after the jump.

AAA

When Nieves was called up to the Rockies, the Sky Sox were given yet another relief pitcher in Kennil Gomez, a pitcher released out of Texas' organization after Spring Training and signed by the Rockies a few weeks back. When Torres was first recalled, the Sky Sox activated Tyler Chatwood from the 7 Day Disabled List to return to the starting rotation. After being sent down and placed on the Reserve List, Torres would have been able to rejoin the Sky Sox roster with reliever Jared Wells hitting the disabled list for the second time this year. However, as was explained above, Torres didn't end up being activated, and the Sky Sox pitching corps lost yet another member as Edgmer Escalona hit the 7 Day Disabled List.

After recovering from hand issues, outfield prospect Tim Wheeler was activated from the DL to claim one of the two remaining AAA roster spots. When Brothers was recalled to the Rockies, the Sky Sox received reliever Tyler Johnson from the Drillers. Johnson had spent time with the Sky Sox this year, but only on their disabled list. Filling the final remaining roster spot was Joe Torres. This Torres was the one who was suspended in Spring Training for testing positive for a banned substance. Suspension served, Torres resumes pitching for the Sky Sox. Carlos Torres was finally able to be activated for the Sky Sox when the Rockies brought Moscoso up.

The final Sky Sox transactions involves Charlie Blackmon being reassigned to the Tri-City Dust Devils. This move caused some confusion on Twitter, but their intent here is actually quite clear. The organization intends to use this like a rehab assignment; let Blackmon get some time on the largely empty short season roster at the start of their season, then bring him up later when he is back in form. Blackmon remains on the 7 Day DL for the time being.

The Drillers roster remained largely stable, with only Mike Zuanich heading to the disabled list. Juan Crousset was promoted from Modesto to take his spot in the outfield. Tyler Johnson's roster spot was never filled after he moved to the Sky Sox, but the Drillers have an extra player anyway in the rehabbing Jonathan Herrera.

A+

When last we left the Nuts, I hadn't yet learned the roster moves for the arrivals of Leuris Gomez and Michael Ramirez. Turns out we saw Bryce Massanari hit the disabled list and starter Juan Gonzalez was removed from the roster, to what I am guessing was the Reserve List. Gonzalez returned to the roster quickly, filling the spot vacated by Juan Crousset.

Since then, the Nuts roster has been extraordinarily stable. The injured Josh Hungerman was activated from the disabled list, but was assigned to Tri-City to begin the season in their bullpen. The injured Joey Wong also was assigned to Tri-City, but remains on the DL. Like Blackmon above, these players' presence on this roster is related entirely to their injuries, and is the equivalent of a minor league rehab assignment for each player.

Starter Vianney Mayo hit the disabled list and was replaced on the roster by reliever Michael Wolford, who spent brief time with Modesto earlier in the year but was in Arizona as part of Extended Spring Training through most of the season. After losing his rotation spot to Tyler Anderson in May, Alex Gillingham returned from EST to Asheville to take Mayo's spot in the rotation. Struggling reliever Taylor Reid was placed on the Temporarily Inactive List to make room for Gillingham.

A-

The Dust Devils announced the majority of their opening day roster, specifically which of players already signed to the organization would be breaking EST with the team. The roster will still receive several incoming 2012 draft signees ultimately. The following Rockies minor leaguers will begin the season with Tri-City:

- C Anthony Aguilera (2010 amateur free agent)
- C Richard Pirkle (2011 draftee, 35th round)

- IF Matt Argyropoulos (2011 draftee, 27th round)
- IF Casey Frawley (2012 MiLB free agent)
- IF Yafistel Roja (2009 international amateur free agent)

- OF Robert De La Cruz (2007 international amateur free agent)
- OF Jaron Shepherd (2011 draftee, 33rd round)
- OF Francisco Sosa (2007 international amateur free agent)
- OF Dillon Thomas (2011 draftee, 4th round)

- SP Raul Fernandez (2007 international amateur free agent)
- SP Brook Hart (2011 draftee, 23rd round)
- SP Roberto Padilla (2011 draftee, 8th round)
- SP Josh Slaats (2010 draftee, 5th round)
- SP Peter Tago (2010 draftee, 1st round supplemental)

- RP Chris Dennis (2011 draftee, 34th round)
- RP Eric Federico (2009 draftee, 39th round)
- RP Ben Hughes (2011 draftee, 10th round)
- RP Josh Hungerman (2009 draftee, 17th round)
- RP Will Rankin (2011 draftee, 17th round)

In addition, Charlie Blackmon and Joey Wong open the season as Dust Devils on the disabled list, moved from their original teams. Starting pitcher Tyler Gagnon was already assigned to Tri-City, but placed on the 7 Day Disabled List to start the year. Pitcher Jesse Meaux and outfielder Jarod Berggren were assigned to the Dust Devils during the EST period, but have been removed from the roster. I don't yet know if the team intends to start them in Grand Junction (who haven't announced their roster yet) or if they have been released.

Other

The Rockies released catcher Eliezer Alfonzo, who was suspended awaiting a work visa after his original suspension was overturned.

Transactions Notes: First Week of the 2012 Season

Greg Stanwood — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:00:11 -0000

Finally things start to heat up. Since the last edition of the Transactions Notes, we've seen the MLB and MiLB rosters finalize, several borderline roster candidates released, and the beginning of both the MLB and full-season MiLB seasons. If you want to see the opening day rosters for each MiLB team, check out Andrew Fisher's minor league breakdown, which features screenshots of Rockies Roster just before the seasons began (the rosters have since changed, so the RR pages are different). Both the Pacific Coast League and the Texas League expanded their active roster limits from 24 to 25 this offseason, giving all four full season teams 25 active spots each.

This year, I'm going to format the Transactions Notes into a more typical article format rather than a boring list. While the list may be easier to navigate quickly, Rockies Roster's transactions page archives all the relevant data anyway, so it makes sense to use these for commentary rather than organization.

Let's get down to it:

MLB

The Rockies wrapped up their Spring Training roster by placing four players on the 15 Day Disabled List: Jorge De La Rosa (surgery recovery), Charlie Blackmon (turf toe), Hector Gomez (Hector Gomezitis), and Josh Outman (Trip to Denny's). Outman is likely to be activated this week, the others are expected to be activated later. The team also purchased the contract of Jamie Moyer, adding him to the 40 Man Roster. Moyer is the only non-roster invitee that was purchased to the team. The other NRIs that lasted until the end of MLB camp, Brandon Wood, Wil Nieves and Brendan Harris, were all reassigned to the minors.

The Rockies also claimed right handed pitcher Adam Ottavino off waivers from the St. Louis Cardinals. He was optioned to the Sky Sox, after having already served ten days on optional assignment this year before being designated for assignment by St. Louis. The 40 Man Roster now stands at 39 filled spots, plus the suspended Eliezer Alfonzo who does not count towards the roster limit. His 100 game suspension will be over sometime in the middle of the season.

Finally, this first week of the season saw five players burn the 20 day waiting period on their 2012 optional assignments. Tommy Field (2 remaining), Edwar Cabrera (2 remaining), Christian Friedrich (2 remaining), DJ LeMahieu (1 remaining) and Ottavino (1 remaining) have now had options committed towards 2012, and can be optioned freely between the majors and the minors through the rest of the season. Players that have had their optional assignments exercised but have not yet seen them commit are Drew Pomeranz, Guillermo Moscoso, Edgmer Escalona and Alex White. Pomeranz is expected to be recalled before his option is committed.

For the minors and a list of players released from the Rockies organization, head below the jump.

AAA

The Rockies re-signed RHP Edgar Gonzalez to a minor league contract after he was released by the Athletics. Gonzalez spent the second half of 2011 with the organization, and got into one game with the MLB club. Gonzalez was initially assigned to the Sky Sox, but reassigned to Extended Spring Training for a few days before replacing Drew Pomeranz, who was reassigned to the Drillers to make a small start there in preparation for his recall to the Rockies.

Reliever Joe Torres, who tested positive for banned substances during the offseason, was placed on the restricted list to serve his 50 game suspension. He is eligible to be activated in late May. After spending opening day on the active roster, Brendan Harris was reassigned to Extended Spring Training to make room for the activation of Ottavino from the reserve list. Infielder Jimmy Cesario was promoted from AA Tulsa when outfielder Brandon Roberts was placed on the 7 Day Disabled List with a concussion.

Tulsa's roster has been the most stable of the full season MiLB teams thus far. Only the roster spot swap of Pomeranz and Cesario has affected their initial roster. The Drillers have Chad Bettis assigned to them as a 26th man. He was placed on the 7 Day Disabled List before the season began.

A+

The Modesto Nuts got bit by the injury bug early this season, with both Kyle Parker and Joey Wong hitting the 7 Day Disabled List after just one game. Juan Crousset and David Hernandez were reassigned from Extended Spring Training to replace them, but Hernandez was ultimately reassigned back to EST in favor of Jayson Langfels after only one day on Modesto's roster. Outfielder Rafael Ortega also occupies Modesto's 7 Day Disabled List. He was placed there before the season began.

The Tourists saw an early injury to infielder Taylor Featherston, who was placed on the 7 Day Disabled List. Jose Rivera was reassigned from Extended Spring Training to replace him on Asheville's roster.

A-

Although the Dust Devils have not begun play yet, first baseman Jordan Ribera was placed on their disabled list.

Other:

The Rockies made one other minor league signing this week, pitcher Brian Anderson, a converted outfielder. Anderson reported to Extended Spring Training.

As is always the case, the Rockies did not have enough room to assign all of their players to MiLB teams. Superfluous players that did not warrant a trip to EST were released from the organization. Below is a listing of the players that were released from our organization in the final week of Spring Training:

- Avery Barnes
- Casey Blake
- Mitch Canham
- David Christensen
- Leonard Davis
- Justin Edwards
- Ricardo Ferrer
- Josh Ford
- Connor Graham
- Kyle Hancock
- Steve Holm
- Sheng-An Kuo
- Logan Mahon
- Chris McMurray
- Dan Perkins
- Jeremiah Sammy
- Joe Sanders
- Chase Weems
- Keith Weiser

All players that are not listed here but also not listed as assigned to a team are currently in Extended Spring Training, which runs until the week before short season play begins.

Wednesday Rockpile: Drew Pomeranz Mildly Injured, Still a Boss

Andrew Martin — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:30:08 -0000

Pomeranz leaves with right hip tightness | On the Rox — Colorado Rockies news — Denver Post

So that's a rough way to begin the morning. Monday, we heard that Chad Bettis has some tricep tightness. Yesterday, Casey Blake had a crick in his neck. Now Drew Pomeranz couldn't get his hip loose enough to go 3-4 innings in his start against the Dodgers. The good news for Pomeranz is that he DID go 2 innings, allowing no hits and no runs.

(Funny story: Pomeranz's tight hip was in his gluteus muscle around his hip. You know what a gluteus muscle is, right? RIGHT? Yeahhh)

Really, Pomeranz has been an incredibly bright spot in the spring so far. In his 3 starts, Pomeranz has thrown 7 innings, struck out 7, walked 2, and allowed 0 runs on 3 hits. He's basically made one solid regular season start. Sample size and stuff.

Pomeranz is kind of a big deal for the Rockies. Obviously he's had his offseason mishaps, but the team is really counting on his growth not just for 2012, but for him to anchor a rotation for the next 5 or 6 seasons. Nothing's really more encouraging than seeing your top pitching prospect have a strong spring.

Although this might be the part where I'm supposed to add that 7 innings is a terrible sample by which to judge a pitcher. That's like saying that 5 plate appearances is enough to judge a batter by. It's clearly silly. But being encouraged, or even discouraged, doesn't have to be rational or even make sense. I WILL, however, say that proclaiming the team sunk after a poor Spring is a bit shortsighted (not that anyone here is doing that).

Here is a list of guys who the Rockies are counting on and are terrifying the non-objective side of me so far this Spring Training:

3B Casey Blake (0-9, 2R)

2B Marco Scutaro (2-13, R)

LF Carlos Gonzalez (3-15, R, 3 RBI)

That's like 3 or 4 rough games, tops, y'know? Out of 162 games, those 3-for-15 stretches are gonna kind of get brushed under the rug. Kind of like a bad Spring.

I will acknowledge that the guys last Spring who did terribly continued to do terribly, like Jose Lopez and Ian Stewart. Then again, Michael McKenry and Ben Paulsen destroyed the 2011 Cactus League. Also Willy Taveras. Chris Iannetta has always had bomb ST's, and Hector Gomez was a beast in 2010. Just something to think about.

But what fun is Spring Training if you can't make small sample projections? I'm pretty sure Casey Blake is going to end up higher than a .000 OPS or whatever he's at, much like Johnny Herrera's 1.000+ OPS isn't going to hold up either, but come on. What's more fun than Johnny Herrera having a beastly April or Franklin Morales inexplicably pitching competent baseball?

So here's my prediction. The stud of April is going to be:

Michael Cuddyer (.375/.450/.575, 7HR, 26 RBI)

Write it down.

And when this prediction is the kiss of death... well, when you speak of me, speak well.

Off Topic

Only one link, and hardly worth the jump, but read it anyway:

Best of the Sky Sox: Best Offense | Colorado Springs Sky Sox News

Do you remember a time when Jeromy Burnitz and Preston Wilson roamed the Coors Outfield? A time when Royce Clayton's dreds were "cool"? When Shawn Estes won 15 games with an ERA approaching 6?

~~Pepperidge Farms~~ Purple Row remembers.

Andrew Mitchell, writing for the Sky Sox, reflects on practically the best Sox club put together offensively, including names like Garrett Atkins, Brad Hawpe, Clint Barmes, and the always unforgettable Andy Tracy.

Poll

Wait, the Gluteus? What's that?

Yeahhhh

17 votes

Dat'th da butt

90 votes

Ooh, it'th a lady!

13 votes

Yeah, dat's dithgusting

8 votes

128 votes | Poll has closed

Wednesday Rockpile: Sorting out the Rockies' 2012 Bench Candidates

Jeff Aberle — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:30:26 -0000

This past week on ~~the Bachelor~~ Baseball Off-Season Speculation, the Rockies' crowd of rotational candidates dropped from 17 to 15 with the trades of Kevin Slowey and Clayton Mortensen. To get a breakdown of the remaining candidates, you would do well to check out my profile on each of the suitors last week. For the record, Slowey's departure makes Alex White my new favorite for spot number 5 in the rotation, though the veteraniness of Jamie Moyer is stronger than most mortal men can endure.

The plan this week was to do a similar profile of the second base candidates, but the Marco Scutaro trade scuttled that debate pretty quickly...or did it just expand the scope of the article to include all the positional bench candidates? Of course it did! I'm so incorrigible. After all, I did say as the off-season began that Colorado's lack of quality depth was a primary reason why 2011 was a terrible experience. Let's see if 2012 is looking any different.

The way I see it, there are 5 bench spots open (2 or 3 IF, 1 or 2 OF, C) for a crowd of 13 gentlemen (Casey Blake penciled in as a starter), most in the infield. Unlike last week, when I took a longshot to favorite tack, I'm going from lock to lark (briefly). Okay, maybe it will be loosely based on positional group.

He Will Never, Ever Leave This Team (Ever)

Name: Jason Giambi
Codename: Ion Samba Jig
Relationship Status: Thrice Divorced, Still Keeps Showing Up
Street Cred: Biceps larger than your legs, MVP winner, 5 time All-Star, hit 13 HRs in 132 PAs last season
Fatal Flaw: In the same age neighborhood as Jamie Moyer (in his 40s, anyway), has range of a beached whale, the Rockies are not a club with a DH
Verdict: Designated Pinch-Hitter, Clubhouse Presence, Badass

The Only Other Catcher On The 40 Man Roster

Name: Wilin Rosario
Codename: Raisin Row Oil
Relationship Status: Single -- Dude's got 2 options
Street Cred: Catcher of the Future Since 2009, elite power for a catcher, excellent throwing arm
Fatal Flaw: Needs to work on game-calling, plate discipline evokes Miguel Olivo comparisons
Verdict: Rosario is on the roster by default at the moment (as I don't see Pacheco being the full-time back-up there), but it's very possible that Colorado's back-up catcher isn't on the roster yet.

Filling the Void Left by Seth Smith and Ryan Spilborghs

Name: Charlie Blackmon
Codename: Rollback Machine, Melancholic Bark, or Lock Chamberlain
Relationship Status: 3 options
Street Cred: Sweet line-drive swing, can play all three outfield positions well, crush of Fangraphs' Carson Cistulli, great twitter feed
Fatal Flaw: He wasn't particularly effective in his injury shortened 2011 cameo
Verdict: He's got the inside track to a 2012 roster slot because of his defense and speed, but he'll be in a dogfight with the next few gentlemen on this list.

Name: Tyler Colvin
Codename: Lint, Cry, Love
Relationship Status: 2 options
Street Cred: 1st round pedigree, was pretty decent in a part-time role for the Cubs in 2010
Fatal Flaw: His 2011 was almost as bad as Ian Stewart's, he was traded for Ian Stewart
Verdict: Will start the season in AAA, though it's very easy to see him winning the reserve role over the Rollback Machine.

Name: Jamie Hoffmann
Codename: Jiff, Home Manna
Relationship Status: A solitary option
Street Cred: He was picked in the 2003 NHL draft, he's right-handed, he's hit pretty well in the minors
Fatal Flaw: There is a Jamie Hoffmann Sucks Forum, he only has 28 ML PAs to his name as a 27 year-old
Verdict: He'll play the Cole Garner role this season, emerging from AAA only in dire need

Name: Tim Wheeler
Codename: Wire Helmet
Relationship Status: 3 options
Street Cred: Broke out something fierce in 2011 (33 HRs in AA), deemed untouchable in Martin Prado trade talks, good power/speed combo
Fatal Flaw: Platoon splits are a big issue for the lefty, hasn't played above AA, tailed off significantly toward the end of the year
Verdict: He'll be the third member of the AAA outfield, eyeing a mid-season call-up

Name: Eric Young Jr.
Codename: You Cringe
Relationship Status: In a Relationship -- no options left
Street Cred: Truly elite speed, passable OBP for the bottom of the order, can theoretically play both infield and outfield
Fatal Flaw: No power to speak of, a defensive liability anywhere he plays, gets picked off an unusual amount of times
Verdict: End of the line for Mr. Young in Colorado -- love watching him on the basepaths though

After the fold, the infield candidates!

He Totally Stole Home Once

Name: Chris Nelson
Codename: Loch Sinners
Relationship Status: Trapped in a relationship with an employer who doesn't love him, no options
Street Cred: 1st round pedigree, can play 2B/3B/SS, quick wrists show power potential, stole home once
Fatal Flaw: Nelson's MLB career to this point hasn't been very successful, EY2 has more than twice as many MLB plate appearances (but a worse line overall)
Verdict: I really hope that Nelson gets that reserve slot in 2012, as he has the highest upside (still) of the infield candidates

Scrappy McBloopsaHit

Name: Jonathan Herrera
Codename: Earthen Horn Ajar
Relationship Status: Somehow he still has one option remaining
Street Cred: Plays solid up the middle defense, works the count well, strangely (almost frustratingly) effective when he's on a hot streak
Fatal Flaw: He's a terrible hitter...really terrible (career 65 OPS+), very little upside
Verdict: He belongs in AAA this year, especially with Scutaro's ability to spell Tulo in a pinch

The Jury's Still Out On...

Name: DJ LeMahieu
Codename: Jade Helium
Relationship Status: 2 options
Street Cred: Elite contact skills, great hit tool, solid at both 2nd and 3rd base
Fatal Flaw: Hasn't developed power and he's not very patient at the plate
Verdict: DJ LeMath would do well to get some more reps in at AAA -- maybe hitting in the wind tunnel in the Springs will help his power to manifest itself.

The Third String Catcher and Back-up Everything Else

Name: Jordan Pacheco
Codename: Deacon Jar Chop
Relationship Status: 2 options
Street Cred: Has hit well throughout minor league career, works count well, is a "professional hitter", good contact and patience
Fatal Flaw: Not a plus defender anywhere, not a lot of power, struggled in AAA last year
Verdict: I don't know if he makes the club, but the organization sure does like him

Overlooked Prospects With a Shot

Name: Hector Gomez
Codename: Tech Germ Zoo
Relationship Status: It's Complicated -- Gomez probably has a bonus 4th option in 2012
Street Cred: Former Top 100 prospect, a full toolbox of middle infielder skills
Fatal Flaw: Extremely (ridiculously) injury prone, lacks patience at the plate
Verdict: AA or AAA, it's his last shot to impress the brass

Name: Thomas Field
Codename: Fail Methods, Famished Lot
Relationship Status: 3 options
Street Cred: Excellent fielder, solid contact skills at the plate, surprising power in the minors, does a lot of things well
Fatal Flaw: Doesn't do anything exceptionally, lacks huge upside
Verdict: Field makes a very serious run at the MLB job, but spends 2012 at AAA

The One

Name: Nolan Arenado
Codename: A Adrenal Noon
Relationship Status: 3 options
Street Cred: Elite contact skills, great make-up, tore up the Arizona Fall League, definite star potential
Fatal Flaw: Hasn't played above High A, he's pretty slow
Verdict: 3rd baseman of the future...emphasis on future

So to recap, I see the Rockies' bench on Opening Day 2012 consisting of Giambi, Rosario, Blackmon, Nelson, and Pacheco.

Los Links!

Grant Brisbee writes that Colorado's off-season additions make the Ubaldo trade look suspicious for Cleveland.

Tom Verducci writes about the Rockies' veteran additions this off-season.

Saturday Rockpile: Don't We all Just Love Offseason Rankings?

Bryan Kilpatrick — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 17:08:13 -0000

Ranking the top 10 lineups in MLB - ESPN (Insider subscription required)

Buster Olney ranks the best lineups that Major League Baseball has to offer, and somewhat surprisingly, the Rockies are right smack in the middle of this list, at number five. From Olney:

You start with Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez, and you throw in a Michael Cuddyer and a Ramon Hernandez, and you consider the improvement of Dexter Fowler, who hit .288 and had a .380 on-base percentage in the second half of the season … The Rockies are going to pile up a whole lot of runs.

Fowler is the key here, in my opinion, as neither he nor the team can afford another one of Dex's trademark slow starts. If his OBP can settle in around .350-.375 with some pop in the first half, my bold prediction is that the Rockies will be in markedly better shape than they were at that point last year - even with the pitching's current situation - due to the fact that they'll finally have a catalyst.

For what it's worth, Olney also sort of has the Rockies in his list of ten best infields (at 10c.), despite the fact that they still don't really have anybody to play second or third. While the argument can certainly be made that any infield that includes arguably baseball's best player should be a top 10 infield, this infield is the exception, especially with it being an even-numbered year (poor Todd Helton).

Colorado Rockies Top 20 Prospects for 2012 - Minor League Ball

John Sickels' has a few surprises in a list that's otherwise pretty consistent with our PuRPs list. First off, he seems to like 2011 first-rounder Tyler Anderson more than the PR community, as he has Anderson as the organization's number 6 prospect. Meanwhile, Tyler Matzek's strange 2011 campaign slipped him all the way to #15 on Sickels' list, while he remains high on ours.

Another interesting note is that DJ LeMahieu and Hector Gomez both make an appearance on the list. Both guys are similar, in that they're infielders who were near the top of their systems as far as prospect rating a few years back, but have stalled for whatever reason. LeMahieu has a much better shot at making the big club out of Spring Training, although the tools are clearly still there for Gomez to do the same. It just likely won't happen.