The Rockies had to get Johnny Cueto out of the game tonight before they did anything on Jumbo Diaz in the 9th. Cueto was really, really good in eight innings of shutout baseball in Rox 5-2 loss. His trade value is going to be right up there in the next week.
As predicted in the pre-game, the usual run support that Chris Rusin enjoys was nonexistent, and his margin for error went to zero. A big mistake to the #ToddRobber in the 3rd did most of the damage. When the offense puts up zeroes, even the best pitchers in the world are at a major disadvantage. Game after game, the offense is stifled, the starter gets beat up, or the bullpen explodes – sometimes all in the same night.
This is going to be an interesting week for Jeff Bridich. His flexibility to make any actual move is very limited. Absolutely nothing he can do other than call up Jon Gray will change anything about the Rox record this season. Even if a big move like CarGo happens, all it will do is unblock a spot for someone like Kyle Parker to come up and occupy an outfield spot for two months. A minor move, like Rosario, will likely get very little in return since everyone knows we want to move him.
If one stacks up this current roster against two from Rockies past:
1995: better at EVERY position except SS (ironic, ain’t it?), better bench, much better bullpen
2007: better at 1B, LF, C, push in RF, better bench, much better rotation
In other words, we are not one or two players away – we are like 15 or 18 players away. The system needs to create a 12-player wave: Helton, Holliday, Atkins, Hawpe, Barmes, Spilborghs, Smith, Francis, Cook, Jimenez, Morales, Fuentes. Not all superstars, but productive and harmonious players that allowed a few veterans to be plugged in the right spots.
Frankly, this organization needs to get over “liking” players. Helton, Tulo, Arenado, OK, but the rest of the roster is always competing for a job – the replacement player argument. In MBA school, “do nothing” is always an option, but for a GM it’s really bad behavior. We’ll see if he can make something out of nothing here.
Amen RWOer gets it! This is what I’ve been preaching for 2 years. We suck. Nuclear option! Nicely done DD.
Cueto vs. Rusin – a huge mismatch on paper. And sometimes it plays out on the field just like it looks on paper. I’ve gradually convinced myself that the rebuild is happening below the surface. Big haul of high schoolers in his draft. 3 of the top 40 or so players in the next draft. They just signed a Venezuelan outfielder, Daniel Montano, for 2 million bucks. The farm will be very strong. I’m to the point of thinking that… Read more »
I agree that it’s much more important to get rid of Tulo and said contract. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to get rid of Cargo – and since his contract is more tolerable and shorter (hence the “tolerable”), I wouldn’t be totally surprised if he brought more in return. I’m sometimes stunned by how much the “rental” players bring the trading team. I think the receiving teams basically look for 2 things – young, inexpensive, controllable players first. Stars at end… Read more »
LOL. Love the Quatoo (sp?) picture. Its hard for me to imagine the wait until the team naturally falls apart approach above being better actively managing the roster. Yes, trading Cargo only opens a spot up for Parker. But guess what, that’s one spot closer for Dahl. And then you trade Blackmon at the end of the year and Dahl’s in there. You trade Rosario for a minor piece like we did with Fowler and Iannetta. Aside from injuries Chatwood… Read more »
Apparently Cueto was almost traded to the Royals before this start. It was close enough that the Reds had an emergency starter warming up alongside Cueto before the game. The deal fell through over health concerns about one of the players the Royals were going to send to the Reds.
Trade ultimately completed, and the Reds got 3 LHed SPers – some scouts say all three will ultimately be starters. This is a coup for a team that wasn’t going to resign Cueto.
Jon Gray: mediocre start on Friday. Now at 109 inning pitched. Seems like they’re limiting him to 5 innings per start now. Pitched 124 innings last year, so I’m guessing they’re targeting no more than 150 for the season. That means about 8 starts left his season. I’ve got to think we’ll see him sometime this season, but he’ll probably get 6 more starts by the end of August/end of the AAA season. So that September call-up? Maybe a 2-start… Read more »
Kendrick – Spilly on the radio (great by the way — far better than any other color man on 850 or Root) notes Rox are 5-14 when Kendrick starts. Just a totally ordinary pitcher instead of him in the rotation and this wouldn’t be a lost season (yet). He’s been brutal, and he’s trying his best to give away another one today on a hot July afternoon with the ball carrying.
Spilly is a pleasure – for sure.
Kendrick: ERA rises to 6.33, but he really ought to get that elusive 4th win today. Too hot to do any more yard work so maybe I’ll get to see a good old fashioned high teen runs Coors blowout!
Blackmon removed from blowout. Breather or trade brewing?
Don’t tease us like that!
It does stand to figure that the day after this, the offense mounts a 17-run ambush.
Even so, Kyle Kendrick could only last 5 IP and gave up his contractually required 6 runs.
As someone said, this will likely just encourage management to think everything is well with just minor tweaks here and there.
You would think that this season will finally disabuse Rox management of the notion that if only Tulo and Cargo stay healthy at the same time the Rockies will win. You would think that, but I’m sure the spin will be more on the order of: (1) fluke pitcher injuries like Lyles; (2) Dickerson out of the lineup; (3) when Tulo/Cargo were hitting as they’re capable of, everything was o.k.
It does very much seem like the Dickerson missing link theory, doesn’t it? As if he’s the last piece in a puzzle that would look like a .500 or better team. Position-by-position WAR doesn’t bear out that story.
I’d add the Ottavino tendon snap to that list of pitching excuses. Given that there is only 1 guy out of this whole current bullpen I keep for 2016 – Friedrich – the Ottavino injury didn’t make all that much difference.
Cargo has to have his highest trade value in 2 or 3 years. They ought to be able to get two or three good prospects for him. Of course the Rockies won’t trade him. And even if they do they’ll mess up the guys they get. I think it was today that Weiss was quoted as saying that without Arenado and DJ he didn’t know where the Rockies would be. Earth to Walt – We’re in last place, can’t get… Read more »
I love it!
Quick look at the standings since its non-waiver trade deadline week; AL East – Yankees beginning to assert themselves. Toronto and Baltimore better get busy. AL Central – KC. Detroit definitely in “sell” position. AL West – LAA and Houston neck and neck. NL East – Nats, but Mets hanging tough. NL Central – Cards, Pirates, with Cubs hanging tough. NL West – Dodgers then Giants. The emergence of the Yankees tells me they will be active. They desparately need… Read more »
You’re making my day miserable listing my beloved players as trade candidates. But I totally agree with your ideas if we are to try to open a window in 2017 or 2018. Come on Mr. Monfart. Time for me to hit the road for my final leg home from Lincoln, NE. Please tell me by the time I get home we will have at least one change in the organization. And Rox start winning. Normally I world say losing but… Read more »
I hate that drive. I’d rather drive across Kansas.
Thinks that make you go hmmmmmm: “According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Mets asked the Braves about the availability of shortstop Andrelton Simmons, but “the conversation went nowhere.” Olney says Atlanta “placed an unreachable price tag” on the 25-year-old. Simmons hasn’t developed offensively as quickly as many were hoping, but he’s a generational type of talent defensively and the kind of player the rebuilding Braves want to build around. Simmons is under contract with Atlanta through 2020 at some fairly… Read more »
Oops – make that “things” that make you go hmmmm.
My phat fingers and the iPhone just don’t mix that well.
So guys (and girls) – here’s a “what if” for you: What if – the Mets offered Zach Wheeler and Brandon Nimmo for Tulo (and – VERY IMPORTANT – took Tulo’s contract). What would you say? A little background – Wheeler is a bit of a prodigy. Was in the Giants system and the Mets got him for Carlos Beltran in a deadline deal a few years back. He’s followed a fairly “classic” maturation process and was coming into his… Read more »
Here’s a guy we should target in trade talks: “Cardinals RHP prospect Matt Pearce extended his walk-less streak to 46 2/3 innings Sunday in a win for Low-A Peoria. That’s a Midwest League record. The 21-year-old scattered six hits over eight scoreless frames, winning for the fourth time in as many starts. Over that span, he’s recorded a 0.67 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 27 innings. The right-hander hasn’t given up a walk since June 8.” I really don’t care… Read more »
BTW – that link/quote should be credited to RotoWorld.
More fun with the Trade Deadline (I have to live vicariously through other teams since the Blake Street Clown Show doesn’t get this concept):
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/projecting-the-prospects-in-the-johnny-cueto-trade/
When Arenado says “we need a big dude” as in starting pitcher, I wonder exactly who he has in mind when he says “we”? Hypothetically, if Tulo or CarGo are traded, he has to be ok with that. It is sounding more and more like his team now.
Sdcarp, I’m not sure why we’d trade for an outfielder. We have Parker, Dahl, Patterson, and Tapia all moving toward the major leagues. I’d rather see us fill other needs.
Julian – you’re 100% correct, we need pitching, and lots of it! But in my opinion, we’re far enough away from contending that more than anything – we need talent, period. I don’t look at some the deals I suggest as final products. I see them as stepping stones to improve the talent level throughout the organization. If some of the offensive talent we’re stockpiling in the low minors explodes (I mean that in a good way) it can be… Read more »