Colorado Rockies

The Colorado Rockies are in search of a new manager after Walt Weiss stepped down from the job after four seasons with the club on Oct. 3.

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Wakamatsu Linked to Rockies

Sunday, Oct. 30

Today's Knuckleball's Jon Heyman, citing sources, reported that Kansas City Royals bench coach Don Wakamatsu will interview for the Rockies' vacant position.

Heyman added that Wakamatsu "managed the Seattle Mariners for 2009 and most of 2010. Many people were impressed by his smarts, and some others thought he got a raw deal."

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Black Intrigued by Rockies Opening 

Tuesday, Oct. 11

Former San Diego Padres manager Bud Black confirmed to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post he is interested in the Rockies' manager vacancy. However, Saunders added the club has not confirmed that Black is a candidate. 

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Hill Emerges as Candidate for Rockies  

Tuesday, Oct. 11

Triple-A affiliate Albuquerque manager Glenallen Hill is a potential option to be the next Rockies manager, confirmed general manager Jeff Bridich, per Saunders. 

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Perez on Rockies' Radar

Saturday, Oct. 8

Thomas Harding of the Rockies' official website reported the team is looking at Atlanta Braves first-base coach Eddie Perez as a possible candidate. Perez "acknowledged" that he's been contacted by the organization, according to Reyes Urena of Venezuelan publication El Emergente (via Harding).

Perez is currently spending the offseason coaching Tigres de Aragua of the Venezuelan Winter League and has been a coach with the Braves for 10 seasons. 

Last season, he won the Winter League title with the Venezuelan club and advanced to the Caribbean Series, where his team fell in the finals to Mexico's Venados de Mazatlan. 

That kind of managerial success was expected from his former teammate and future Hall of Famer, Chipper Jones, per David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

I'm not surprised at all of Eddie's success as a manager. It is just a matter of time before he is experiencing success as a big league manager. He's learned a ton, as have many coaches, from the great [former Braves manager] Bobby Cox. Some of the same traits that made him an all-time favorite teammate for countless players, are also what makes him a great manager now, and in the future.

The 48-year-old previously spent 11 years in the majors from 1995 to 2005 as a catcher and first baseman mostly for the Braves along with two one-year stints with the Cleveland Indians and Milwaukee Brewers. 

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New Manager Will Have Uphill Battle to Turn Around Rockies

Whether it be Perez or another candidate, the new manager of the Rockies will have their hands full in turning around an organization that has been irrelevant for the better part of seven years. 

The 2016 season was the first time since 2010 that the Rockies didn't finish fourth or last in the National League West Division. They haven't had a winning season since that 2010 season and haven't made the playoffs since 2009. 

                    

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com. 

Boasting a National League-best 27 home runs at the end of July, Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story was on pace to decimate Nomar Garciaparra's rookie shortstop record of 30 home runs, which was set in 1997 for a Boston Red Sox team that finished 78-84, per MLB.com.

Entering the season, the Rockies were awaiting punishment for Jose Reyes' offseason issues, leaving the door open for Story at shortstop to begin the season. Reyes was eventually handed a suspension for 51 games, allowing the 23-year-old an extended audition for the starting role.

Any detractors of his were quickly silenced, as Story opened his major league career with a bang. In his first six games, Story collected seven home runs, including two in his major league debut on Opening Day against the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

Many may point to Coors Field (known as the league's friendliest ballpark for hitters) as the main source of Story's power, but he surprisingly tallied 11 of his 27 home runs on the road.

He played well enough for the Rockies to designate Reyes for assignment when he was eligible to return from the suspension, permanently handing Story the shortstop job.

Unfortunately for both team and player alike, Story was diagnosed with a torn ligament in this thumb in early August, bringing an end to a spectacular rookie season. Despite missing the final two months, he should garner serious consideration for National League Rookie of the Year honors.

Colorado Rockies manager Walt Weiss has resigned, the team announced Monday.

Weiss, 52, just completed the final year of a three-year contract. 

The Rockies have gone 283-365 in Weiss' four years as manager, failing to reach the postseason during his tenure. The team went 75-87 this past season.

His disappointing record may have been enough for the Rockies to decide a change was needed. But as Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reported Sunday, the manager's relationship with general manager Jeff Bridich had also become strained:

A significant gulf has developed between Weiss and Bridich, according to multiple sources within the organization, some of whom said Weiss has been been left out of the loop regarding major decisions dating to the offseason — when he was not consulted about the acquisitions of relievers Jason Motte, Chad Qualls and Jake McGee or outfielder Gerardo Parra, all of whom have had disappointing seasons this year.

That relationship made Weiss' decision to resign more predictable, as did his comments when asked if he was bothered about managing this past season without a contract extension in place.

“It doesn’t necessarily bug me,” he said, per Saunders. “I only want to be where I’m wanted. If I’m not wanted, I just leave. It’s one of my rules in life. I don’t stay anywhere where I’m not wanted. I just go, I just disappear. ... I want to make sure that people want me, from top to bottom. If not, I don’t want to be here.”

Weiss told Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports that he spoke with Rockies owner Dick Monfort about the relationship with Bridich, adding that it "wasn't healthy, wasn't productive." Weiss said he talked about "possible compromises" before stepping down.

With the four losing seasons under Weiss, the Rockies have now had six straight losing campaigns. But the team has plenty of talent, namely offensively, led by Nolan Arenado, DJ LeMahieu, Charlie Blackmon, Trevor Story and Carlos Gonzalez. There is reason for optimism in Colorado, though it will be a new manager's job to harness the team's potential next season.

        

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.

Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Tyler Chatwood was placed on the disabled list Aug. 16 with a mid-back strain. However, he has been cleared to return.

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Chatwood Activated from DL

Friday, Sept. 2

The Rockies announced they reinstated Chatwood on Friday.

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Injuries Continue to Surface for Chatwood

Chatwood originally hit the DL on June 19 with the same kind of injury and was out until July 5. It could provide an explanation as to why he's suffered such a drastic drop in performance despite his 10-8 record and 3.75 ERA prior to the injury.

Before his first stint on the DL, he began the year at 8-4 with a 2.89 ERA as Colorado's most reliable starter. 

For a team well outside the postseason picture, it's better to keep a potential ace healthy while looking forward to next season, though his return will provide a lift to Colorado's pitching staff in the final month of the season.

                               

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez left Aug. 8's game against the Texas Rangers because of a nagging ankle injury and missed three of Colorado's next four contests. However, he's ready to return to the starting lineup.

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Gonzalez Active vs. Phillies

Saturday, Aug. 13

The Rockies announced Gonzalez, who served as a pinch hitter Thursday, is active and batting third against the Philadelphia Phillies.

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Gonzalez's Presence Vital to Rockies Offense

Gonzalez has a .323 average with 23 home runs, 79 RBI and a .372 on-base percentage in 107 games played his season.

Gonzalez, a three-time All-Star, won the National League batting title and a Silver Slugger award in 2010 with a .336 average, 34 home runs and 117 RBI. He added another Silver Slugger award to his resume in 2015 with a .271 average, a career-best 40 home runs and 97 RBI and was one of the few bright spots in a disappointing season for Colorado.

Gonzalez is also a solid corner outfielder and posted five total defensive runs saved above average in right field in 2015, per FanGraphs.

The Rockies haven't reached the postseason since 2009 and face an uphill battle in a loaded National League West that features the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers. If Colorado is going to stay in the hunt for a wild-card spot, it needs Gonzalez to remain healthy in the middle of the order as half of a powerful one-two punch alongside Nolan Arenado.

Colorado Rockies pitcher Jorge De La Rosa earned the 100th win of his career over the weekend by picking up the victory in Saturday's 7-2 drubbing of the New York Mets, per Elias Sports Bureau (via ESPN.com).

He allowed two runs (both earned) on six hits and two walks over six innings, also striking out four batters in a solid performance that pushed his record to 7-7 for the season.

De La Rosa's 5.51 ERA and 1.60 WHIP suggest he's rather fortunate to have as many wins as losses, even after considering that six of his 15 starts (and all three of his relief appearances) have come at Coors Field.

In fact, the 35-year-old southpaw actually has a reputation for having mastered his difficult home ballpark, as he posted a 3.59 home ERA (235.2 innings) and 4.21 road ERA (265.1 innings) from 2013 to 2015.

The unusual split hasn't shown up this year, with De La Rosa now struggling both at home (5.65 ERA) and on the road (5.40 ERA).

Per Elias, the lefty is just the sixth player in major league history to have both a winning record and career ERA above 4.50 at the time he earned his 100th career victory.

Saturday's win left De La Rosa with a 100-82 career record and 4.61 ERA, which is actually quite good for a pitcher who's spent the vast majority of his career with the Rockies.

Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story has been placed on the disabled list with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his thumb. He will undergo surgery and is likely out for the remainder of the season.

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Story Surgery Details Revealed 

Wednesday, August 3

Story will undergo surgery on his left thumb Thursday, and Dr. Jennifer Kummer will perform the procedure, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com. 

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Story Expected to Miss Rest of Season

Tuesday, August 2

Harding reported Story will have surgery on his thumb and expects to miss the remainder of the season.

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Story Placed on DL

Tuesday, August 2

The Rockies announced infielder Rafael Ynoa will replace Story on the active roster.

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Story Injury Is Damaging Blow to Powerful Rockies Lineup

The 23-year-old Texas native is enjoying a spectacular season, hitting .272 with a National League-leading 27 home runs and 72 RBI.

He is the clear front-runner for the NL Rookie of the Year Award, and along with Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez, Story gives Colorado one of the most potent and powerful lineups in Major League Baseball.

The Rockies are the hottest team in baseball with a record of 8-2 over their past 10 games, and they have gotten themselves within four games of the second and final wild-card spot in the NL.

They trail the San Francisco Giants by eight games for the NL West lead, so they are more likely to sneak into the playoffs by chasing down the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals.

Colorado has some depth at shortstop in the form of veteran Daniel Descalso and Cristhian Adames, but Story's absence takes a huge element of power away from the Rockies' talented lineup.

    

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Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Boone Logan is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career, but he could be on his way out of town before Major League Baseball's Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline. 

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Rockies Shopping Logan

Thursday, July 28

On Thursday, MLB Network's Jon Morosi reported the Toronto Blue Jays "have discussed" a possible deal with the Rockies for Logan.

Toronto's bullpen is in desperate need of a serviceable left-handed arm as the team looks to stay in contention in the American League East. Entering Thursday, the Blue Jays were two games behind the first-place Baltimore Orioles.

Brett Cecil, the only lefty Toronto has, is 0-6 with a 6.00 ERA in 27 appearances this season, and a lack of a lefty specialist could come back to haunt the Blue Jays as August approaches.

Logan could provide a huge boost, as the 31-year-old southpaw has been the best arm in Colorado's bullpen this season.

He's recorded a team-best 2.48 ERA to go with 34 strikeouts in 29 innings. He's been especially stellar as of late, not allowing a run in his last 10 outings.

In contrast, no other Rockies reliever who has appeared in 35-plus games has an ERA lower than 3.86.

Because of that, Morosi forecast on July 19 that Logan would "be among the most talked-about bullpen arms across the industry in the coming days."

Logan's three-year, $16.5 million deal will expire at the end of the season, per Spotrac, and due to such great interest, it might be best for the Rockies to deal him to get something in return instead of taking their chances in free agency.

That way, Colorado could acquire some pieces to help the team develop into a contender in the National League West, which has been dominated by the San Francisco Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers.

                       

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

The Colorado Rockies don't have to trade Carlos Gonzalez.

He's under contract through 2017, and he's having an All-Star season.

If Colorado is serious about a rebuild and wants to maximize CarGo's value, however, the moment for a blockbuster deal could be now or never.

After playing just 180 games combined in 2013 and 2014 because of injuries, Gonzalez bounced back last season with 40 home runs and a .271/.325/.540 slash line in 153 contests.

This year, he's shown that was no fluke, slashing .317/.370/.544 with 20 homers and 22 doubles entering play Thursday.

Even adjusting for the Coors Field effect—Gonzalez's career slugging percentage is 176 points higher at home—those are numbers that would leave any offense-hungry contender salivating.

There are likely other power-hitting corner outfielders on the market as the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline approaches, including the Cincinnati Reds' Jay Bruce and, possibly, the New York Yankees' Carlos Beltran.

Gonzalez, though, would be the biggest prize if the Rockies were to dangle him, a middle-of-the-order bat capable of tipping a race anywhere he goes.

Name	Age	HR	OPS	2017 Contract Status
Carlos Gonzalez	30	20	.913	$20M
Carlos Beltran	39	21	.894	Free agent
Jay Bruce	29	25	.895	$13M option, $1M buyout

In June, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post laid out the case for moving Gonzalez:

CarGo is making $17 million this season and $20 million in 2017, the final year of his contract, so the Rockies would like to get something for him before he leaves. He's not the complete, five-tool player he used to be, but he's still a legitimate slugger.

If general manager Jeff Bridich doesn't believe the Rockies can make the playoffs this season—and I think in his heart of hearts he knows this team is at least a year away—then moving CarGo makes sense. The fact that outfield prospects David Dahl and Raimel Tapia look like potential stars makes a CarGo trade even more likely.

Saunders concluded that Colorado is more likely to trade Gonzalez in the offseason. It's a salient argument. Next winter's free-agent cupboard is notably bare, so CarGo ought to draw ample interest, assuming he stays healthy and productive for the remainder of 2016.

Then again, there's no guarantee that'll happen. Gonzalez turns 31 in October. He's always been a streaky hitter. And to repeat, he wore the label "injury-prone" until recently, missing time with various maladies and undergoing knee surgery in 2014.

Surely some clubs that would surrender a shiny package for a healthy CarGo in the offseason would cough up more to get him in the heat of the playoff push.

Mix in the risk of a disabled-list stint or a cold couple of months, and the Rockies might never be able to sell higher than they could right now.

Colorado has done an admirable job bolstering its farm system, which Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter ranked No. 6 in the game after the 2016 amateur draft.

A few more quality pieces—particularly on the pitching side—could solidify the future. Plus, there are already club-controlled stars on the big league roster, including 25-year-old third baseman Nolan Arenado and 23-year-old shortstop Trevor Story.

At 49-52, the Rockies are six games off the wild-card pace and a long shot at best to sniff the playoffs. Their eyes should be trained on the horizon.

So which teams might be willing to part with meaningful chips to land Gonzalez? Potentially a lot.

Jon Heyman of Today's Knuckleball linked him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sporting News' Ryan Fagan noted CarGo "makes sense" for the Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, Cleveland Indians, Baltimore Orioles, Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox.

That's not to say all those squads would have the assets or motivation to make it happen, but it gives a sense of the wide net Colorado could cast.

On July 7, Gonzalez indicated he'd like to remain in the Mile High City as the Rockies' young players develop. He's played in only one postseason, in 2009, when the Philadelphia Phillies eliminated Colorado in the division series.

"I have been here for a lot of bad moments and tough situations, so I want to see the bright [side]," he said, per Saunders. "I want to be here when that happens."

Maybe he will be. The Rockies don't have to trade him.

But if they're planning on doing it and maximizing the return, now seems like the time.

    

All statistics courtesy of MLB.com and Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

With the Colorado Rockies falling out of the postseason race, they're likely to become sellers before the Aug. 1 non-waiver trade deadline, with Charlie Blackmon a prime candidate to be moved.

Continue for updates.

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Nationals GM Denies Blackmon Rumor 

Wednesday, July 20

During an appearance on 106.7 The Fan (h/t Pete Medhurst), Washington Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said that a rumor from Jon Morosi of MLB Network stating the club is reportedly "showing interest" in Blackmon is "not accurate."

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Rockies Could Cash In on Blackmon to Fuel Rebuild

Blackmon, 30, is having another excellent season, hitting .307 with 12 home runs, 43 RBI and 10 stolen bases.

Jon Heyman of Today's Knuckleball reported earlier in July that the Rockies were shopping both Blackmon and star outfielder Carlos Gonzalez. 

Dealing either (or both) would make sense for the Rockies. As of July 20, the team is six games under .500 (43-50), 13.5 games out of first place in the NL West and eight games back in the NL wild-card hunt. Both players are 30, and while Blackmon is up for arbitration after this year, per Spotrac.com, Gonzalez is under contract through 2017.

Plus, the Rockies would be dealing each (or both) in their primes and amid excellent seasons, likely ensuring a lucrative return. 

Blackmon, meanwhile, would certainly improve Washington's lineup at the top of the order. As Morosi noted, the team is 30th in leadoff OPS and 28th in center field OPS, so Blackmon would be a huge upgrade. 

       

You can follow Timothy Rapp on Twitter.