A team that has some of the best young talent in baseball saw injuries and trades derail their season, along with a total lack of support from the non-superstar contingent in Denver.
WHAT WENT RIGHT
As always, Troy Tulowitzki went right. The best shortstop in the game continued to add to his legacy with a 6-win campaign that saw him produce at a high level even with a slow start and some small injuries. Carlos Gonzalez had another good campaign, albeit less than the MVP-caliber 2010 he had. Chris Iannetta finally got some regular playing time and it paid off, throwing up a .370 on-base percentage to go along with 14 homers. The offense as a whole did pretty well, throwing up 735 runs, good for eighth most in all of baseball, although at Coors Field, the team is expected to score runs. Rafael Betancourt and Jhoulys Chacin had good seasons on the hill, with Betancourt striking out more than 1 per inning and being the anchor of the bullpen.
WHAT WENT WRONG
The pitching was pretty bad all season long for Colorado. Ubaldo Jimenez, who put up a Cy Young-caliber performance in 2010, struggle mightily with injuries, command, and fastball issues before being shipped to Cleveland for a large ransom of players. Huston Street took a big step back and actually lost his closer’s job, and Jorge De La Rosa blew out his elbow and underwent Tommy John Surgery. Had he stayed healthy all season, he would have been a 4-win pitcher, best on the team by far. The offense also didn’t get contributions from either Dexter Fowler or Seth Smith, two outfielders expected to step up with a full season of playing time. Also, they paid Todd Helton $19 million to play league average at first base. Jason Giambi could have done that for $18 million less had they played him more.
SURPRISES
Jimenez’s decline was something that nobody really saw coming as much as it was something nobody WANTED to see coming. With his throwing motion and a fastball that routinely touched 100 MPH, chances are that Colorado was hoping that Jimenez wouldn’t break down as quickly as he did. That being said, it was a surprise that he got traded and it was an even bigger surprise that Cleveland gave up as much as they did for him. Also, there was somewhat of a surprise that the Rockies didn’t go with a total youth movement considering they had some players who looked ready at the high minor league level. Being out of the race by July, they could have really gotten a good look at some guys that could help them in the future.
DISAPPOINTMENTS
As already mentioned, Jimenez disappointed himself right out of Denver, and Carlos Gonzalez didn’t live up to the superstar status his extension might lead you to believe he is, although he only was paid about $5.5 million this past season, so he still had plenty of value. Fowler was a big disappointment and now has to regroup after being sent down to Triple-A in the middle of the year. Street needs to bounce back or be bought out after next year.
2012 CHANGES
Helton has a buyout for 2012 and will probably re-sign for MUCH less than the $22 million he would be owed this year. Look for him to remain if he doesn’t opt for retirement. If he does, you might see either Ianetta or catching prospect Wilin Rosario get a chance at 1B if the other catcher doesn’t catch on, as both players have bats good enough to play at 1B as a spot-filler until a replacement is found. If they can pay big money for Prince Fielder, he’d be at heaven in that ballpark. Aaron Cook’s option should get declined, as well, meaning that only Chacin, Juan Nicasio and Jason Hammel are locks for the rotation. Drew Pomeranz got a look in September and has a chance to be in the running for one of those slots, and Christian Friedrich, now the top pitcher in the system, might have a chance if the Rockies don’t re-sign Cook.
POSITION BATTLES
The big one is at catcher, as Ianetta and Rosario will battle it out for the right behind the plate. Rosario struggled when he got to the big leagues but has a chance to be a very good player, especially on the offensive side of the spectrum. Another guy to look out for is 2008 first-round pick Tim Wheeler, who had such an incredible season at Double-A this past year that he could usurp someone in the outfield with a good Spring Training. Him knocking Smith off his perch in right field might be something to look out for.
