• Archive: More Rockies Are Preparing for Winter League Baseball
What does this suggest about the team’s 2022 plans?
Oct 1, 2021
The 2021 MLB season is winding down, but some of the Rockies will play on during the offseason.
Danielle Allentuck @d_allentuck
The plan right now is for Rolison to play the first half of the season. Sam Hilliard, Brian Serven, Dom Nuñez and Chris Owings are among the other #Rockies players planning to play winer ball this year.
The Rolison announcement is official:
Tigres del Licey @TigresdelLicey
Anunciamos la contratación del lanzador zurdo Ryan Rolison, prospecto #3 de los Rockies de Colorado y Samad Taylor, prospecto #17 de Blue Jay nombrado como el Mejor Corredor de Bases Liga Noreste AA, por Baseball America 2021. ¡Bienvenido a la #FamiliaAzul 🐅💙! #ElGlorioso
Given that Rolison missed significant time due to appendicitis and a finger injury, it makes sense that the Rockies want him to build up his innings in preparation for 2022. In addition, Thomas Harding writes that the Dominican Winter League is “a highly competitive atmosphere that can often serve as a bridge to the intensity of the Majors.”
Ryan Rolison isn’t the only Rockie who will be playing winter ball. Sam Hilliard, Julian Fernández, Brian Serven, Dom Nuñez, Chris Owings, and Colton Welker will play as well, and there are rumors that Jordan Sheffield will, too. (Final rosters as well as Arizona Fall League rosters should be available in the next few days.)
Hilliard will be playing in the Mexican Pacific League as he continues to hone his approach at the plate. Hilliard has shortened his swing in an attempt to increase contact and reduce strikeouts, so it makes sense that he would further that work in the offseason.
He has acknowledged the changes have required some practice. “I’m a long guy and I have long levers, so I’m just shortening my swing as much as I can. I believe I’m on my way to getting the most out of the swing that I have. That’s just about cleaning up some things,” Hilliard said.
While Bud Black has been positive about the changes Hilliard has made, he acknowledges there’s more to be done. “He has to continue to work on putting the ball in play,” Black told Patrick Saunders, “And we have seen a more concentrated effort to do that, even with two strikes. Sam, with his strength, if he just puts the ball in play more, I think the average will climb.” In other words, the Rockies have some clear expectations, and Hilliard is attempting to meet them (and, presumably, earn a starting outfield spot).
Joining Hilliard in the Mexican Pacific League is Colton Welker. Given that Welker served an 80-game PED suspension, causing him to miss most of the season, he will benefit from additional playing time as he attempts to earn a starting spot in 2022.
The other teams that will host the Rockies remain unknown.
In the past, the Rockies have used winter baseball to help players recover after missing a season due to injuries (e.g., Chi Chi Gonzálex and Charlie Blackmon, whose stay in the Dominican Republic is archived in his Twitter feed for anyone curious enough to do some excavating). Presumably, Owings and Sheffield will be playing to make up for missed time due to injuries. But this offseason will have an usually high number of Rockies seeing additional action — they have typically only sent four or five players. This year, the Rockies have eight players who will participate in the Winter Leagues, which marks a decided shift.
What does it mean? Here are a few theories.
- There’s a New Boss — Since the Rockies have a new (albeit interim) general manager in Bill Schmidt, it makes sense that there would be changes in the organization’s player development strategies. We won’t know if this strategy worked until Spring Training, but it suggests a new philosophy in the Rockies’ offseason player development.
It also hints that a frugal Rockies organization will attempt to develop what they have as opposed to spending heavily on free agents or making trades. The Rockies have been known to overvalue their prospects, and this move to additional offseason player development suggests that part of the organizational philosophy remains unchanged.
* The Rockies Want to Give Hilliard and Nuñez a Chance to Improve — Neither player had an especially remarkable season in 2021. Hilliard has slashed .211/.288/.441 for a wRC+ of 77 and an fWAR of 0.2; Nuñez went .182/.287/.368 for a wRC+ of 66 and an fWAR of 0.3. Nuñez has been a disappointing catcher on both sides of the plate — a fact even more noticeable given the year Elias Díaz has had (92 wRC+; 1.5 fWAR). Like Hilliard, Nuñez is preparing to make a case for himself in spring training. Before that, he will play for the Indios de Mayagüez in the Puerto Rican Winter League.
The fact that Brian Serven is also playing winter baseball suggests there may be competition for Nuñez if his game doesn’t pick up. This year in Albuquerque, Serven slashed .247/.303/.498 for a wRC+ of 89. To be fair, it’s Minor League baseball, but Serven clearly wants his chance.
If the Rockies want to build on their current starting rotation, other parts of the team must perform better, notably an offensively anemic outfield. I expect the Rockies’ outfield to look different in 2022; by playing the Winter Leagues, Hilliard is trying to earn a spot.
* The Rockies Are Trying to Get the Pitching Staff Up to Speed — The Rockies have given Peter Lamber and Ryan Feltner MLB time during September to see where they are — an ERA of 11.37 in 6.1 IP and 11.12 ERA in 5.2 IP, respectively. Rolison will be afforded that opportunity in the Dominican Republic. This suggests that the Rockies are planning for a rotation without Jon Gray in the event they are unable to re-sign him or looking for that sixth starter in the event of a starter injury.
Sheffield and Fernández are destined to help a marginal bullpen that had the fourth-highest ERA in baseball (4.90 and an fWAR of only 1.5). These relievers need more work, especially a 25-year-old Julian Fernández.
Final Thoughts
Russell A. Carleton’s research indicates that playing in the Winter Leagues has little impact on most players, so it may not matter. But it does show a Rockies team trying something a little different as they make plans for 2022.
It also gives Rockies fans something to look forward to in the offseason because watching Winter League Baseball — even if you don’t speak Spanish — is a lot of fun.
Down on the Farm
- The Rockies have released their roster for their Instructional League. (Read it here.) Zac Veen and Benny Montgomery will be playing on the same team, which is exciting.
Old Friends
- I got this prediction wrong — though my prediction was always predicated on the Cards having a losing season:
STL Sports Central @stlsportscntrl
BREAKING: Nolan Arenado confirms that he will not be opting out of his contract this offseason, will notify the #STLCards formally of his decision, Derrick Goold reports
- The Tyler Anderson-Tom Murphy battery continues to roll with the Mariners tied for the second AL Wildcard:
Seattle Mariners @Mariners 
For Some Fans, Even Less Access
- Yesterday, Dish stopped carrying the AT&T SportsNet and Root Sports. According to Awful Announcing:
Everything about the move is frustrating, especially for Mariners fans, who just want to watch their team as it attempts to make the postseason for the first time in 20 years. (It’s also a loss for rural viewers with limited options — like my parents, who haven’t seen a Nuggets game in two years unless it was on a national broadcast).
This underscores the extent to which MLB blackouts are barriers to fans who want to watch teams play and are willing to do so. If the networks cannot get along with service providers, fans should be able to go around them, and MLB should facilitate the process, not stay wedded to an outdated delivery model.
What I’m Reading, Watching, and Listening To
- Noah Yingling’s “Are the Colorado Rockies a Better Team than the San Diego Padres?” (Rox Pile) — Yingling explores the possibilities.
- Spencer Campbell’s “Checking in on the Worst Trade in MLB History” (5280: Denver’s Mile High Magazine) — Campbell’s snarky tone tends to undercut his analysis. (And it’s too soon to evaluate the trade yet, anyway.)
- Manny Randhawa’s “Gray’s Rough Patch Continues Against Giants” (MLB.com) — Gray is clear: He wants to stay with the Rockies. Bill Schmidt, make it so.
- Zach Johnson’s “It’s a Good Time to Be an M’s Fan” (Wentachee World) — Johnson is a very disappointed Rockies fan who’s attached himself to the Mariners.
- Will Bardenwerper’s “Letter from Pulaski: Minor Threat” (Harper’s) — This is a compelling story about changes to the Appalachian League after last year’s MiLB contraction.
- James Wagner’s “The Environment Affects Baseball. These Players Want to Help” (New York Times) — More of this, please.
Weekend Walk-off
The series against the Nationals may have marked Trevor Story’s last time to play at Coors Field as a Rockie. Here’s how the Rockies took the field on Wednesday:
RoxGifsVids @RoxGifsVidsStory has made clear that he hopes to be playing elsewhere in 2022, and he may well be though it’s going to be a tough year to be a free-agent shortstop.
But while watching this, along with Story giving his Rockies gear to fans after the game, I couldn’t stop thinking about the framing of this season: It began with the Nolan Arenado trade and ended with Trevor Story (probably) leaving as a free agent in a year when the Rockies had another losing season.
Earlier in the day, the Rockies emailed season ticket holders, telling them to save the date for October 11 when they could begin buying their 2022 tickets, which, given everything going on, showed an inability to read the room.
For fans, all of this is disappointing and reinforces the extent to which the front office does not understand Rockies fans (and doesn’t seem much interested in working it out).
Thanks for reading —
Renee