Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images Colorado Rockies recap and discussion thread for Saturday, December 23 and Sunday, December 24, 2023 The weekend is a great time to kick back and reflect. This Week in Purple is the place to...
Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
Colorado Rockies recap and discussion thread for Saturday, December 23 and Sunday, December 24, 2023
The weekend is a great time to kick back and reflect. This Week in Purple is the place to catch up on the news from our team at Purple Row. You’ll find links to Rockpiles and other content below as well as a platform for community discussion in the comments.
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As we wrap up 2023, it’s been an interesting year for the Colorado Rockies and their fans. Not only did the team lose 100+ games for the first time in franchise history, but around the division, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been stockpiling all of the best players around MLB. They signed Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a 12-year, $325 million deal last night after trading for Tyler Glasnow and immediately inking him to a five-year, $136.5625 million contract extension. This, of course, comes on the heels of the historic Shohei Ohtani contract on December 9th.
That all said, we at Purple Row want to wish you all happy holidays! Here’s some reading for the weekend:
To Read
A too-early look for the Rockies top choice in the 2024 MLB draft | Kenneth Weber
To kick off the week, Kenneth wrote about the upcoming 2024 MLB Draft. The Draft will take place in July, and the Rockies are scheduled to select third-overall after the MLB Draft Lottery on December 5th. Kenneth looked at Oregon State 2B Travis Bazzana, Wake Forest 1B Nick Kurtz and West Virginia SS JJ Wetherholt. Who would you like to see the Rockies take with the third-overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft?
The Colorado Rockies’ offseason is progressing as it should (even if it’s boring) | Renee Dechert
While the Dodgers have been going crazy, the Rockies have been relatively quiet on all fronts. They haven’t signed any players to major league contracts or extensions, and they’ve been relatively quiet in engaging with fans. However, Renee wrote about why that’s exactly the strategy that the Rockies should be taking in this moment.
Let’s explore the backup catcher market for 2024 | Skyler Timmins
That all said, the Rockies did mention interest in a backup catcher for 2024. Skyler looked at names such as Curt Casali, Tucker Barnhart, Andrew Knizner, Eric Haase (who has subsequently signed with the Milwaukee Brewers in the hours after this article was published) and Gary Sanchez. Do any of these catchers excite you?
Should the Rockies consider a reunion with Mike Moustakas? | Evan Lang
The Rockies also mentioned that they would like to sign a veteran bench bat. In the past, the Rox tended to favor veteran starters and rookies off the bench, but that philosophy might be changing now that they have a bunch of young players who are proven starters. However, Evan writes about how Mike Moustakas could be a perfect off-the-bench veteran to help the youngsters continue to transition as well as provide some pop in a pinch. What do you think?
Rockies rookies Jones and Tovar earn well-deserved bonuses | Joelle Milholm
To close out the week, Joelle looked at money. Specifically, she looked at how the new CBA rewarded players with an increased league minimum and performance-based bonuses for pre-arbitration players. Specifically, the bonuses go to the top 100 players in the pre-arb pool, including award winners and nominees. She also looked at the current crop of players around MLB who earned top bonuses, as well as how much some big Rockies stars earned in their pre-arb years. Congrats to Jones and Tovar!
Colorado Rockies 2023 Season Review: Ranking the Rockies
In case you missed it, we concluded our 2023 edition of Ranking the Rockies last Wednesday. Whose ranking surprised you the most?
To Listen
Affected by Altitude: All I want for Christmas is the Rockies to do something
Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the house, Skyler and Evan desperately hope that the Colorado Rockies do, well... anything at all this offseason. While the other NL West teams are making moves or figuring out a trajectory, the Rockies have been very quiet. Even the Kansas City Royals are showing free agents a vision and making moves to improve after their 106 loss campaign, but the Rockies seem to have no vision at all. At least at the end we can have a little fun and give out some Christmas gifts.
Every Rockie Ever Podcast: Troy Tulowitzki
Since his debut in 2006, Troy Tulowitzki quickly cemented himself as one of the best players in MLB of his generation and helped revolutionize what a shortstop could be and do at the MLB level. For years he dazzled fans with his incredible defensive prowess and imposing presence in the batters box. The Timmins brothers reflect on his career from his rookie days to his peak years, to the sadness of his trade to the Blue Jays and his fractured relationship with the Rockies. They also lament what could have been if he had been able to stay healthy and how a Hall of Fame career was derailed and betrayed by his own body.
Weekend Discussion Topics
How do you feel about the Dodgers’ recent signings? What does this all mean for the Rockies in 2024? Sound off below!
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