Big change is on the way at 20th and Blake.
What’s that, disgruntled Rockies fan? You say that new general Jeff Bridich has done very little to change the course of the franchise.
Au contraire.
I’m not talking about the Rockies’ trade for pitchers David Hale and Gus Schlosser or picking up Nick Hundley as a catcher. I’m talking about major changes that could leave the team looking very different after the 2015 season.
Start with Bridich’s early offseason proclamation, the one that stirred up a hornet’s nest of trade rumors. He said he was “keeping his eyes and ears open” for potential deals involving anybody, including stars Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez.
Those trades didn’t happen, and probably won’t anytime soon, but they very well could happen this summer. Keep in mind that Bridich’s words were a marked philosophical departure from what Rockies owner Dick Monfort told The Denver Post after the 2013 season.
“The plan is to keep them,” Monfort said of Tulo and CarGo. “Next year, yes. And my plan is to always keep them. Is that the smartest thing in the world to do? I don’t know. But for our fans, I think it’s the best thing to do.”
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Times have changed — and Tulo certainly knows it. He knows the Rockies owe him $114 million through 2020, with a $4 million buyout in 2021. CarGo knows he is scheduled to make $52 million over the next three seasons.
Asked recently about how he has dealt with persistent trade rumors, Tulo said: “In this game, you never get relaxed. Anything can happen. I’ve heard a few people say, ‘As soon as I thought that I was going to stay somewhere, that’s when I got traded.’ So I won’t go there. Whatever they do, they do. Whatever happens, happens.
“I would love to be here and win here. It would mean that much more to me. But I’m not going to sit here and say, ‘I’m definitely staying here.’ Because I really don’t know.”
It’s my opinion that if the Rockies are out of contention by the all-star break, Tulowitzki will publicly ask to be traded, forcing Monfort’s hand. Repeat, that’s just my opinion.
Of course, Tulo must prove he is healthy before the offers roll in. The same goes for CarGo.
Perhaps the most telling words this offseason came from manager Walt Weiss during the winter meetings. Weiss said the Rockies — when healthy — have the talent to compete in the National League West. He rejected the notion that it was time to blow up the team and start rebuilding.
But then he added this very telling remark: “We are at a point where we’ve got to turn it around. The reality of it is, if it doesn’t happen this year, yeah, you’re probably looking at going a different way at that point.”
The Rockies have a Gold Glove infield and plenty of pop in their bats, but also have unproven young pitching and an inability to score runs away from Coors Field. There is a good reason the wiseguys in Las Vegas list the Rockies as 100-1 longshots to win the World Series.
It’s conceivable that come August, the Rockies could be without Tulo, CarGo and Justin Morneau. The window to win with those stars is closing fast. The future could very well be built around the likes of Nolan Arenado, Corey Dickerson and Jon Gray.
Of course Bridich wants to win now. But he isn’t blind to change, and he’s smart enough to start preparing for it.
Patrick Saunders: psaunders@ denverpost.com or twitter.com/ psaundersdp
