The Rockies optioned infielder Charlie Culberson to the minor leagues and sold catcher Audry Perez to the Orioles today, so the triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes roster is becoming more clear. Cactus League games conclude Wednesday. Minor league exhibition games conclude Saturday morning.
Here's a look at the possible Isotopes roster, with the usual caveats that I'm not in Arizona watching the minor league games, this is strictly my opinion, and nothing is coming from the Rockies or Isotopes:
Catchers (2): Ryan Casteel (who can play first base) and Dustin Garneau will be the catchers, unless something drastic occurs.
Infielders (5 or 6): Ben Paulsen, Culberson, Cristhian Adames, Angelys Nina and Omar Quintanilla appear solid. The sixth spot could be Rafael Ynoa (if he doesn't make the Rockies) or Jose Rivera. Or they go with five infielders because most of the outfielders can play infield too.
Outfielders (4 or 5): Kyle Parker, Josh Vitters, Tim Wheeler, Tim Smalling and Jeremy Barfield. The last I heard, Roger Bernadina's wrist was still tender and he'd start the season back at extended spring training. If Bernadina is healthy, perhaps Barfield goes to double-A New Britain.
Starting pitchers (5): Chris Rusin, Aaron Laffey, John Lannan, Jair Jurrgens, Chad Bettis and Jon Gray are all possibilities. You never know what clauses are in the contracts of the veterans that would impact where they go. It sounds like like Eddie Butler and David Hale will be on the disabled list. Tyler Anderson and Tyler Chatwood will definitely start the season on the DL. Also keep in mind that Rockies ace Jorge De La Rosa could be making 1-2 rehab starts for the Topes early in the season.
Relief pitchers (7 or 8): Jairo Diaz, Jorge Rondon, Tommy Kahnle, Gus Schlosser, Yohan Flande, Kenny Roberts and Kraig Sitton are all strong candidates. Scott Oberg had an impressive spring and remains in big-league camp. Unless he beats out Rafael Betancourt for the final spot in the Rockies bullpen, he's in Albuquerque. Don't sleep on Austin House, the former New Mexico Lobo either.
The biggest problem with my predictions for the pitchers is that I'm totally neglecting six minor league free agents: Leuris Gomez, Jason Gurka, Jason Lowey, Brett Marshall, Justin Miller and Jose Ortega. It's nothing personal. I'm sure a few of them will be on the Topes. I just don't know where they all fit.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
Topes pitching staff taking shape
It's 13 days from the start of the Colorado Rockies season and 16 days from the start of the Albuquerque Isotopes opener. The pitching staffs for both teams are becoming more clear, although a couple interesting decisions loom.
A flurry of transactions over the last week have shaped the outlook. The Rockies, in a surprise move, released Jhoulys Chacin last weekend. Minor league free agent Buddy Bosher was also released. Cole White, a former New Mexico Lobo who I was penciling onto the Topes bullpen, decided to retire due to a shoulder injury.
The Rockies rotation now starts with Kyle Kendrick, Tyler Matzek and Jordan Lyles. Then it gets interesting. Chacin's release opens one spot. An injury to ace Jorge De La Rosa will likely start him on the disabled list and opens another spot temporarily.
Based on zero inside knowledge, I'm predicting the two spots will be filled by David Hale and Christian Bergman.
A flurry of transactions over the last week have shaped the outlook. The Rockies, in a surprise move, released Jhoulys Chacin last weekend. Minor league free agent Buddy Bosher was also released. Cole White, a former New Mexico Lobo who I was penciling onto the Topes bullpen, decided to retire due to a shoulder injury.The Rockies rotation now starts with Kyle Kendrick, Tyler Matzek and Jordan Lyles. Then it gets interesting. Chacin's release opens one spot. An injury to ace Jorge De La Rosa will likely start him on the disabled list and opens another spot temporarily.
Based on zero inside knowledge, I'm predicting the two spots will be filled by David Hale and Christian Bergman.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
How to avoid being a douchebag while watching March Madness
The headlines says it all and I love lists. So here we go.
1. Don't complain that "my bracket is busted" on the first day, especially during the morning round of games, unless all of your Final Four picks were eliminated. Everybody probably had the same favorite advancing deep. It's a long tournament. Don't be a douche.
2. Stop complaining about how hard it is to find Tru TV. It's pretty easy actually. It's on basic cable. You have an on-screen guide. Use it. Or google it. Don't complain the games are on Tru TV. Thanks to CBS/Turner, every second of every game can be watched in its entirety. It was not always like this. It wasn't that long ago you were at the mercy of some CBS suit deciding which games to watch, and when to cut to another game. Rejoice at the world we live in. Don't be a douche.
3. If you're going to hate Duke, that's fine. But don't complain that "Duke always wins." They've actually been upset in the first round two of the last three years. They've only been to the Final Four once in the last 10 years. It's still perfectly acceptable to hate Duke. But know your facts. Don't be a douche.
4. If you're at a bar or casino, and you see a group of fans seated together who are doing the same rituals they do at home games, don't make fun of them. It's March. It's their college. It's fun. Don't be a douche.
5. If you correctly predicted a double-digit seed for an upset in the first round, you're only allowed to brag about it if you made that pick on all your brackets. If you submitted four brackets, and had that 14 seed losing in three of the four, don't take credit for your genius pick. Don't be a douche.
Monday, February 23, 2015
Better Call Saul review: S1/E4 "Hero"
Warning: spoiler alerts below
If Kim Wexler can't resist Jimmy McGill's charm, how is the audience supposed to dislike him, even if he takes the bride he says he can't take?
Episode 4 of Better Call Saul was Jimmy at his scheming best, flashing back to the early 1990s for a scam to get money for beer and bong hits, trying to steal the Kettleman's back with a "retainer" fee disguised as a bribe, reasoning with Nacho that a "good Samaritan" actually saved him despite the impending consequences promised, treating himself to a makeover, drawing the ire of Howard Hamlin by dressing like his twin and posting a billboard that looks like his rivals, lobbying the local TV stations to broadcast a story about the big bad law firm in town out to get him, and staging the publicity stunt of all publicity stunts to make himself look like a hero and get new clients.
Entertaining as the final 55 minutes of this week's episode was, the initial five-minute "flashback" scene was the highlight for a second consecutive week. We learn that Saul Goodman was the alter-ego of Jimmy McGill at least a decade earlier. The name Saul is short for "it's all good." [Seriously, how long have the writers been waiting to use that line?]
What we don't know, as Vince Gilligan and his writers so deftly maneuver in non-linear storytelling fashion, is whether this week's scam came before or after last week's flashback that landed Jimmy in jail. [The guess here is this week's flashback was around 1991 and last week's was sometime in 1992.]
If Kim Wexler can't resist Jimmy McGill's charm, how is the audience supposed to dislike him, even if he takes the bride he says he can't take?
Entertaining as the final 55 minutes of this week's episode was, the initial five-minute "flashback" scene was the highlight for a second consecutive week. We learn that Saul Goodman was the alter-ego of Jimmy McGill at least a decade earlier. The name Saul is short for "it's all good." [Seriously, how long have the writers been waiting to use that line?]
What we don't know, as Vince Gilligan and his writers so deftly maneuver in non-linear storytelling fashion, is whether this week's scam came before or after last week's flashback that landed Jimmy in jail. [The guess here is this week's flashback was around 1991 and last week's was sometime in 1992.]
Thursday, February 19, 2015
Previewing the 2015 Isotopes: Relief pitchers
This is the final installment in our previews of the 2015 Isotopes. Previously, we examined the catchers, first baseman, middle infielders, third baseman, outfielders and starting pitchers.
The sheer quantity of possible relief pitchers makes compiling this list a bit daunting. We always start by trying to predict the major-league roster and then examine the remaining players for the triple-A roster. This is harder than any position because so few of the bullpen spots for the Rockies are locks as they begin spring training.
Utilizing the recent piece by the Denver Post's Nick Grote and the depth chart on Rockies.com, let's throw these seven names against the wall: LaTroy Hawkins as closer, Boone Logan, Tommy Kahnle, Adam Ottavino, Rex Brothers, Brooks Brown and Christian Friedrich (who is out of minor league options).
Next comes the usual qualifier about injuries, disaster performances in Arizona, and overwhelming performances that will surely change things.
Now comes the list of those fighting for a job with the Rockies and could be with the Isotopes. Let's break them into categories, shall we?
The sheer quantity of possible relief pitchers makes compiling this list a bit daunting. We always start by trying to predict the major-league roster and then examine the remaining players for the triple-A roster. This is harder than any position because so few of the bullpen spots for the Rockies are locks as they begin spring training.
Utilizing the recent piece by the Denver Post's Nick Grote and the depth chart on Rockies.com, let's throw these seven names against the wall: LaTroy Hawkins as closer, Boone Logan, Tommy Kahnle, Adam Ottavino, Rex Brothers, Brooks Brown and Christian Friedrich (who is out of minor league options).
Next comes the usual qualifier about injuries, disaster performances in Arizona, and overwhelming performances that will surely change things.
Now comes the list of those fighting for a job with the Rockies and could be with the Isotopes. Let's break them into categories, shall we?
Monday, February 16, 2015
Better Call Saul review: S1/E3 "Nacho"
Warning: spoiler alerts below
'Better Call Saul' is already one giant flashback, an explanation of how Jimmy McGill became Saul Goodman, so why not have a flashback within a flashback?
That's how Episode 3 begins. It's no longer 2003. It's now 1992. Jimmy has more hair and he's handcuffed. His older brother Charles McGill is not only able to leave the house, but he's badass lawyer able to help out a brother he hasn't seen in five years. Jimmy is facing property damage and assault charges, plus he's at risk for being a sex offender. Charles reluctantly agrees to help, but only after telling Jimmy, "everything that you're involve with, it's over."
That's the backdrop that helps us understand Jimmy's dilemma in 2003. He knows that Nacho Varga wants to steal the money from the Kettleman's that the Kettleman's stole from Bernalillo County taxpayers. He knows that Nacho isn't averse to using violence to make it happen. Jimmy is no hero, as he told his once-upon-a-time or still-upon-a-time phone sex buddy Kim Wexler. Jimmy still has a conscious though. We're led to believe it all dates back to what he promised his big bro 11 years earlier.
It's a fascinating opening 10 minutes and sets the stage for another enjoyable episode. Fifty minutes later, Jimmy discovers the Kettleman's are missing, Nacho was arrested as the lead suspect, Nacho maintains his innocent, Nacho thinks Jimmy set him up, Nacho is going to kill Jimmy if he doesn't get him out of jail, Jimmy thinks the Kettleman's staged their own appearance, Jimmy's crazy theory is shared by parking lot attendant Mike Ehrmantraut because it's more logical than the detectives, Mike's sage advice leads Jimmy in the right direction, and Jimmy finds the Kettleman's "hiding" in a tent not too far from their own backyard.
"Nobody wants to leave home," Mike tells Jimmy.
Yet it was Mike who was once on the force in Philadelphia, and left for reasons unknown to come out to Albuquerque. Why? We'll known when creator Vince Gilligan decides it's best for us to know.
'Better Call Saul' is already one giant flashback, an explanation of how Jimmy McGill became Saul Goodman, so why not have a flashback within a flashback?
That's how Episode 3 begins. It's no longer 2003. It's now 1992. Jimmy has more hair and he's handcuffed. His older brother Charles McGill is not only able to leave the house, but he's badass lawyer able to help out a brother he hasn't seen in five years. Jimmy is facing property damage and assault charges, plus he's at risk for being a sex offender. Charles reluctantly agrees to help, but only after telling Jimmy, "everything that you're involve with, it's over."
That's the backdrop that helps us understand Jimmy's dilemma in 2003. He knows that Nacho Varga wants to steal the money from the Kettleman's that the Kettleman's stole from Bernalillo County taxpayers. He knows that Nacho isn't averse to using violence to make it happen. Jimmy is no hero, as he told his once-upon-a-time or still-upon-a-time phone sex buddy Kim Wexler. Jimmy still has a conscious though. We're led to believe it all dates back to what he promised his big bro 11 years earlier.
 |
| Added bonus: this scene was shot down the street from where I live |
"Nobody wants to leave home," Mike tells Jimmy.
Yet it was Mike who was once on the force in Philadelphia, and left for reasons unknown to come out to Albuquerque. Why? We'll known when creator Vince Gilligan decides it's best for us to know.
Friday, February 13, 2015
Previewing the 2015 Isotopes: Starting Pitchers
We're in the home stretch of our preview of possible members of the 2015 Isotopes. If you missed the position player recaps, we looked at catcher, first base, middle infield, third base, and outfielders.
The recent signing of free-agent pitcher Kyle Kendrick was a clear sign the Rockies don't want to rush young pitching prospects Jon Gray and Eddie Butler. It's a good indication both will start the season in the Isotopes starting rotation. Before we dive into who joins them, let's examine the overall depth of starting pitchers in the Rockies organization, beginning with the majors.
Entering spring training, the Rockies rotation looks like this on paper:
LHP Jorge De La Rosa
RHP Jhoulys Chacin (returning from a shoulder injury after electing to not have surgery)
RHP Kyle Kendrick
LHP Tyler Matzek
RHP Jordan Lyles
It's never that simple though. Injuries, performance and maneuvering the 25-man roster based on off-day always influences the composition. Especially injuries. The next wave of starting pitcher candidates could end up in the Rockies bullpen as a long reliever, or in the Isotopes rotation.
The recent signing of free-agent pitcher Kyle Kendrick was a clear sign the Rockies don't want to rush young pitching prospects Jon Gray and Eddie Butler. It's a good indication both will start the season in the Isotopes starting rotation. Before we dive into who joins them, let's examine the overall depth of starting pitchers in the Rockies organization, beginning with the majors.
Entering spring training, the Rockies rotation looks like this on paper:
LHP Jorge De La Rosa
RHP Jhoulys Chacin (returning from a shoulder injury after electing to not have surgery)
RHP Kyle Kendrick
LHP Tyler Matzek
RHP Jordan Lyles
It's never that simple though. Injuries, performance and maneuvering the 25-man roster based on off-day always influences the composition. Especially injuries. The next wave of starting pitcher candidates could end up in the Rockies bullpen as a long reliever, or in the Isotopes rotation.
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