Spring Training Predictions

[BigRapidsJackass]

I'm getting a little tired of the offseason griping about Rockies management. Yes, I know I'm one of the leading participants, but I'm even boring myself now.

Time to change the subject. What surprises will spring training bring? Here's my guesses:

-- Ryan Speier will be impressive, and will either make the trip north or will be up by mid-May.

-- Hirsh and Buchholz will both look good, and will force the Rockies' hand (Buchholz being out of options), causing Kim or Fogg to be traded.

-- Clint Barmes will have a fine spring, and (sigh) will cause Tulo to start off at AAA.

-- Jeff Baker will continue to mash and will be Hawpe's platoon partner.

-- Ramon Ramirez will look like the 2nd half of '06 version, and it won't be pretty. Matt Herges will be '07's version of Tom Martin: the "veteran reliever" Hurdle gets to choose for that 25th roster spot.

-- Javy Lopez will have a fine spring, and (sigh) will either force a trade of Torrealba or Iannetta will start at AAA.

-- Oscar Rivera will look, at least for a while, like the second coming of Fernando (or at least Teddy Higuera) and the Rockies will pay that Yucatan club their million bucks.

-- Aaron Cook will be the opening day starter.

-- Brian Fuentes will suffer some kind of arm trouble and will send panic through O'Dowd as he has to start the season with LaTroy Hawkins closing.

-- Kaz Matsui will look good, then get hurt.

-- And it's a lock: Charlie Monfort will predict that the Rockies will make the playoffs.

[rockieprogress]

I hope you're right, about everything but the injuries.

I also agree that Baker will be Hawpes platoon mate, and believe that the super-sub talk is just hot air, as most of his AB's will be in RF.

Do you think Stewart tears it up again? I do.
My lack of worry about Stewart and his seeming lack of "WOW" in the minors is due to Baker's comeback from all the minor injuries he's suffered. I see a parallel between him and Stewart, and think Stewart's wrist problems are finally going to be behind him.

I also am of the opinion that the real BRJackass will have Barmes start at 2B. His job is on the line, and he'll be doing everything he can to find his comfort zone, and that's clearly where Barmes fits his plan IMO.

[Roxpert]

Ok, Jackass, I'll play this game.

Here are my picks for top 10 surprises of Spring Training (not all of them serious):

10. Aaron Cook will be found with a recurrance of a blood circulation problem, and be shut down for corrective rib surgery. Out 3 months.

9. Matt Holliday tears a quad muscle trying to stretch a spring training double to a triple, and misses the first 6 weeks of the season. It affects his performance for most of the season after he returns.

8. B.K. Kim suddenly announces his retirement after failing to make the rotation, refusing a trade, and returns to his native Korea to manage a team there.

7. Javy Lopez hits .198 in 30 Spring ABs, and is DFA'd.

6. The team bus gets into an accident on the 1-10 trip to the Valley of the Sun. No one is hurt, but it causes some on the team to grumble about being relegated to the Cactus League Hinterlands and wishing we relocate to Phoenix as the White Sox are doing.

5. Jason Hirsh out-pitches Jeff Francis AND Rodrigo Lopez, winning a suprise starting assignment on Opening Day. Clint Hurdle calls him the "best starter I've ever seen pitch for us in the Spring" after he doesn't allows a single earned run in the spring over 23 innings.

4. Hurdle continues his spring ritual of hyping his team. He tops his old quote of saying "We have no glaring weaknesses" by saying "This is the best depth and set of skills we have ever had here in the Spring" (Yes, he already said this today, so it doesn't really qualify as a prediction).

3. The surprise player to make the 25 man roster out of Spring Training is.......................SETH SMITH (after hitting .459 in 50 ABs, Holliday's injury, and Surprise #2 happens)

2. Cory Sullivan is traded to Florida for pitching prospects in the final week.

And the #1 surprise of Rockies Spring Training 2007 is.....

1. NEITHER O'Dowd nor Hurdle are given extensions by Monfort before the season starts!

[wolf213]

10. Todd Helton Struggles and hits .200 with 3 doubles and 4 RBI's, meanwhile Josh K. tears it up hitting .467 with while slugging over .800

9. Stewart has another big Spring Training and gets sent to AAA to learn how to play RF

8. Matsui Struggles and Carroll gains the starting 2b assignment.

7. Jason Nix has a great spring and Beats out Dear Meet for the 25th spot on the Roster

6. Cook wins opening day Nod

5. Javy Lopez hits .198 but somehow makes the roster due to Veteran Leadership, iannetta gets sent to AAA so he can play everyday

4. Ricardo Lopez does great and gets the number two spot in the rotation

3. Kim is lights out, but the team can't trade Fogg so Kim gets traded for a grade C propsect. Kim goes on and finishes 3rd in the Cy Young Voting

2. Josh Fogg makes the opening day rotation despite an ERA above 10.00

1. Spillbourghs beats out all CF candidates and is the opening day CF.

[hiaspire]

I like a lot of BRJ's predictions, as well as many of the others posted so far.

Jennings will be pretty strong coming home to the Astros on a winner, but all three of the guys traded here will make angry Rox fans forget about it. Hirsh will look like the second coming of Francis and Taveras will take that next step necessary and give us something we haven't had in a long time at the top of the order looking a lot like EY in his best years.

Neither Barmes or Sullivan will be on the team. They are part of the past now, and pages need to be turned. No contest at SS, although Barmes may play very well early (as he has a tendency to do) and work his way into a trade since some teams still remember his blazing start of previous seasons.

I've always associated boom or bust with Jeff Baker since he was drafted. He could either take Hawpe's job or start the year on an extended disabled list. But it is safest to predict he'll share time with Hawpe and move around the diamond a bit as needed in a supporting role. Huge news (either good or bad) wouldn't surprise at all, though.

Javy Lopez becomes one of the biggest stories of spring training and is your opening day starter behind the plate putting up nice power numbers along the way. I'm not giving that one up yet.

Non-stop Helton is back stories after a monster spring moves him back into the #3 spot.

There will be plenty of shockers in their final roster decisions. I heard DOD and they are mostly looking for guys who will do the little things to WIN when the games are on the line. To me, actual spring performance in that small sample of games are going to drive a lot of their choices. Spring game late inning heroes will get more advantage than usual in player competitions. Omar Quintanilla and Gomez start spring by being late-inning replacement under-dogs and end the spring on the final roster after some key moments catch management's eye. Mabry comes up the hero a couple of times this spring also but just can't find a spot if Baker healthy and backing up the corners.

I look for a big season from Cook, but Francis rises to Hurdle's personal challenge and gets the starting nod with consideration of Cook's NL West struggles going up against AZ in the opener. I agree with other optimistic predictions about newcomer Lopez, but can't see him actually getting the nod.

Both Torrealba and Lopez look strong behind the plate and with a bat, so instead of picking one of them to backup the kid the Rox go with both veterans (with emphasis on winning) and give Iannetta everyday time at AAA after some spring struggles. A trade of one of them is also possible if Iannetta shines this spring and both veterans are healthy.

Although a lot of young arms look good in the pen (like Morillo throwing fireballs), the Rox don't want to repeat past seasons of going too young in the pen to start the year and go heavy on the vets. Either Herges or Veres almost make the team if not for a late injury trying to come back.

With their strong organizational depth, the Rox lead the cactus league in wins sparking new optimism momentarily. Then the regular season starts and we'll see how that goes.

[Below C-Level]

(1) Jeff Francis gains confidence in his two seam fastball, makes the leap this year and emerges as one of the top lefties in the NL.

(2) Holliday and Atkins become household names.

(3) Kaz Matsui shows why he was a star in Japan and hits .318/.373/.435 and is a candidate for NL Comeback Player of the Year honors.

(4) Helton starts the season on a tear before sustaining a freak injury and missing some significant time.

(5) Iannetta and Lopez break camp as the catchers on the 25 man roster.

(6) Rodrigo Lopez does a Jason Jennings impression, emerging as a 200 IP workhorse, winning 12 games and making 30+ starts.

(7) Ubaldo Jiminez is the the Rox version of Joel Zumaya in the 7th and 8th by July.

(8) Wily Taveras is underwhelming offensively, but plays a spectacular center field and goes into the All-Star break with 38 stolen bases.

(9) Barry Bonds hits #756 at Coors Field on Monday, September 3.

(10) Dave Veres makes the club out of ST, but retires in early July.

[RMF]

I sure hope that Below C-level is right. (Is that GPA or Altitude?)

My ST predictions

Taveras wins CF job despite being outplayed by the competition

Matt Holliday breaks a hand in the last game of ST

Rockies give the C jobs to Lopez and Hurdle's man crush. (Both get injured and Iannetta ends up as the starting C as he should be.

Kim, Sullivan and Barmes are traded for a bag of oranges and some Tom Emanski videos.

Rivera makes the team and goes to the BP. Ends the season as our 4th best SP.

[Below C-Level]

Ha! Neither, actually.

[Rankal]

Here's my prediction:

- Numerous young stars are beyond impressive in the spring, but the Rox choose to stick with their veterans as opposed to the kids, feeling the pressure of "needing to win"
- Holliday gets hurt in spring training, doesn't perform as well throughout the first few months, and is traded at the deadline for minor prospects
- Tulo has a decent spring and lights up the majors in April
- Hawpe struggles giving Baker more playing time, who puts up Larry Walker like numbers forcing Hurdle's hand, leaving Hawpe traded by July
- Kaz Matsui is impressive, but Hurdle favors Carroll who doesn't play nearly as good as he did last year, leaving the Rox at a significant disadvantage when he plays.
- Hurdle ends up over-managing trying to save his job and the season and, once again, manages us to a below .500 record.

[indianadrew]

the entire team plays awsome during spring training causing the experts to predict that the rockies will go to the playoffs for the second time in franchise history.

kaz-mat has a serious slump causing jamey carroll to retain the starting job, which he keeps the entire year. he is awarded a gold glove which he SHOULD have gotten last year.

helton regains his swagger and is selected to the all-star team, along with holiday and atkins.

tulo struggles during spring training and is sent to the springs for work on his impatient bat, wheras barmes lights up the bat and regains HIS starting position.

finley has his best season in years and is voted comeback player of the year, followed closely by helton who goes .325 with 35 bombs and 135 rbi's.

clint hurdle manages the team to the best record in franchise history and is given a 2 year contract extension

the monforts keep their promise about spending money if we are in it, and it pays off. we aquire a high profile player that nobody expects, and he puts us over the edge. we goto the playoffs in '07

[wolf213]

Originally Posted by indianadrew

the entire team plays awsome during spring training causing the experts to predict that the rockies will go to the playoffs for the second time in franchise history.

kaz-mat has a serious slump causing jamey carroll to retain the starting job, which he keeps the entire year. he is awarded a gold glove which he SHOULD have gotten last year.

helton regains his swagger and is selected to the all-star team, along with holiday and atkins.

tulo struggles during spring training and is sent to the springs for work on his impatient bat, wheras barmes lights up the bat and regains HIS starting position.

finley has his best season in years and is voted comeback player of the year, followed closely by helton who goes .325 with 35 bombs and 135 rbi's.

clint hurdle manages the team to the best record in franchise history and is given a 2 year contract extension

the monforts keep their promise about spending money if we are in it, and it pays off. we aquire a high profile player that nobody expects, and he puts us over the edge. we goto the playoffs in '07

I want what he is smoking....

[rockieprogress]

drew, will a Hoosier ever have a bad year in your opinion?

[indianadrew]

barmes had a bad year last year, but i have no doubt he will emerge as the starter.

[indianadrew]

"I want what he is smoking...."

i heard that you guys are in MUCH better shape than we are

ere