Bud Black shares his non-plan plan for Ian Desmond and Mark Reynolds

DENVER – The Colorado Rockies first baseman/super utility man has been at the center of some controversy, getting the starts over Mark Reynolds who had arguably been the club’s MVP in the absence of Ian Desmond.

Bud Black took time before Friday night’s game to address the plan:

“The plan is one where we take each and every day as a unique game. But we feel with the combination of Ian, Mark, and Parra we have great options every night. And depending on how guys are swinging, if guys need a day off, certain matchups … all those things are taken into consideration. We have a plan every day about why we are doing certain things. We’ll look at the opponent, we’ll look at the opposing pitcher, we’ll see how our guys are playing and we’ll formulate a lineup.”

As far as Desmond at shortstop? “I don’t think so, not in the short term.”

But “Desi” as they call him, has already gotten some run in the outfield and says he feels comfortable moving around the diamond. “It was good,” he said of the first few games. “I felt like I was prepared, trusted the work I did leading up to the first game. Just happy Bud has the confidence to use me wherever.”

“Wherever” will be left field again tonight with Carlos Gonzalez out of the lineup nursing a sore calf and Reynolds manning first.

Whether or not this lineup shuffling turns into a problem remains to be seen. The Rockies have played well with and without Desmond, sitting atop the NL West with a record of 18-11.

“We’ve been playing great, the team’s playing great,” he says. “It’s an exciting chapter here in Colorado. I’m glad to be part of it. Even when you’re not on the field, there’s tons of things you can do to help out. I feel like I was contributing and that’s what it’s all about. That’s what good teams do. Good teams rely on not only the 25-man roster but also the 40-man roster. The depth is a good sign for this organization, still some that we haven’t tapped into. It’s exciting.”

The depth has shown off a bit here early but there is clearly more and more talented depth on the way, just another reason why Desmond chose Colorado, despite it not having a real defensive position for him.