Multiple sources are now reporting that the Colorado Rockies and Carlos Gonzalez have agreed to a one-year deal for the 2018 season. The details of that deal are still coming in.
This acquisition raises a ton of questions for a team that already sported five MLB-quality outfielders. One can’t help but wonder if this means further blocking an already tough path for highly-talented players like David Dahl and Raimel Tapia, who could both now end up stuck at Triple-A.
Gonzalez is coming off the worst season of his career in which he hit .262/.339/.423 with 14 home runs in 136 games. He finished strong though, slashing .377/.484/.766 with 12 doubles and six homers from the beginning of Septemeber through the end of the season.
It remains to be seen if the club expects Gonzalez to step right back into his starting role, but if he does it could create a problem to that of a year ago when his bat struggled mightily but his reputation kept him in the lineup over players who were producing more.
Many of these concerns can be mitigated or altogether avoided if CarGo simply has a renaissance season, something perhaps foretold by his strong finish to 2017. Or, if he just accepts a new role as the first bat off the bench, a backup outfielder, and maybe even some occasional time at first base.
The Rockies desperately need one more bat on the bench. Every team can always use insurance for their young players, and even when he was at his worst last season, Gonzalez still inspired fear in opposing pitchers, drawing an unusual number of four-pitch walks for a guy who spent most of the year hovering around a .230 batting average.
Gonzalez has spent the last nine seasons with the Rockies, hitting 215 home runs and three All-Star appearances.
While analysts and the more hardcore fanbase that follow budgets and think longterm may be a bit confused or even frustrated by this news, there is no way around the fact that the overwhelming majority of fans and the roster are elated to have CarGo back. If his indication to us about how badly he wants to play in Denver are indicative of anything, it seems incredibly likely that he knows things may be a bit different this time around.
But at least he will be in purple again. Nobody ever made it look better.
0 Comments (2 conversations)
Jambron
“NO GOD! PLEASE NO!!! NOOOOOOOOOO”
Reasons this is very, very bad:
1. Money:
$8 million to a negative WAR player = GARBAGE!
2. Age:
Gonzalez is coming off the worst season of his career in which he hit .262/.339/.423 with 14 home runs in 136 games.
At age 32 we began to see classic signs of a power hitter losing bat speed and beginning to cheat. His swing lengthened to make up for lost bat speed, making him start his swing earlier to try and time fastball, making him extremely vulnerable to curve-balls.
Throughout his career Cargo has always been an extremely streaky hitter. As he ages the slumps become longer and the peaks become shorter.
3a. Opportunity Cost:
This move almost assuredly blocks Tapia and Dahl from developing. David Dahl could easily be an All-Star level OF in the MLB, but we will have to wait another year to see. Bud Black is going to play the crap out of Cargo, because that’s what he did last year under the exact same scenario. Bud Black loves veterans, and that’s unlikely to change. If Cargo is on the 25 man roster (which he will be) Clack is goign to start him. Last year Tapia out-produced Cargo in limited at-bats, and yet Bud Black played the slumping veteran over the rookie with a hot bat. The better player doesn’t always get a fair shake.
Best case scenario for cargo 1-2 WAR season. Best case season for Dahl and Tapia could easily double Cargo’s productivity.
3b. DFA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Designated_for_assignment
Parra, Desmond, and Cargo cannot be sent to the minors without being DFAd. Which leaves only one remaining outfield spot on the 25 man roster for Tapia, Dahl, or Tauchman.
There are now 2 starting outfield spots for 6 guys, 3 of which are veterans making a ton of money. Who gets the shaft in that scenario? Tapia, Tauchman and Dahl.
Either a lot of money sits on the bench or we play a sub-optimal lineup.
4. Left Handed Hitters:
The Rockies already have Blackmon, Tapia, Dahl, Parra from he left side and only Desmond as a right handed hitter. Cargo just adds to the lefty overload, further compounding the fact that this team was terrible against left handed pitchers in 2017 and the lineup construction is a major reason why.
5. Drag Factor:
His drag factor last year was 1.89! He was one of the largest anchors to offensive production in 2017.
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Fan favorite, or not, this just makes ZERO baseball sense. Either Monfort is meddling and is caving into a fan-favorite; or, our front office is at once brilliant at young player development and trades, while being simultaneously awful at free agency, especially with OF talent (see Desmond’s contract and production).
GOD DAMMIT ROCKIES! I thought this team had a chance to compete for a division title this year, and now I’m doubtful they’ll even make a wild card.
I love Cargo, the guy is a class act and has the best left handed swing since Griffey, but this move is garbage and makes no baseball sense. This reeks of nostalgia getting in the way of logic and the Rockies will pay dearly for it in 2018.
Drew Creasman
AuthorHard to argue with much of this.
Mitchmo23
I was going to leave a very long comment of how pissed I am, but it looks like Jambron covered it.