Colorado Rockies intend to stay course despite GM change

Even with GM change, Colorado Rockies want to stay on the right path

While the Colorado Rockies named Jeff Bridich as their new general manager on Wednesday, don’t expect a drastic change of course for a franchise coming off a fourth straight season of at least 88 losses.

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Colorado owner Dick Monfort still wants to keep shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and outfielder Carlos Gonzalez as the cornerstones of the franchise, according to Denver Post Rockies beat writer Patrick Saunders. Both have been injury-prone, as Tulowitzki played in just 91 games this past season, while Gonzalez managed just 70 appearances. Each also has a huge price tag that eats up a considerable portion of the Rockies’ payroll, with Tulowitzki beginning the first year of a six-year, $118 million deal in 2015 and Gonzalez has three years left on a seven-year, $80 million deal.

At ages 29 and 28, respectively, Tulowitzki and Gonzalez (when healthy) are both in the stage of their peak years, yet the two All-Stars could see their best seasons go for naught, as the Rockies lack the type of quality prospects that each of their four fellow National League West neighbors possess.

When the subject of immediate prospects came up during Bridich’s press conference on Wednesday, the only name brought up from the Class AAA ranks was that of 1b Ben Paulsen, who hit .317 with four homers and 10 RBI in 63 at-bats with Colorado this past season. Even that comes with a disclaimer, as Paulsen is 26, which puts him past the age of a top-tier prospect the club can rely on over the long haul.

“His approach offensively [in 2014] allowed him to show a lot more offensive consistency, using the field and not being always caught up in power numbers or anything like that,” Bridich said of Paulsen. “He just became a better hitter and a smarter hitter.”

Even with GM change, Colorado Rockies want to stay on the right path

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