When Dick Monfort sat down at a downtown Denver restaurant earlier this week, his hunger extended beyond brunch.
“I want to win,” the longtime Colorado Rockies owner said.
His methods for accomplishing that goal remain a source of frustration for Rockies fans. Since posting back-to-back playoff berths for the first time in 2017-18, the franchise has spiraled, bottoming out with 103 losses last season.
Between the endless defeats, undying loyalty to decision-makers, Kris Bryant’s underwhelming impact, a lack of starting pitching and uncertainty over whether the games will be available on TV, Monfort remains a target for criticism as the Rockies open their season Thursday night at Arizona.
“My biggest problem is I hate losing, and it is hard to debate anybody when you are losing,” Monfort said. “So the best way to quiet them down is to win, and win all the time, and that’s what we need to do. I do feel like we are on the right track.”
Monfort bases his optimism on a core of talented young players (shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, outfielders Nolan Jones and Brenton Doyle, and top prospects Jordan Beck, Adael Amador and Chase Dollander), improved health and bounce-back performances from veterans Kris Bryant and Kyle Freeland.
“Not all of that young talent is going to be on display right away, but it’s coming. And I think we get (pitchers) (German) Marquez and (Antonio) Senzatela back somewhere around mid-year, so I think we can compete,” Monfort said. “And even though we don’t have materially different players, I think just getting players we depend on on the field will be a big help.”
That list starts with Bryant. The one-time National League MVP has been a bust since agreeing to a seven-year, $182 million contract with Colorado, appearing in 122 of a possible 324 games over the past two seasons. He boasts 15 home runs with a .335 on-base percentage. In his previous six seasons, he averaged 28 home runs with a .376 OBP.
This spring The Athletic quoted Bryant as saying he didn’t “do as much research into prospects as I could have” before joining the Rockies. It came across as disrespectful. Bryant, saying the comment was taken out of context, addressed the issue with teammates and manager Bud Black.
Does Monfort regret signing him?
Kris Bryant #23 of the Colorado Rockies tosses a ball to fans before the third inning of a spring training game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 26, 2024 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
“I believe Kris is all-in,” Monfort said. “He has always been very positive. If you take the first year, what was going on coming out of COVID, signing late, a shorter spring training, he really had to be the guy, and he hustled to do it. It led to other things. Last year it was sort of weird injuries. Kris has played a lot of games. The talent is there. I think playing him at first will also help.”
What about a fresh set of eyes in leadership positions? Manager Bud Black led the Rockies to a pair of playoff berths, but his undermanned rosters have posted five consecutive losing seasons. Bill Schmidt enters his third full season as general manager after taking over as the interim on May 3, 2021.
“(Bringing in someone from the outside) is the other side of it. And I am not saying it’s totally wrong. But when (former GM) Jeff (Bridich) left there were a lot of people from the outside who interviewed or had interest. They would tell me how to win at altitude and everything they mentioned, it would not have worked, or it’s all things we have tried,” Monfort said.
“I think in any business you have to have people you can trust, and I trust both of them. With (Schmidt), it’s his third year. I think he has a good handle on it. I think he has a lot of talent to work with coming up. Take the combination of smart baseball people who work hard, who are trustworthy, loyal and all want to win in Colorado, that’s a damn good combination.”
The counterargument, of course, is that it’s not working, even if the minor league talent is starting to show promise. I asked Monfort if he is too loyal to those already in his organization.
“I do worry I am. I am open-minded to everything. But if you have to be organic, you have to stick with organic guys,” Monfort said.
By organic, Monfort is referring to the club’s draft-and-development philosophy. The Rockies’ projected opening-day payroll is $143.3 million, per Spotrac. They have consistently paid their own players through the years but rarely dip their toes in the free-agent water, including this offseason, when their top signings were back-end starting pitcher Dakota Hudson and backup catcher Jacob Stallings.
The philosophy leaves them dependent on selecting the right players in the amateur draft and maximizing the slight advantages smaller-market teams have available in international pool money.
“I think it’s the only way we can do it, and we are not alone. There’s 20 teams that are not trying to participate in getting a free agent in every spot. Part of it is luck and health and when guys come along (when relying on draft and development),” Monfort said. “(With the international bonus pools) everybody was sort of equal and the smaller teams had more of a shot. It’s been a fairer system. We have done a good job and have more coming (with Amador and outfielder Yanquiel) Fernandez.”
To take advantage of living in the margins, shouldn’t the Rockies invest more in analytics? They have 11 people in their department, three shy of the major league average, according to Four Rings Sports Solutions, after manager of baseball research Brittany Haby left the team this offseason. Two years ago, they fired their head of analytics Scott Van Lenten and replaced him with in-house video coordinator Brian Jones.
Monfort recently invested in “The Lab” at Salt River Fields, a place where players can measure and evaluate their performance and study their biomechanics. He insists his franchise has committed to harnessing analytics, although he didn’t foresee the team adding more people to its research and development staff in the immediate future.
“We are spending more,” Monfort said. “Everyone loves the lab.”
The problem remains pitching. The Rockies are never going to post gaudy numbers playing half their games at Coors Field, but they must be competitive. They ranked last with a 5.67 ERA in 2023. This offseason Schmidt traded for Cleveland starter Cal Quantrill, one of his eight deals for nine starters since 2021, while selecting eight starters in the top five rounds of the past three drafts.
Cal Quantrill (47) of the Colorado Rockies throws live during Spring Training at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale, Arizona on Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)
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“You could see all the offensive players we have two-to-three years away, so we said, ‘Let’s go out and get all the pitching we can get.’ And we have,” Monfort said. “We know they are not all going to work out, but we believe some of them will.”
The payroll disparity between the haves and have-nots rankles Monfort in a sport without a salary cap, something he hopes baseball finds a way to ultimately address. The Rockies project to lose roughly $32 million in local TV money between 2023 and this season after AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain shut down, according to Monfort. With many fans insisting they will not pay $19.99 a month for the MLB.tv streaming package after a 103-loss season, the team continues to negotiate to get their games on the air through cable television providers.
“We are going to be on TV one way or the other,” Monfort said.
It’s unclear how many will be watching. But one thing is certain: They want more winning.
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