Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag.
Pose a Rockies- or MLB-related question for the Rockies Mailbag.
Patrick, you’ve mentioned that Dick Monfort’s sons are in line for the rockiest of thrones, to run this team in the future, and perhaps even near future. Do they have any unique qualifications to run a sports organization outside of the time they’ve already logged for the team? What sort of strengths and weaknesses would they bring to overall management? And do you have a sense for how their vision may align and differ from their father’s?
— Anthony, Denver
Anthony, those are terrific questions, but ones I don’t have specific answers for, especially concerning how Walker and Sterling differ from their father. I have requested an interview with the family in the past, but the Monforts declined.
I have spoken to people within the organization about the possibility of Dick Monfort stepping aside from baseball duties and passing them along to his sons. It’s going to happen. However, I have not discussed this topic with any of the Monforts, so much of what I’m about to write here is my opinion and speculation based upon those conversations with staffers:
• Considering the current state of the organization, and with the team on a path toward the most losses in the modern era, I think a major shakeup is going to occur. If this does not happen soon, then at the end of the season. I expect to see changes in front office personnel.
• With the current Major League Baseball CBA expiring in December 2026, I can’t see Dick Monfort stepping away from his principal duties as owner before that issue is resolved. He is a significant force in those negotiations, and I think he’ll lead a push toward a salary cap and revenue sharing.
• Having said that, I could see Walker moving into a role as team president, a role in which he would handle major, big-picture decisions about the team. I believe that could happen at the end of this season, perhaps sooner. Walker is in his 11th year as the club’s vice president of corporate partnerships and his 16th working in a full-time capacity for the team.
He officially joined the Rockies’ front office full-time in December 2009. From 2005-08, Walker worked summers on the grounds crew, in the visiting clubhouse, in the ticket office, and with the game-day promotions team. From 2009-13, he worked in the baseball operations department with a focus on the Rockies’ minor league operations and player development.
• I know fans would howl to the heavens if Walker takes such a prominent role rather than having the team look outside the organization. I totally understand that sentiment. However, those inside the organization have praised Walker for his leadership, ability to think outside the box and willingness to try new ideas. Walker could be a buffer between the general manager and Dick Monfort.
• Sterling is in his fourth year as the director of professional scouting and his 15th year with the club. In his current role, he oversees the day-to-day operations of the pro scouting department. Sterling played a role in acquiring players such as reliever Victor Vodnik and outfielder Mickey Moniak. In the future, he’ll continue to have a prominent role in baseball operations, but he’s not going to become the next general manager.
I wrote about Sterling’s promotion in January 2022.
• As for the qualifications of the Monfort sons, most of what they have learned — for good and bad — has come from their time with the Rockies.
• One final thought: I often forget that Josh Kroenke, team president for the Nuggets and Avalanche, came up through the family ranks, too. The huge difference, of course, is that the Nuggets and Avs have recently won championships.
Patrick, FanGraphs recently ran this article. Is there any way to get a sense of the Rockies’ analytics staff size now? Additionally, has this season prompted the organization to rethink its approach to using data utilization?
— Renee, Cody, Wyoming
Renee, the Rockies have 11 people in their analytics department. The staff includes Brian Jones, the head of research and development, as well as five software engineers and five analysts. It’s one of the smallest analytics departments in the majors.
I would say that this season has illustrated just how far behind the Rockies are compared to most other big-league teams. Some people within the walls of 20th and Blake understand this, but I’m not sure if things will change because the team needs to spend money to beef up its research and development.
By the way, Tampa Bay, which has one of the biggest R&D departments, is now in second place in the American League East.
In a recent story in The Athletic, former Rockies second baseman D.J. LeMahieu, who became a star with the Yankees, said: “I think (the Rockies) are a little behind, for sure. That doesn’t necessarily translate to wins and losses. It’s not like I’m going to point to that and say that’s the reason. But I think (joining the Yankees), it was like, ‘Wow, they’re really, really on top of things here.’ That was, like, one of the biggest surprises.”
Patrick, I’m glad you’ve been able to cover a couple of Rockies wins over the past week. Your prediction of 115 losses is pretty much what I calculate as well. My question: Does Ryan Ritter have any experience playing third base or second base? He seems nearly as solid as Tovar in the field and superior to McMahon at the plate.
Once McMahon is either traded or benched and Tovar comes back healthy, I see no reason to take Ritter out of the lineup. Surely other teams will get a book on Ritter as they change how they pitch to him, but so far, he does not strike out as much as other players, as he seems to have a major league sense of the strike zone. If Ritter moving to third is not logical, perhaps moving Estrada to third and Ritter to second would work?
— Dan, Centennial
Dan, Ritter’s immediate future depends on what the Rockies do at next month’s trade deadline. Will they move McMahon? Estrada?
One thing is certain: Ritter will not supplant Tovar at short. Ritter has played well in the field, but he’s not nearly as good as Tovar. Second base could be Ritter’s best position in the majors, and his three-quarter throwing motion fits the spot. He played just one game at third base in the minors, so I don’t see that as his future position.
The Rockies are not going to bench McMahon, who remains one of the best fielding third basemen in the game and has heated up at the plate after a terrible start. I like Ritter, especially his energy, but he needs to improve at the plate. His .212/.257/.333 slashline, no home runs and 37.1% strikeout rate (through Monday) illustrate how far he has to go.
I subscribe to the MLB.TV network to be able to watch the Rockies and other MLB games. I am amazed how many commercials I’ve seen when watching a game on the Dodgers network to let Dodger fans know the Dodgers are coming to Coors Field and includes a QR code to buy tickets.
I assume they also do this for the Chicago and New York teams?
It’s going to make me even madder when I’m sitting in a sea of blue when L.A. comes to town, knowing the Rockies actually try to make it bluer.
— Dan, Broomfield
Dan, I’m surprised that this surprises you.
The Rockies have promoted visiting teams coming to Coors Field for a long time. Other teams promote visiting teams coming into the home ballpark, too. It’s part of big-league marketing, especially for the Rockies, who don’t have much else to promote right now. The Yankees, Dodgers, Cubs, Red Sox, Phillies, etc, all draw a lot of fans to Coors Field.
The Dodgers come to Colorado in the middle of next week, and I expect big crowds will show up to see Shohei Ohtani and Co. If it weren’t Dodgers fans, I imagine Coors would be pretty quiet during those mid-week games.
I’m sure Rockies fans, such as yourself, hate hearing fans invade Coors and cheer for the visitors. Rockies players don’t like it either. The solution is for the Rockies to put a better product on the field. Until then, expect to see some visiting teams pitched as the reason to go to LoDo.
Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.