TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Rockies knew, after watching Jeff Francis throw the other day, that he probably wasn't going to be part of their rotation this season. They knew that there would probably be a moment when he would finally concede that his shoulder wasn't right, and that he needed surgery. That day came on Thursday.
But the Rockies feel they are in a much better position to absorb this kind of loss than they've ever been. "This is the best depth we've had since I've been here," said
Bob Apodaca, the Rockies' pitching coach.
And he said that under the presumption that Francis would be sidelined. The Rockies have options. Behind
Aaron Cook, the Rockies line up
Ubaldo Jimenez, who emerged in the second half last season, going 8-3 with a 3.68 ERA after the All-Star break;
Jason Marquis, a pitcher the Rockies acquired once they got the strong sense that Francis might be lost;
Jorge de la Rosa, who went 10-8 for the Rockies last season;
Greg Smith, one of the players acquired in the
Matt Holliday trade with Oakland; and
Josh Fogg, the veteran starter who became known as the "Dragon Slayer" the last time he was with the Rockies, in 2007.
If any of those pitchers flounder or get hurt; the Rockies have a nice second wave of talent that has a chance to translate in a big way --
Franklin Morales, who is in better shape this spring and is showing an improved delivery;
Greg Reynolds, the second overall pick in 2006, a pitcher who had
a tough rookie season; and
Jason Hirsh, who has battled injuries.
Francis was the unquestioned ace during the Rockies' run to the World Series in 2007, but Cook was the team's best starter last season, and for much of 2008 he was one of the best starters in the National League, before fading in the last two months. On July 30 Cook was
14-6 with a 3.53 ERA and he went 2-3 in his final nine starts.
Cook decided to ramp up his workouts in the offseason, and for the first time he stayed in Colorado and worked out at Coors Field for four days during the week with some teammates, feeling nudged by positive peer pressure. "It was nicer to have to those guys around," said Cook.
He did weight work two days a week and did other workout stuff the other two days, and as spring training began the other day he felt much better, more fit. "My legs are more underneath me," says Cook, who will again need to lead the Rockies' rotation.
Apodaca likes the athleticism of this group of starters -- which is reflected in how many good hitters he has, like Marquis and Smith -- and this trait, he believes, gives them a better chance to repeat their delivery, throw strikes and keep the ball down in the strike zone. If you look around the league and see which pitching staffs fare the best, Apodaca noted, it often comes down to who limits the number of walks -- and this will be a focal point for the Rockies, as they put together a rotation they believe will give them a chance to compete in the NL West, without or without Francis.
The pieces are in place for the Rockies
to weather the loss of Francis, writes Dave Krieger.
Troy Tulowitzki hit .291 with 24 homers in his rookie season of 2007, before dropping to .263 and eight homers in an injury-plagued sophomore year, but appears to be in a good frame of mind, and poised for a rebound.
This season is shaping up as
Clint Hurdle's
last stand, writes Mark Kiszla.
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Buster Olney
