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ptions comprise the reasons"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Scaling the RocksPebble ReportRockpileRockies Game ThreadsRockies Fan Experience7 reasons why I’m optimistic about the 2019 RockiesNew Carlos Carrasco Jersey ,29commentsA mix of on field factors and philosophical assumptions comprise the reasons 7 reasons why I’m optimistic about the 2019 RockiesThe 2019 Rockies have taken shape, and I’m excited. I’ve predicted a 93-win season, and I think they can win the West. (Frankly, it’s probably their best chance to make the post-season.) Here’s why I’m optimistic, both because of on-field factors, as well as more philosophical reasons.1. The core of this team remains intact from 2017 and 2018 Four players have moved on (Carlos Gonz谩lez, DJ LeMahieu, Adam Ottavino, and Gerardo Parra), but Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, and Trevor Story play on in purple. Equally important, the starting pitchers are back. This mix has worked for the last two years Cliff Pennington Jersey , and I think it will work again.2. The Rockies addressed their problemsIt turns out, the negative-run differential we talked about in 2018 mattered. The Rockies have attempted to address their offensive deficiency. They signed Daniel Murphy, who appears ideally suited to rake at Coors, and Raimel Tapia, Ryan McMahon, and Garrett Hampson have benefited from another year of seasoning. I didn’t think the Rockies could replace LeMahieu, but it appears they have. (I expect Garrett Hampson to make himself an essential player very quickly.)The hiring of Dave Magadan underscores the Rockies’ quest for a different offensive approach, which is an additional advantage of signing hitting savant Murphy. In Spring Training, Ian Desmond and Tony Wolters look better at the plate. Yes, the stats don’t matter, but this team has been better at bringing home runners — a contrast to2017 and 2018, when the Rockies ranked 25th in terms of wRC+ with runners in scoring position. I suspect negative-run differential comments will be a thing of the past (and I’m okay with that).3. The catching situation is fineI’ve written about this before, and I know it’s not a popular opinion Joey Votto Jersey , but Chris Iannetta and Wolters are fine. They have shown they work well with this pitching staff, and Jeff Bridich and Bud Black have been clear that they see the catcher position as primarily defensive. The signing of Drew Butera to a minor league contract is in character with Black’s tendency to have an experienced catcher ready to step in. They will (probably) not rake, but they will be solid defensemen.4. The bullpen will be fineScott Oberg is ready to fill Ottavino’s place in the 8th inning, and Mike Dunn appears to be back. Add Wade Davis, Seunghwan Oh, and DJ Johnson, and the backend of the bullpen is set. Then there are the X factors: Carlos Est茅vez, Yency Almonte, Harrison Musgrave, and Chris Rusin. Add to that the two pitchers everyone worries about: Bryan Shaw and Jake McGee. (I’m cautiously optimistic about Shaw.) Bud Black will not suffer bad pitching — even if those pitchers are well paid. He’s got other options, and if the Rockies thought they needed Ottavino to win, they would have tried to keep him in Colorado. (The Rockies’ decision to trade for Phillip Diehl, a Kyle Freeland University of Evansville teammate http://www.redsfanproshop.com/authentic-cliff-pennington-jersey , is not a coincidence.)has taken this to heart. 6. The plan is workingI’ve written about the Rockies’ plan before (grow your own players; trade carefully to fill gaps; never forget that good pitching is essential to winning). Moreover, in a time of tanking, the Rockies are (responsibly) expanding their payroll.Last year, we not only saw the plan in action, but we got a better sense of how Black implements it. He and Iannetta were clear in articulating the Rockies’ philosophy: Don’t get too hot; don’t get too cold; stay around .500 and be ready to jump on the hot streak. Addressing the offensive problems should make that easier to achieve.7. This team (finally) knows who it isLast year, in an improbable turn, pitching saved the Rockies, a team forever burdened with the presumption of offense and the weight of hitting at Coors. Not in 2018. This was a year of the Rockies trying to find their identity.They appear to have been successful. Here’s how Groke put it in a recent online discussion: “And how do they feel about themselves? I don’t see the swagger of a team like the Dodgers who have won the division six years in a row. I see a team that knows who they are. It’s not a lack of confidence. It’s more like a quiet duty. They are good enough to win the West, but new enough to that idea that they have a lot to prove still.”That “knowing you can do it but still having a lot to prove” is a situation I like. It reminds me of a line in “My Shot” from the musical Hamilton: That’s how I see the 2019 Rockies, and I like their odds. A look at what’s happening around the majors today:CLOSER NEEDEDThe Braves have a big hole in their bullpen now that closer Arodys Vizcaino will miss the rest of the season after having right shoulder surgery. General manager Alex Anthopoulos has heard fans chanting at SunTrust Park for the team to sign free agent closer Craig Kimbrel and bring him back to Atlanta, and he indicated the Braves are exploring all available options.“There’s been a ton of turnover from the beginning of camp to where we are today,” Anthopoulos said. “I think it goes without saying we’re going to look to do what we can both internally and externally.”The NL East champion Braves have recently used A.J. Minter as their closer, but he’s struggled.DISCIPLINE DAY?Major League Baseball will certainly review at the bench-clearing fray that erupted after Kansas City’s Brad Keller drilled Tim Anderson with a fastball on Wednesday. In his previous at-bat Reggie Sanders Jersey , the energetic White Sox shortstop had spiked his bat to celebrate a home run.Anderson, the AL’s leading hitter, was ejected along with Keller, Chicago manager Rick Renteria and Royals bench coach Dale Sveum.Anderson has often talked about encouraging players to express themselves, something MLB has tried to embrace with its “Let the Kids Play” marketing campaign. But not everybody in the game sees such exuberance the same way.AILINGThe Red Sox will see how second baseman Dustin Pedroia is feeling, a day after an early exit at Yankee Stadium because of discomfort in his left knee. The 35-year-old former AL MVP was pulled in the second inning.Pedroia was activated April 9 and is 2 for 20 at the plate. He has been slowed since a slide into his surgically repaired left knee at second base by Baltimore’s Manny Machado in April 2017.Pedroia had left knee surgery in October 2017 and was limited to three games in the majors last year.WELCOME BACKThe Dodgers return to Milwaukee for the first time since Game 7 of last year’s NL Championship Series, when they sank the Brewers to earn a second straight pennant.Julio Urias got one out for Los Angeles as a reliever in that game, and he’ll start the opener of this four-game series. He also faced Milwaukee last Friday and allowed six runs in five innings. Brewers righty Zach Davies makes his second straight start against the Dodgers. He pitched seven innings of one-run ball in a win last Saturday.