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Rockies news and links for March 21 http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-greinke-jersey , 2019Pebble ReportRockpileRockies Game ThreadsRockies Fan ExperienceRockpileLooking at predictions for Rockies pitching in 2019New,33commentsRockies news and links for March 21, 2019 Looking at predictions for Rockies pitching in 20192019 Preview: National League West | Hardball TalkThe Colorado Rockies made the playoffs in 2017. They made the playoffs in 2018. They are in a position to make the playoffs again in 2019. And yet we are still subjected to preview content that assumes the Rockies have just been mashing the ball on offense all these years and getting by with average-to-bad pitching.There are 30 MLB teams. I get it. There isn’t time to watch every team, and to make up that ground you look at stats. Even with that context established, it’s still hard to read things like “the Rockies pitching staff leaves something to be desired” and reconcile that with the actual story of how the Rockies made the playoffs last year or how they’re in a position to win this year.Some day the discrediting of offense at Coors Field will catch up with the way that pitchers’ stats are analyzed. To Bill Baer’s credit in this preview, he at least acknowledges that Coors throws a wrench in for these pitchers. As for the rest of the preview, Baer notes that it’s the Dodgers’ to lose, and he’s probably not wrong.Rockies’ biggest eyesores in the bullpen have the keys to reverse course | Mile High SportsThe Rockies will look to certain guys to bounce back in the bullpen and pick up the slack for underperformers and those who left, such as Adam Ottavino. Luke Zahlmann takes a look at who needs to be better in relief in this article. What jumps out right away is that they are also the guys in whom the Rockies have invested some real money. I presume that will be a trend in Rockies season previews coming up.Bryan Shaw, Jake McGee and Mike Dunn all signed multi-year deals. They have all disappointed. Imagine what a difference it would make if even two of the three got closer to form. We can take comfort in the fact that those types of turnarounds are at least more likely in the bullpen. Zahlmann analyzes what those improvements would look like for these key relievers.2019 Positional Power Rankings: Catcher | FanGraphsYou didn’t need this article to know that the Rockies’ catchers need to be better this coming season. Chris Iannetta has a role as a stabilizing presence, but a bigger role is there for the taking for either Tony Wolters or Tom Murphy. It seems fair to say Murphy is the one who could have that impact on offense if he got on track at the big league level.Paul Sporer has the Rockies checking in at no. 21 on this power rankings list for teams’ catchers. I honestly thought it might be lower. That does still find them the lowest among National League West teams, for whatever that is worth.Hungry Anderson searching for consistency | MLB.comThat’s Tyler Anderson Jake Lamb Jersey , who took the mound in Cactus League action against the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday. It’s been a bit bumpy this spring, as evidenced by the two home runs Anderson allowed in six innings of work. He was hardly a disaster, however, as Thomas Harding notes in this write-up, but there’s enough competition in the rotation he will need to be better.He will indeed need to be better, and that’s for a spot at the back of the rotation. That’s just one more reminder about the strong state of the pitching staff entering this season. Also in this game, an 8-7 loss, Nolan Arenado was among a trio of Rockies who hit home runs. The aforementioned Chris Iannetta added a long homer and Daniel Murphy went deep.MLB’s David vs. Goliath: Will Daniel Descalso outhit Giancarlo Stanton this year? | ESPNShoutout to former Rockies great Descalso in this article. Sam Miller looks at the ways we assess hitters in an outstanding piece that serves as a good reminder that the abundance of statistics in baseball need not be something we get mad about. It can just be a different way to look at things and an entry point to interesting conversations about this silly game that we love. Erik Kratz may find himself on the outside looking in when it comes to making the Brewers roster"There hasn’t been a question on who will be the Brewers’ starting catcher when the team breaks camp since the day they signed Yasmani Grandal. Who ends up being the second catcher on the roster, however, was a different story.On the first day of workouts for pitchers and catchers, it looks like last year’s primary starter currently holds that spot. Speaking to reporters today, manager Craig Counsell said the players have been told that as of now http://www.diamondbacksfanproshop.com/authentic-zack-greinke-jersey , Manny Pina is second on the team’s catching depth chart, and Erik Kratz is third.Things may change as camp goes on, but heading into his age-39 season, Kratz appears to know what’s likely to happen. Still, it looks like he’s showing the same down-to-Earth sensibility that made him a bit of a cult hero during the Brewers’ playoff run last year:As Tom Haudricourt notes in a later tweet, Kratz signed a one-year deal with the Brewers in the offseason that would pay him $1.2 million in the majors and $300,000 in the minors, but Kratz is out of options, meaning the Brewers would have to pass him through waivers if they hope to keep him in the system. But even if Kratz does make it to San Antonio, his chances for playing time don’t look to be significant, as the organization likely wants to see Jacob Nottingham get as much playing time as possible in hopes of seeing him in Milwaukee once Grandal eventually moves on.Kratz hit .236/.280/.355 for the Brewers with a 69 OPS+ in the regular season but was an asset behind the plate with his pitch-framing ability, and was a big part of the Brewers’ NLDS sweep of the Colorado Rockies by going 5-for-8 with 2 RBI. The organization may be hoping he’d be willing to be a mentor for Nottingham at the Triple-A level Jeff Mathis Jersey , helping the catching prospect with his receiving skills in a sort of player-coach role similar to the way Tim Dillard was used in Triple-A over the past few years.Pina seems to be taking the demotion back to being a backup catcher about as well as can be expected, too. It’s not a role that’s foreign to him as that’s what he was before the past year-and-a-half or so, but it still has to be disappointing on a personal level after having finally won a starting job — even if he knows professionally it’s best for the team.Pina consistently fought the injury bug last year in his first full year as the team’s starting catcher, and actually ended up playing in fewer games than he did in 2017 for that reason. Still, he was able to hit .252/.307/.395 with his usual strong defense behind the plate. You could do a lot worse for your backup backstop, and there’s a chance he could return to a regular starting role in 2020 if Nottingham isn’t considered quite ready at that point.Realistically, it doesn’t seem like the catching depth chart will change much over the next few weeks. The Brewers are not the type of organization that would take a few hot weeks by a 38-year-old catcher and use that as a major factor in their decision-making process (or, maybe more accurately, they aren’t that type of organization anymore). Judging by his comments, Kratz seems to know that as well.Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference