Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag.<\/p>\n
Pose a Rockies- or MLB-related question<\/a> for the Rockies Mailbag.<\/p>\n Is Zac Veen going to make the team? If so, will he play?<\/p>\n \u2014 Chris Haag, Cincinnati<\/p>\n Chris, you are not the only one asking about Veen. He\u2019s an intriguing player because he was a first-round draft choice (No. 9 overall in 2020), and because he has prodigious power potential.\n<\/p>\n But Veen, 24, did not make the Opening Day roster for Friday\u2019s game at Miami because he\u2019s dealing with a knee injury that slowed him for much of spring training. Even if Veen had been healthy, I doubt he would have made the team. He has a lot of work to do to become a better outfielder, and he needs work as a hitter, too. There are a lot of holes in his swing. The hope is that he doesn\u2019t turn into a strikeout machine like the departed Michael Toglia.<\/a>\n<\/p>\n Like a lot of people, I\u2019m rooting for Veen, who\u2019s had to deal with a lot in his young life, including substance abuse issues.<\/a><\/p>\n I have been following the Rockies since their 2007 run to the World Series. What a ride that was. My younger stepson learned baseball at Coors Field. He saw Chris Iannetta hit a ninth-inning grand slam against the Houston Astros and has gone with me since. My question is this: What in the world does everyone see in Jordan Beck? I see a lot of strikeouts. I see an impossibly uncontrollable swing. His head turns completely on his shoulders. He cannot possibly see the ball after he swings. Yes, he has gotten better in the outfield on defense and has a really good, accurate arm. But at the plate? Please help me out here.<\/p>\n \u2014 Ari Nixon, Brush<\/p>\n Ari, I think the best word to describe Beck is \u201cstreaky.\u201d But when he\u2019s hot, he\u2019s a force, so I understand why so many fans and members of the front office and coaching staff believe he has All-Star potential.<\/a> Plus, you have to remember that Beck is only 24.\n<\/p>\n Consider this little statistical nugget: per OptaSTATS, Beck became the second player in major league history to have his first five home runs of a season all come in two days (April 24-25), joining Ty Cobb on May 5-6, 1925. Beck was also the first Rockie in history to have five home runs in any two-day span.\n<\/p>\n But also consider this: He opened the 2025 season with the Rockies but was quickly optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on April 7 after starting the season 3 for 20 (.150) over nine games.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n And then there are his dramatic home\/road splits. He slashed .303\/.348\/.466 with 18 doubles, three triples, eight home runs, and 36 RBIs in 76 games at home, while slashing .204\/.280\/.355 with nine doubles, three triples, eight home Finally, Beck needs to cut down on the K\u2019s. He struck out 80 times in 251 plate appearances in the second half last season, a 31.9 strikeout percentage that was the eighth highest in the majors post All-Star break.\n<\/p>\n I\u2019m not as critical of Beck\u2019s plate approach as you are. He wouldn\u2019t have gotten this far without a decent approach. He still has a solid chance to be a very good big-league player.<\/p>\n For the first time in years, the Rockies have changed their front office personnel and incorporated new ways to play baseball and win games. Even if the new regime is successful (75-80 wins) and analytics take hold, how many years can we wait to consistently get .500 baseball? How far is the Rockies\u2019 analytics department behind the league? I predict 75-87 (maybe my last prognostication). Cheers!<\/p>\n \u2014 Robert Emmerling, Limon<\/p>\n Robert, I salute your optimism. But 75-87 this season?! In the name of the late Harry Caray, \u201cHoly Cow!\u201d I don\u2019t see it.<\/p>\n Like you, I applaud the Rockies\u2019 willingness to change their process. It\u2019s way past time. As far as consistent, .500 baseball? I would think 2028 would be reasonable.<\/p>\n Hi Patrick, I have enjoyed your insights for a long time for both baseball and football. I also enjoyed reading your dad\u2019s articles for many years. The Rockies have historically done well developing Latin American players (Ubaldo Jimenez, German Marquez, Ezequiel Tovar, etc.). Are there any young Latin American players we should be looking for in the near future to make an impact? Why don\u2019t I ever see the Rockies being named as a possible suitor in the Asian market? Both Japan and Korea have produced many quality MLB players in the last few years, but I never see the Rockies as a possible landing spot. Thanks.<\/p>\n \u2014 Gene Ryan, Green Valley, Ariz.<\/p>\n Ryan, thanks so much for the compliment and for remembering my dad, Dusty Saunders.<\/p>\n A quick, bittersweet anecdote about my dad, who was a big baseball fan. My dad died at age 90, almost four years ago.<\/a> I was with him on the day he died, and I was watching a Rockies road game when he passed. In his eulogy, I joked that my dad woke up briefly, saw that the Rockies were getting rocked again, and said, \u201cI can\u2019t take it anymore.\u201d Then he passed away.<\/p>\n OK, on to your question. The Rockies\u2019 best Latin players right now are outfielder\/second baseman Roldy Brito (Dominican Republic), outfielder Robert Calaz (Dominican), and third baseman\/shortstop Wilder Dalis (Venezuela). \u00a0I think 2028 would be the earliest we see any of them in the big leagues.\n<\/p>\n As for the Rockies\u2019 presence in Asia, they used to simply punt, believing they couldn\u2019t compete. But Paul DePodesta, the new president of baseball operations, plans to change that.<\/p>\n \u201cI absolutely think it\u2019s important,\u201d DePodesta said during baseball\u2019s winter meetings in December. \u201cWe\u2019ve talked about a necessity for us to be sort of active in every possible avenue to acquire talent. So whether it\u2019s Latin America, whether it\u2019s Asia, whether it\u2019s the waiver wire, you have Major League free agent [and] trades. I mean all of it. I think we have to be actively involved in all of those to try to find some potential solutions for us. And so I do think that\u2019s an area where we\u2019ll probably ramp up our efforts to some degree.\u201d<\/p>\n At this point, it is pretty obvious to everyone, including Kris Bryant and the bat boy, that he will never play baseball again. With the highest annual player salary on the team, you would think he would be inclined to initiate a contract renegotiation to provide some relief to our current payroll. Seems like I remember Todd Helton doing this, which was a pretty stand-up and classy move to help the team.<\/p>\n Do you think these discussions may be possible at all?<\/p>\n Looking forward to all your 2026 Rockies articles!<\/p>\n \u2014 Troy, the biggest Rockies fan in Virginia<\/p>\n Troy, thanks for reading. It\u2019s very much appreciated.<\/p>\n You\u2019re correct, Helton did defer part of his contract. In March 2010, Helton signed a two-year extension ($9.9 million 2012\u201313) that also reworked his 2011 salary and 2012 buyout, totaling $13.1 million in deferred money.\n<\/p>\n However, the Bryant situation is much different. Helton was still playing, and he was a Rockies icon, with deep ties to ownership. Bryant is not playing and is still owed $81 million over the next three seasons. Plus, Bryant\u2019s agent is Scott Boras, one of the most powerful men in sports, and he\u2019s going to get all of that money for his client.<\/p>\n At some point, a deal will likely be worked out. This is what I wrote last November:<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cRetirement, with a financial agreement worked out with the Rockies, seems like the sensible course of action. It\u2019s what former Nationals ace Stephen Strasburg eventually did when he finally retired in April 2024. Strasburg, who had not pitched since June 9, 2022, is receiving all the remaining $105 million owed from his original seven-year, $245 million contract.<\/p>\n \u201cHis original contract was heavily deferred \u2014 $11.4 million annually, according to USA Today \u2014 with Strasburg scheduled to receive $26.5 million in 2027, \u201928 and \u201929. When Strasburg retired, the contract was restructured to spread out the deferrals further into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n Who will be doing the Rockies radio broadcasts in 2026? On the spring training simulcasts, I thought I understood they were auditioning three possible partners with Jack Corrigan. Who employs them? Are the TV broadcasters the same as before? Thank you.<\/p>\n \u2014 Steve, Aurora<\/p>\n Steve, funny you should ask. I had just reached out to David Tepper, the program director at 850 KOA. He told me that it has not yet been decided who will work with Corrigan in the radio booth. For now, Corrigan will team with longtime producer Jesse Thomas when the Rockies open their season on Friday in Miami.\n<\/p>\n During spring training, the Rockies auditioned Zach Goodman (announcer for the Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles and son of Drew Goodman, the Rockies\u2019 longtime TV play-by-play man), Albuquerque Isotopes announcer Josh Suchon, and Hartford Yard Goats announcer Jeff Dooley. I believe one of those three will join Corrigan.\n<\/p>\n KOA is looking to replace Jerry Schemmel, the longtime Colorado broadcaster, who was laid off for the second time by iHeartMedia last October. Schemmel now works as an ambassador and chief fundraiser for Best Day Ministries<\/a> in downtown Longmont.\n<\/p>\n Do the Rockies have enough to win 50 or 60 games this season?<\/p>\n \u2014 Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.<\/p>\n Ed, you\u2019re not a glass-half-full kind of guy, are you? At least not when it comes to the Rockies. They will be improved, so yes, they can win 60 games. In fact, my preseason prediction is a 60-102 record.<\/p>\n
runs and 17 RBIs in 72 road games.<\/p>\n