RvC: Draft Talk, Walker at the Wheel

Walker at The Wheel

On June 26, it was announced that Greg Feasel, the Rockies former Coca-Cola sales guy turned team president would be stepping down and in his place, the son of owner Dick Monfort would be taking the reins. This, of course, is very funny. Ever since the tragic death of Keli MacGregor, Rockies fans and take makers have yearned for a new president. someone independent of Dick Monfort that could dictate staffing, direction, etc. for the whole organization. Buuuuuut, when Feasel was named to the role in 2021, it wasn’t exactly well received. Feasel has been with the Rockies since 1996. So all the bad things you hear about them being insular and unwilling to hire anyone who doesn’t already work for them, that remained true. On top of that, now four years later, Feasel’s operation hasn’t seen any change or indication that Dick isn’t still heavily involved. The Rockies are only worse than they were in 2021, the only difference being they now owe Kris Bryant something like 120 million dollars.

Feasel’s departure might’ve been a really good thing. An indication or at least a public showing that people inside the organization do not like what is happening on the field. But, with the announcement that Walker Monfort is taking over, it’s likely just a planned passing of the torch. Feasel is wrapping up his 30th season as a Rockies organizational member and moving on to greener pastures, Walker is taking the next step in a typical business where the kids takeover for the parents. Eventually, Walker and his brother Sterling will likely be the owners of the Rockies. But, for now, Walker will be the chief operating officer and will be the desk the buck stops at for questions like “why does the team suck so bad?” and “are you going to fire Bill Schmidt?”

Which is an interesting question, at least the last one. This week, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported some noise around the idea General Manager Bill Schmidt could be on his way out. The Rockies have fired two GMs in the last ten or so years. Dan O’Dowd and Jeff Bridich were sent packing without much sentiment. Bill Geivett, another Rockies FO member famous for asking us to trust the organization, also was sent packing back in 2014. But, Geivett, Bridich, and Schmidt all had one thing in common: they all only worked for the Rockies. Does Walker have a different vision for the club? Does he understand the failures better than Dick does and have more of a say than Feasel in making the changes needed? I don’t know, I wouldn’t get my hopes up personally. What influence Walker does or doesn’t have on this organization currently is unknown to everyone outside the org. The optics of his promotion to this role stink, though. That I do know.

With Walker at The Wheel, we are adding more Monforts to a pie that most people agree has been spoiled by the Monfort we already have. Dick’s meddling in the operations of the team have led to miserable valuations of players, a loyal to a fault mentality, and a loser ideology permeating throughout the organization. This has all been said before but if there is any hope Walker Monfort will change his father’s course, it has to be in the changing of those foundations that betray everything else the Rockies try. Scions have dismantled their parents work before, it’s just rare enough that if you expected it to happen you’d be rightfully laughed at.

Connor’s Guys Update, An Update on Connor’s Minor League Guys of Note

Connor’s Guys will be an update on the Guys I want to follow through the Rockies minor league system. This won’t necessarily be the best prospects, don’t expect a top-100 guy here, but guys I find interesting. Every now and then we’ll add a new guy when I spot someone putting up an interesting line or having a unique profile to look into. Currently, Connor’s Guys are all pitchers. Sean Sullivan (AA), Welinton Herrera (AA), Brody Brecht (A), and Connor Van Scoyoc (AAA).

Brody Brecht is coming back with some rehab starts the last week or so, I expect he’ll rejoin Fresno’s rotation soon. Welinton Herrera (The Beef as they call him) was recently named as an injury replacement in the MLB Futures Game, which gives the Rockies a second name in that prestigious competition showcasing the top prospects in baseball. Herrera has been electric across two levels this season and, on top of that, he does a little jump whenever he strikes a guy out. I know we all love Jefry Yan, the viral jumping sensation, but Herrera does some of that AND could be an actual elite reliever.

CVS, Connor Van Scoyoc, had a rough June in ABQ. This newsletter is a huge fan of the CVS Method, which is almost religiously never striking anyone out, but his control went awry in June. 11 walks in 15 innings is something you cannot do if you live on the edge like Van Scoyoc does. True Believers of the CVS Method will not fret with a minor blip and this past week, Connor was right back in the zone preventing runs and refusing to strike anyone out. Patience with Van Scoyoc, for He will see us to the glory.

Sean Sullivan has to work out, I’ve now invested shares in him in a dynasty fantasy league (along with Brecht). His soft stuff approach doesn’t come close to the CVS Method, but he is a guy that I think I’d like to see get roughed up in ABQ for a minute before he comes to Denver next summer. His season was a bit staggered, returning from a hip injury saw him miss spring training and spend a few weeks in Arizona before moving up to Hartford. This probably prevented him from joining the Isotopes sooner but it isn’t a death rattle for a possibility that he is an early riser to the bigs next year. The Rockies would be smart to clear as many rotation spots as they can for young pitchers. Sullivan could replace Senzatela, though hopefully with better results.

Draft Thoughts

Sunday is Major League Baseball’s amateur draft. For fans of garbage teams like the Rockies, it’s the first night of hope you’ll feel all season, and maybe the last. Cynical Rockies posters may say “why bother? The Rockies will just ruin the guy”. And they might be right. But I do think there is something to the possibility that the Rockies stumble into another superstar. They’ve done it before, they can do it again. Surely, someone is good.

Last year’s top pick Charlie Condon recently found his way to AA Hartford after absolutely raking in Spokane. Condon’s hit tool suffered some projection after the draft but it has found it’s way back after posting an .851 OPS in Spokane fueled by 26 walks.

This year, the mock drafts have the Rockies going a few places. Mostly, though, they’ve started to center around former Rockies legend Matt Holliday’s younger son Ethan coming to Denver. Ethan is a projectable high school shortstop, much like his brother, Baltimore Orioles slugger Jackson.

Holliday is more than just a famous family though, he’s the number one prospect in the draft on many big boards and has been the most highly followed prospect in this class ever since his brother Jackson went number one overall a few years ago. If he falls to the Rockies at fourth overall, it could be a major win for an organization seeking one. Keep in mind, despite the fact this may be the worst season MLB has ever seen, due to draft lottery rules the Rockies can’t pick higher than 10th overall next year. A win like Ethan Holliday falling into their lap may almost be too good to be true.

This is, however, a weird draft. You never want to hear that when you’re drafting near the top. Scouts and analysts have started to soften on just about every top prospect as the spring has gone on, which makes you wonder if this will be the rare dud class that fails to get anyone up to the bigs. For example, one of the top prospects is a high school overaged right hander in Seth Hernandez (worth noting that a high school righty has NEVER gone number one overall in the MLB Draft), another is a college pitcher in Liam Doyle that has only one good season to his name. Holliday isn’t a sure thing either, having had a somewhat troubling year around the Oklahoma high school circuit that has brought up questions around hit hitting tools. On Baseball Prospectus’s Big Board there are some names on the top of the list that many other boards aren’t really showcasing that high. Which, to me, is a good thing in some ways because you don’t want to have mono-thought. But also, it may be more evidence that this class is weird and the value may not be found where you think.

All of this to say, Ethan Holliday falling to the Rockies may be because he had a tough spring, or it may be because other teams wanted a quick rising college arm. Or, it may be that this is a weird class and teams are going to be weird. The Rockies just better give Ethan that #7 jersey.

After the first round, it’s tough to say where the Rockies will go. The GM appears to be half of a dead man walking and there are now three Monforts providing their opinion on matters. Schmidt has been relatively good at catching college arms in the picks after #30, which might be the only thing he’s been relatively good at. It would probably be a safe bet they go that route on Sunday.

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