Rockies Mailbag: Will Riley Pint make the big leagues?
Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag.
Patrick, whatever happened to pitcher Riley Pint? I know he quit baseball and then came back, but I haven’t heard much about him this spring. What gives?
— Jesse, Denver
Jesse, I believe that Pint, the fourth overall pick in the 2016 draft, will finally make his big-league debut at some point this season. The right-hander, who is on the 40-man roster, was optioned to Triple-A camp on Saturday.
Pint, 25, sustained a setback during spring training when he was sidelined by a left oblique injury before Cactus League games began. It was not a severe strain and the good news for Pint was that he was healthy enough to throw a bullpen session on Saturday.
Faced with lack of a success and an inability to throw strikes consistently, Pint walked away from baseball in June 2021. He returned for spring training last year.
“I realized I wasn’t ready to get a regular job yet,” “And I realized I still wanted to play baseball.”
What is the realistic recipe to follow for the Rockies to be competitive in the National League West?
— Bill Coder, Highlands Ranch
Bill, I assume you mean a recipe for the future? Because I will be shocked if the Rockies finish better than fourth or fifth in the NL West this season. Early this week, Betonline.com posted odds saying that there is a 99% chance that Colorado won’t make playoffs.
If you are looking for a recipe that might eventually get the Rockies their first division title, I think the 2018 club provides it:
• Two excellent starting pitchers in Kyle Freeland and German Marquez.
• A relatively solid bullpen with a quality closer in Wade Davis, even if he did struggle some in the second half. Plus, right-hander Scott Oberg was excellent that season.
• One of the best infields in baseball, featuring Nolan Arenado at third, Trevor Story at short and D.J. LeMahieu at second.
• A team with home run power. The Rockies hit 210 homers that season, sixth in franchise history and a whole lot more than the 149 they hit last season.
• A team able to win on the road. The ’18 Rockies were 44-38 away from Coors Field.
The 2018 club finished with 91 wins and took the Dodgers into Game 163 before the Dodgers clinched the title.
There have been many past indications that the Rockies do not always have a “winning culture.” What are (manager) Bud Black and his coaching staff doing differently this year to change, to rise to the level of a winning culture? Leaving a young pitcher like (Logan) Allen in at the end of the game to give up five runs does not promote this culture. As an unrelated question, I am disappointed that the Post does not always publish full box scores. Do you see that changing in the regular season for those of us who still like to read about yesterday’s game in an actual newspaper with our morning coffee?
— Judy, Denver
Judy, as trite as it sounds, winning and talent are what create a winning culture at the big-league level. Yes, team chemistry helps but you can have the most tight-knit team in the world but if it’s not talented enough to compete, there will be no “winning culture.
As for Black’s decision to let Allen wear it in the recent Cactus League game is not going to affect the team’s culture. It’s an exhibition game and young players are going to take their lumps. How they respond will tell Black and the front office a lot about them.
As for the box scores. I checked into that and was told that the problem was a technical glitch with The Associated Press, the organization that provides the box scores. The problem has since been fixed.
Hey Patrick! Is there anyone who might sneak into the Rockies’ opening-day roster? Brenton Doyle’s numbers are pretty good down there in Scottsdale.
— Mike, Denver
Mike, Doyle’s numbers were pretty solid — .286 average (8-for-28), one double, six RBIs, four walks, 12 strikeouts — but he didn’t hit the ball particularly hard. Even with the injuries to Randal Grichuk and Sean Bouchard, Doyle won’t make the 26-man roster coming out of camp. He was optioned to Triple-A camp on Tuesday. He needs at-bats and he wouldn’t have gotten enough with the Rockies as opposed to playing with Triple-A Albuquerque.
Utility players Harold Castro and/or Cole Tucker, both non-roster invitees, could make it in the wake of Brendan Rodgers’ injury.
As for pitchers, keep your eye on right-hander Connor Seabold. He’s pitched well and is battling Ryan Feltner for the fifth spot in the rotation or as a long man/sixth starter out of the bullpen. Among non-roster relievers, Fernando Abad, Matt Koch and Phillips Valdez are in the mix to make the 26-man roster.
