Rockies Shortstop Questions

There was a point earlier in the year when I felt bad for Jose Reyes. He was on a contender until they unceremoniously dumped him for a better declining shortstop. Reyes was decent with the Blue Jays, and many of us thought he could rebound even more in Colorado. Alas, it appears that joining a non-contender ruined his focus. He posted a meager 62 wRC+ in 208 plate appearances with the Rockies.

As I said, there was a point when I felt bad. No longer. While visiting Hawaii this winter, Reyes was charged with abusing his partner. His will be the first major test of MLB’s new domestic abuse policy. In light of the NFL’s consistent mishandling of domestic abuse, look for Rob Manfred to hand down a harsh penalty. And that could open doors in Colorado.

Let’s assume Reyes is suspended. He’ll probably be suspended, right? The length is somewhat in question. Will it be part of a season, all of a season, the length it takes for Hawaii to finish prosecuting him? We’re in uncharted territory.

Reyes is entering his age 33 season. Per UZR, he’s been a negative defender for years. His offensive performance in 2015 was his worst since his age 21 season (2004). Reyes could possibly arrest his rapid decline with an offseason of hard work. He’ll have some distractions to overcome.

Realistically, Reyes may no longer be a starting shortstop. He’s probably a good, vastly overpaid utility man. Maybe he’s a second division, starting second baseman. If so, he’s still overpaid. Guess how eager anybody will be to acquire him from Colorado?

If Reyes does manage to dodge penalties, a full season could produce about 20 to 25 stolen bases and a decent average. If he bats atop a lineup, he’ll score runs too. Fantasy owners should look at him as a late-draft handcuff for Jung-ho Kang or an older alternative to Alcides Escobar.

Some within the Rockies organization are probably happy to have an excuse to push Reyes aside. Contact oriented 24-year-old Cristhian Adames already has a couple unsuccessful stints in the majors. He doesn’t have much power, but he could pop 10 home runs as a Coors product. He’ll need to tighten up his plate discipline in the majors.

Adames will hold the fort until the club is ready to turn to top prospect Trevor Story. The 23-year-old hit 20 home runs and stole 22 bases split between Double- and Triple-A. He profiles as a low-average, low-OBP hitter with league average defensive chops. Because he’ll hit home runs and steal bases, he’ll still have plenty of fantasy value.

Story also comes pre-loaded with plenty of growth potential. He’s slowly trimmed his strikeout rate in the minors, and he regularly posted 11 percent walk rates before he reached Triple-A. He’s produced high BABIPs in the minors. I usually assume regression when this happens, but there’s a chance he’s simply a high BABIP kind of guy. Time will tell.

Fantasy owners who love to target Colorado hitters will be left to play the odds next season. Reyes could still take a chunk or all of the playing time. Adames isn’t a non-prospect, but he’ll need a breakout to be a fantasy asset. Story has a high ceiling. I expect some early career hiccups. Personally, I’ll probably steer clear and use a Ketel Marte or Jed Lowrie instead.

***The present author appreciates your comments. However, he is currently in Vietnam without a computer or internet access. The above article was written in late-November/early-December in order to satisfy his future writing requirements. No matter what you say, he will not respond to you before early January. Apologies if some recent information has not been incorporated.***