Colorado Rockies news and links for Wednesday, December 7, 2022

The offseason is always full of questions. It can be truly difficult to predict and theorize what exactly the team at 20th and Blake is trying to do as an organization. The Winter Meetings are in full swing in San Diego and as fans, we are desperate for answers to burning questions about the team and what their plan is or even simple answers to questions we’ve had for years.

Well, since the front office usually plays things close to the chest, I decided to turn to the world of the future and ask Artificial Intelligence (via ChatGPT) various questions to get a robot’s take on the Colorado Rockies. The answers have been mostly unedited with only minor adjustments to the format.

I started things off with a question many of us have had for years.

Will the Colorado Rockies ever win the World Series?

It is impossible to predict with certainty whether the Colorado Rockies will win the World Series. The outcome of the World Series is determined by the performance of the teams in the playoffs, which are determined by the performance of the teams during the regular season.

So, the AI is already off to a good start of dancing around questions. Therefore, I had to dig a little deeper to the next level.

Who will win the National League West in 2023?

It is impossible to predict who will win the National League West in 2023. The division is filled with talented teams and is highly competitive. In the past few seasons, the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and San Francisco Giants have all been contenders for the division crown. It is likely that one of these teams will be in contention for the division title in 2023, but it is impossible to know for sure.

That answer felt spot on, given the history of the division and the fact that the Rockies have never won the division. The four other teams have all been connected to big free agents while the Rockies don’t seem to have many irons in the fire.

In that case, I figured I needed to ask a question that feels somewhat rhetorical.

Are the Colorado Rockies a good baseball team?

The Colorado Rockies have had mixed success since their inception in 1993. They have made the playoffs seven times, including a trip to the World Series in 2007, but have not won a championship. The team has had periods of success but has not been consistently competitive in recent years.

Despite the fact that the Rockies have not made the playoffs seven times (only five), it is true that the Rockies have no been consistently competitive in recent years. After four straight losing seasons to follow up on back-to-back playoff years, the Rockies need to figure some things out. My next three questions tried to address that.

What do the Colorado Rockies need to do to be competitive?

The Colorado Rockies need to focus on improving their pitching staff. They need to acquire top-tier starting pitching and bolster their bullpen. They also need to improve their defense, as they’ve allowed the third-most runs in the National League the past two seasons. On the offensive side, they need to get on base more often, draw more walks, and play a more aggressive style of offense. Finally, the Rockies need to build a culture of winning and develop a winning mindset within their organization.

How can the Rockies get better?

As with any team, there are a number of ways they can improve. Some potential strategies they could consider include acquiring talented players through trades or free agency, developing and nurturing their existing players, and implementing effective coaching and training strategies. Additionally, having a strong and supportive front office and ownership group can help the team make good decisions and build a successful long-term plan. Ultimately, the key to success for the Rockies and any other team is a combination of hard work, talent, and good luck.

Why do the Rockies struggle with hitting on the road?

Like all baseball teams, they have their own unique strengths and weaknesses, and it’s difficult to say why they may struggle with hitting on the road. There are many factors that can affect a team’s performance, including the quality of their opponents, the conditions of the playing field, and the mental and physical state of their players. Additionally, teams often perform differently at home versus on the road, and the Rockies may simply have a harder time hitting in away games for a variety of reasons. Ultimately, it’s important for the team to identify the specific challenges they face and work to overcome them.

The AI again is spot-on with these answers, even if they come off as fairly general and non-specific, and may have some statistical inaccuracies. Still, the point remains that the Rockies need to bolster their pitching, improve their offensive approach, and figure out how to play on the road.

Will the Colorado Rockies sign any big free agents?

It is possible that the Colorado Rockies will sign a big free agent in the future. However, their current focus seems to be on acquiring younger, controllable players through trades and the draft. The team has been linked to several free-agent pitchers, but so far they have yet to sign any of them. The Rockies may be more inclined to sign a big free agent in the future if they are able to improve their pitching staff and build a culture of winning.

This train of thought aligns with the Rockies’ methods. The free-agent pitchers comment is news to me, as we haven’t heard anything specific about certain players. Still, it would be helpful.

Before news broke that Bellinger signed with the Chicago Cubs and with Aaron Judge still flirting with the Giants and Yankees, I had asked the AI if the Rockies had a chance with either one. It ended up being quite accurate in its assessment.

Will Cody Bellinger sign with the Colorado Rockies?

At this time, there is no indication that Cody Bellinger will sign with the Colorado Rockies.

Will the Rockies sign Aaron Judge?

It is highly unlikely that the Colorado Rockies will sign Aaron Judge, as he is a free agent and the Rockies have not been connected to him in any way.

This AI is good. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t give me better specifics of the certain free agents they could have a chance to sign as it isn’t that advanced… yet.

Lastly, I asked a question that fans have been wondering for many years, spoilers, it’s the answer you’d expect.

Will Dick Monfort ever sell the Colorado Rockies?

Dick Monfort has been the majority owner of the Colorado Rockies since 2005 and is not currently planning to sell the team. He has expressed his commitment to the team and his desire to keep the team in the Monfort family for generations to come.

Like the best general managers in baseball history, the AI did a phenomenal job dodging questions and providing the most generic answers possible. The program is limited in the fact that it can only utilize databases that go up to 2021. So, for the most part, it’s answering based on old info, which in a way fits with the way the Rockies sometimes operate.

Either way, we haven’t learned anything groundbreaking, but even the robots understand the problems of the Rockies and the fact they need to figure some things out.

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Rockies trade Chad Smith to Oakland Athletics for Jeff Criswell | Purple Row

The Rockies made their first move at the Winter Meetings sending Chad Smith to Oakland for Jeff Criswell. Criswell was drafted in 2020 and finished the 2022 season in Triple-A, giving the Rockies some much-needed starting pitcher depth at the higher end of the farm system.

Former MVP Bellinger agrees to deal with Cubs | MLB.com

The one free agent the Rockies seemed to be connected to the most was Cody Bellinger and that is no longer the case after he signed a one-year pact with the Cubs for $17.5 million. He would have fit the Rockies’ need for a left-handed hitting center fielder with a lot of upsides offensively, but they will now have to head back to the drawing board.

Here are the results of the inaugural MLB Draft Lottery | MLB.com

MLB had its inaugural Draft Lottery Tuesday night. The Rockies entered the draft with the eight overall pick and a 3.9% chance at the number one pick. The lottery gave the Rockies the ninth pick instead while the Pittsburgh Pirates went home with the number one pick.

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