Spring Training 2011: The Final Two Weeks

I always try to gauge a team coming out of spring training based on the last two weeks heading into the season. This is when the team is more or less finalized and start playing the regulars longer and the starters tend to go about 5 innings or more. The Rockies started that stretch on Thursday of this past week. Leading up to that point the Rockies had put together a 14-6 record. Their past three games they have gone 1-2, but have given up 31 runs in the 3 games. It's time to start looking seriously at the team's performance over the next week and a half.

The biggest questions remaining are who will be the 5th starter with Cook injured and what will the infield look like, and how many catchers will come to Denver on April 1st?

Ubaldo Jimenez--to nobody's surprise--was named the opening day starter, and will be followed by De La Rosa, Chacin, and Hammel. Tracy hasn't announced a 5th starter yet, however Esmil Rogers seems likely to fill that role, however the question is would he pitch in the 5th game vs. the Dodgers or the 8th
@Pittsburgh because of an off-day on April 4th.

Ian Stewart, injured on the first defensive play of the spring, has been progressing more slowly than anticipated, leaving the door open for someone else to start at 3rd to open the season. Ty Wigginton has been performing well, and could be the starter, especially if Stewart ends up on the Disabled List to start the season.

Backup backup catcher Jordan Pacheco has had a pretty good spring. Chris Iannetta is expected to be the starter and Jose Morales is expected to be the backup, so Pacheco has also been working out at other positions, mostly infield. He could definitely be on the roster if their is a DL move with Stewart or another player before opening day.

The Rockies currently have 29 players on their active Roster, and Jason Giambi, expected to be added before Opening Day (He's currently a minor-league invitee). Cook will likely start on the DL, and Greg Reynolds will probably be sent down to the minors. That leaves three more moves for the Rockies before opening day.