A trade!

That’s why it’s better to not look back.

If Francis and/or Tulo comes back healthy and productive. If they can get those two guys back healthy, I see little reason why they couldn’t have a legit shot in the NL West.

Their rotation was -1.8 pitching runs above average (pRAA) last year, but I think a healthy Francis and a Smith and Marquis at the back of the rotation will give them an above average rotation.

In 2008, Cook and Jimenez had tRA+s of 112 and 117. Although Francis posted a 96 tRA+ in an injury shortened 2008, he averaged a 115 over the previous two seasons. The average #2 starter posts a tRA+ of 112, so I’d say they could potentially have three really good starters.

Smith and Marquis aren’t great, but as #4 and #5 starters, they are pretty serviceable. Marquis and Smith had tRA+s of 99 and 90 last year, which make them above average #4/5 starters. Amazingly, even de la Rosa had a tRA+ of 112 last season, although that probably isn’t sustainable. They also have some talented youngsters in Morales and Reynolds.

In terms of offense, they were 8.2 bRAA, so they were an okay hitting team. Losing Holliday will hurt, but I think getting back Tulo healthy and a full season from Ian Stewart could really help. Also, Dexter Fowler is incredibly talented and can eventually make up for some production in the OF (although maybe not next season). Carlos Gonzalez is also uncertain, but I think he can do some good things in Coors and with a change in scenary. Overall, I think they can stay an average to above average offensive team.

And their bullpen was pretty decent last year, at 28.5 runs above average. They picked up Huston Street and lost Fuentes. That is a pretty even swap.

They definitely have a lot of question marks even outside of Tulo and Francis, like Manny Corpas who was pretty uneven last year. But with a healthy Tulo and improving youngsters like Stewart, Fowler, and Gonzalez, I think they might be able to replace Holliday’s offensive production, and their rotation is better. I guess I might have over spoke when I said that Colorado has a good chance to win the division, but the NL West is pretty weak overall and if healthy I think you can make just as strong of an argument for Colorado as you could for Arizona or LA.

Scary.

Comedy benefits from subtlety. Had I spelled his name correctly (and not added PTBNL, which I thought was sorta funny) then my reply would simply be straight analysis (which it was not).

My attempt at humor has failed. And the meat heads below pounced. What else is new.

but he sure is a hell of a lot more fun to watch.

The bitter old man was up late drinkin away the sorrows of his 3rd divorce…