BaseBald

Casey Blake 's bushy beard and too-good-to-be-true nickname couldn't save him from being axed by the Colorado Rockies. The 38 year old third baseman was released by the Rockies today due to his dismal Spring Training performance. Blake's departure makes room for players such as Jordan Pacheco , Chris Nelson , and Jonathan Herrera . I wish I could add Nolan Arenado 's name to the list, but he also had a lack-luster spring and will probably end up starting the season in AA. Pacheco has had an explosive spring, and I would give him the initial shot to man the hot corner come opening day with Jonathan Herrera a close second. I would choose Pacheco over Herrera because of Pacheco's ability to draw walks and his improved plate discipline. Pacheco will fit nicely into the eighth spot in the batting order, and should be able to fine tune his swing with the amount a good pitches he'll see batting in front of the pitcher. The only concern with Pacheco is his defense, bu...

It's that time of year again. It's time to play GM. It's time to prove to all of your friends and a few strangers that you're better than them at filling out an MLB roster. And what wins leagues? Sleepers. Both Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez will go within the first 15 picks, but who are the guys on the Rockies that are flying under the radar that might be beneficial to your team? Here's a list of a few names that can be great bench additions, or even starters come opening day. Michael Cuddyer Ranked: 73 Average pick in mock drafts: 81.4 Cuddyer has eligibility at first base, second base, and the outfield. This makes him a wonderful option as your utility player or even your second base option due to the lack of depth at the position. He's going later than expected and that might be due to his age and change of scenery, but Coors Field should bump up his stats. Expect about the same production from Cuddyer in 2012 that he had in 2011. He's a ...

The Rockies wanted to add some veteran presence to their team during the off-season, and by the looks of things, I'd say mission accomplished! With the addition of Marco Scutaro, the Rockies now have five players that are projected opening-day starters over the age of 33: Todd Helton (38), Casey Blake (38), Marco Scutaro (36), Ramon Hernandez (35), and Michael Cuddyer (33). Last season, the Rockies had two opening-day starters over the age of 33: Todd Helton (37) and Ty Wigginton (33). The Rockies have gotten older, but hopefully not so old that they can't succeed. The Rockies' average age of opening-day position starters in 2011 was 28.5, whereas the projected average age of opening-day position starters in 2012 is 32.4. That's an increase of 3.9 years. The 3.9 years that they added to the team are referred to in baseball as a player's prime or peak years. Generally, the prime or peak of a player's career has been described as their age 27-32 years. This is ...