Note: CU Independent Sports Staff Writer Justin Guerriero will report to Rockies Spring Training camp in Scottsdale, AZ on March 23.
After an injury plagued 2014 season, hopes are high for outfielder Carlos Gonzalez to have another productive season this year. But is that going to happen?
Gonzalez will look to bounce back from knee surgery last August that ended his 2014 season. The two-time All Star and three-time Golden Glove winner has been one of the Rockies’ major offensive forces in the past few seasons. He won the National League’s Silver Slugger award in 2010 and since then has hit at least 20 home runs in every season, excluding last year, in which he only played in 70 games.
So far this Spring Training, which is his first action since being shut down last August, he has played well. In six games, he has a .308 batting average along with two doubles. A good sign, but despite his strong showing in Grapefruit League play I have concerns in regards to how much he will produce in the regular season.
To clarify, my true concern here is whether Gonzalez is going to earn his paychecks this season. Because if he doesn’t, that’s $16 million alone this year that will be wasted, which is part of a seven year, $80 million contract extension that the Rockies inked him to in 2010. However, with the injuries that shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has been plagued with throughout his career, seeing money being paid to a guy on the Disabled List will be no new sight.
To be fair, given the low air density due to Coors Field’s high attitude, CarGo will obviously get some help with his power numbers, so it’s plausible that his home run numbers could stay consistent with what he’s done in the past.
I hate being a pessimist, but at the end of the day, I see Carlos Gonzalez as a 29 year-old who now has a weak left knee. In baseball mentality, he’s not a young man anymore; he will turn 30 in October. I’d say he’s reached the plateau of his baseball career and might even be headed downward statistically speaking from now until he retires.
A bad season from Gonzalez would be a major blow to the Rockies’ offense. The NL West looks to be formidable this season. The defending World Series champions, the San Francisco Giants, and the powerhouse LA Dodgers will likely battle for the division. With the addition of outfielder Matt Kemp, the San Diego Padres are looking a bit dangerous, as are the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Rockies will have their plate full this season, and they need every form of aid they can get, very prominent among them a healthy Carlos Gonzalez.
Contact CU Independent Sports Staff Writer Justin Guerriero at justin.guerriero@colorado.edu and follow him on Twitter @TheHungry_Hippo
