Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag.
Pose a Rockies — or MLB — related question for the Rockies Mailbag.
Patrick, I was talking with a friend the other day about the Broncos being up for sale. He said he also thinks that Dick Monfort will probably sell the Rockies. I told him that Monfort won’t ever sell. So who’s right?
— Jeff, Englewood
Jeff, I think you’re right.
There is no reason to believe that Monfort would ever sell his controlling interest in the Rockies. A lot of fans question Monfort’s vision for the franchise, but he really does care about the team and the community. He’s not going to walk away from that, even though Forbes calculated the value of the franchise at $1.3 billion, a value appreciation of 671% since Monfort took over the controlling interest of the team.
Plus, both of Monfort’s sons, Walker and Sterling, have prominent roles in the organization. I believe they will inherit the team from their father.
Walker, 35, is currently the vice president of corporate partnerships. According to the Rockies’ website, he’s “responsible for the oversight and management of the club’s revenue generated through sponsorship of the Rockies, including oversight of the club’s promotions department, in-game entertainment and RockiesVision production.”
Sterling, 30, was recently promoted to director of professional scouting.
More than 20 years ago, before they took over as primary owners in 2005 when they purchased Jerry McMorris’ financial interest in the club, brothers Dick and Charlie Monfort said that the Rockies would be a family business for years to come.
This is what The Denver Post wrote in 2000:
“The Rockies are now top priority for each of these three businessmen (McMorris and the Monfort Brothers), and it is the ballclub, not the companies that made them wealthy, that they plan to pass on.
“That’s the plan,” said Charlie Monfort, who has two children, Kenny and Ciara. “The plan is to keep this family-owned as long as that’s possible.”
Dick Monfort has three children and is already grooming his oldest son, Walker, 13, to become the (general manager) Dan O’Dowd of the Rockies.
“My son Walker loves baseball, and I would love to someday bring him up to be a baseball executive, a general manager or whatever,” Dick Monfort said. “The way I learned about the meatpacking business was being around my dad. This would be a great way for my son to fulfill a dream of his.”
So, while some things have changed — Charlie Monfort is no longer as involved with the club as he once was — I believe the vision of passing the Rockies on to the next generation of Monforts remains.
Why is there such a long lag between proposals during this MLB lockout? It seems if both sides were eager to get a deal done, the turnaround time on proposals would be expedited. Thanks!
— Nathan May, Lamar
Nathan, I’m perplexed about that, too. While negotiations have increased in frequency and intensity between the owners and the players union this week in Florida, it’s a little late in the game to be scrambling.
Then again, this is the way things often work when it comes to labor talks, and not just in sports. A lot of gamesmanship and a lot of public posturing is involved, as well as complex financial and legal issues to consider.
But you’re right, it’s frustrating that things have dragged on for so long. Both sides are using the deadline of the start of the regular season — and the threat of missing games — as their trump card.
Greetings Patrick! I am a member of a union that has been in negotiations with management for some time. It amuses me that the rank and file (often) state that baseball (sports) players make enough money and should just sign and play. These are the same union members who always vote no in (their) negotiations. Are there somewhat simple reasons why the MLBPA opposes the owners’ latest proposal?
— Robert Emmerling, Limon
Robert, I wrote about the major issues in Sunday’s Denver Post, though there was much I didn’t include.
The bottom line: the lockout is about dividing up the money and it’s about power — now and in the future.
For me, the two biggest issues are these:
One, the players believe they are vastly underpaid during the early portions of their careers, a time when players are proving to be increasingly valuable. The MLBPA wants to change that. The union’s goal: get players paid commensurate with their talent at the time when they’re most productive.
Basically, for the first six years of a player’s career, he is under team control. He earns the major-league minimum ($570,500 in 2021) when he makes the majors and is then eligible for arbitration after his third season. The owners, who believe they have invested a lot of time and money in their young players, are reluctant to give up that control.
Second, the players believe that a lot of small- and mid-market teams are tanking. That is, the teams won’t spend the money it takes to compete and that drives down the players’ salaries and hurts the game.
MLB has bent a little bit on this issue, offering to increase the number of teams included in a potential draft lottery from three to four. The owners say that agreeing to a lottery in the first place, instead of automatically rewarding the worst team with the top pick, is a big concession. The MLBPA, however, believes that MLB is not making a big enough move to prevent perennial losers from being rewarded with revenue sharing and prime draft picks. The players want an NBA-style draft lottery to include eight teams.
Tied into this issue is another sticking point, one explained well by Chelsea Janes of The Washington Post in her report from Monday:
“Just as importantly, neither side made any change to its proposal for the competitive balance tax threshold or tax rates — a sticking point that is usually one of the final pieces negotiated in any CBA discussion. MLB was the last side to move on that number, upping its offer to one that sets the threshold at $214 million in 2022 and calls for it to increase to $222 million over the five-year agreement.
“MLB’s offer also includes a near doubling of the tax rates charged to teams that eclipse those thresholds, which union representatives have maintained must change before a deal can get done. The union’s most recent stated goal for the CBT threshold is $245 million, and MLBPA representatives have altered that proposal in recent weeks.”
Hi Patrick, I recently visited the California Winter League, watching games played at Palm Springs Stadium. Do Rockies scouts regularly visit this beautiful ballpark?
— Judy Frieman, Denver
Judy, I asked general manager Bill Schmidt, a longtime scout himself, to address your question. Here’s what he said: “Our guys go to Palm Spring often, and yes, it’s very nice, especially this time of year.”
I already have Scottsdale booked so I may as well go down and duck out of winter for a week. Any tips for things to do since baseball is down the toilet?
— Jeff, Elizabeth
Jeff, well there are a bunch of In-N-Out Burger joints in the area, so that should kill some time and add a few pounds to your frame.
Golf courses are plentiful — if that’s your thing. But the courses also are expensive.
You can always climb Camelback Mountain, with an elevation of 2,704 feet. Piece of cake for a person from Colorado, right?
I would highly recommend visiting Taliesin West, architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s desert laboratory in Arizona. It’s just off North Scottsdale Road. It is an awesome tour.
Patrick, if the lockout ends soon, free agency is going to be sheer bedlam. Do you think this could work in the Rockies’ favor? I mean, we could have a shot at landing some players for a one-year deal who are in hopes of a strong year at Coors Field for a bigger payday in 2023.
— Mike, Parker
Mike, “sheer bedlam” is a good way to describe what’s going to happen. Can I steal that?
I think it could work in the Rockies’ favor if they pitch a solid deal to a valuable free agent such as Kyle Schwarber or Kris Bryant. The players and their agents might not have as much time to shop and compare, as long as the Rockies’ offer is strong enough.
As for your idea of landing a player on a one-year, bounce-back contract, I don’t think that’s in the cards. If the Rockies were close to being a contender, maybe so, but they need to build for 2023 and beyond.
Do you think Druw Jones could fall into our laps at No. 10 in the draft? I know we’ve gone hitter-heavy the last few years with Benny Montgomery, Zac Veen and Michael Toglia, but if he’s anything like his dad, he’ll be marvelous at Coors.
— Ron, Parker
Ron, I’ll confess that you know much more about Jones than I do. He is a high school senior who has committed to college powerhouse Vanderbilt, so he’s got a big decision ahead of him. Some project the outfielder to go in the top five.
At this point, it’s impossible to say where the Rockies will draft this summer. Will there be an NBA-style lottery? Where will the Rockies finish in the standings?
For those interested, here is a link to a recent story on Jones, the son of potential Hall of Famer Andruw Jones.
With the installment of the universal designated hitter, I assume Charlie Blackmon will be our DH when (if) the season starts. What do you think the outfield will look like? I have Connor Joe, Raimel Tapia and either Sam Hilliard or Yonathan Daza.
— Paul, Larimie, Wyo.
Paul, I wrote about this topic recently.
GM Bill Schmidt said: “I think we have internal options … We have (first baseman) C.J. (Cron). We have Charlie (Blackmon). Buddy (manager Bud Black) can use it to give guys a day off from the field. I don’t think we have to get a Nelson Cruz or David Ortiz type of player for that role.
“I think we have guys internally that we can use. Especially playing at altitude and at Coors Field during a nine- or 10-game homestand. It’s a way to give guys a day off.”
So, I expect to see Blackmon playing in right field quite a bit. The four outfielders you mention will all be in the mix, but you forgot about Garrett Hampson in center field. Plus, Hilliard still has a lot to prove as a hitter and there is always a chance the Rockies could trade Tapia. And don’t forget that a big part of the club’s offseason blueprint is acquiring a power hitter and that player could very well be an outfielder.
When — or should I say if? — baseball returns, it’s going to be interesting to see who the Rockies can land.
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