Is De La Rosa Worth It?
Examining the shaky back end of the Rockies' rotation
Today, the Rockies continued their incredible hot streak by knocking off the Pirates at Coors Field, 5-4, completing the sweep that at many times looked to be in jeopardy. Yesterday, it was Jason Hammel’s turn to toy with Rockies fans cardiac health. Today, it was the ever-so-fragile stuff of Jorge de la Rosa.
Here’s the thing about de la Rosa – no one denies that he has some great stuff. I mean some really great, stunning, mind-blowing speed with wicked movement. This year, in fact, he’s posted a 10 and a 12 strikeout game. Over the course of the season, he’s averaged almost 6 Ks per game. When he’s on, hitters can’t seem to catch up with him. Makes him seem a bargain at $2M per year, right?
I say wrong.
Not only has he been shelled a couple times (Atlanta, Tampa Bay), he’s been absolutely miserable at Coors Field (8+ ERA), and the stats show that once hitters see him, they figure him out. The second time through the lineup is terrible, and even worse – as tough as he is to hit when he is on, it seems that when he’s off, he just gets teed up something fierce. Pitches get left elevated, and he isn’t forcing hitters into fly balls and ground outs. They’re finding space, if not leaving the yard entirely.
The fact is, I get nervous when he takes the mound. I can only imagine that Jim Tracy is growing weary of the it as well. Today, the Rockies won in spite of him. But remember – today’s opponent was merely the not-so-feared Pirates. When Tampa, a good hitting team, gets a hold of him, the Rockies have no shot. And if the Rocks are serious about being a contender, they SHOULD beat up on teams like the Pirates, and compete with teams like Tampa. With Jorge on the mound, they didn’t compete with Tampa – not even close. If not for that game, we’d be talking about a 15+ game winning streak.
When Franklin Morales works his way back to Denver, look for Jorge to be on the hot seat. It’s stunning that he’s still getting every fifth start. And as for today – I’m glad we’ll see Cook/Jimenez/Marquis in Anaheim. Of course, next Friday look for Matt Holliday and the Oakland A’s to tee off on Jorge again. It’s like clockwork.
