Black: Rockies in ‘pretty good spot,’ expectation to be ‘good team’

Don’t be shocked if the Colorado Rockies become the team “out of nowhere” in 2017 to make a push for a division title or a postseason spot. Or, at least that’s what recently hired manager Bud Black believes.

On with 104.3 The Fan’s “Schlereth and Evans” earlier this week, Black said that people should be that surprised if the team to come out of left field to make a run at the playoffs is the Rockies, that the club’s in a “pretty good spot.”

“I expect us to be a good team. I think that is not unreasonable at all to think that. Funny things happen during the course of a season across the board,” Black said. “You can go back to every season and see teams that come out of nowhere but are a little bit of a surprise. I’m just saying if it happens with us, it might not be as much of a surprise as people think.”

In his talks with players through the first week of being Colorado’s manager, Black said he got the sense that the guys “feel it now too,” that they’ve been growing over the past few years and are “preparing to be good.”

“I think we’re a group that is poised to do some things,” Black said. “If we pitch a little bit, heads up.”

Pitching, specifically the Rockies bullpen, was among the club’s shortcomings in 2016, especially with veterans relievers out with injuries, Black said. But the plan is to get healthy and improve the bullpen over the winter.

“I think the core group of pitchers who were slated to be in the ‘pen was not there. So I think the talent dropped off a little bit,” Black said.

The 2016 Rockies bullpen finished last in the MLB in ERA with a 5.13 and second to last in opponent batting average at .273.

Black also said he hopes to get more mileage out of the Rockies starters, approaching more like 200 innings a season than 160 to 180.

“Let’s get them a little higher so we can knock off some outs as we go into the latter part of the game,” Black said. “We can keep guys fresher. We can maybe make more situational moves.”

Colorado’s only starter to reach 180 or more innings in 2016 was Chad Bettis, who threw 186 innings.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.