Colorado Rockies: 4 Key Questions for the 2012 Season

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The 2011 Colorado Rockies were a disappointment after finishing with a record of 73-89.

That was good enough for a lowly fourth place in the NL West.

The Rockies got off to such a promising and unusually fast start, finishing the month of April in first place, only to be derailed from there, going forward.

Throughout a painfully arduous season, they ran out 13 different starting pitchers, including three, making career debuts.

With the exception of a few additions to date, they will be running out a team this season, which in large part looks strikingly similar to that of 2011.

Every team embarks upon a new season with question marks.

Here are four questions facing the Rockies as they look ahead to the upcoming season.

Who Will Fill the Hole at Second Base?

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I have made it known in previous articles that I was not a big proponent in letting Mark Ellis walk during free agency. 

I believe that defense is often times these days overlooked and under-valued. Ellis was a very solid defender during his time in Denver that the Rockies will surely miss. 

The Rockies do not have many options at second base going into the 2012 campaign. It appears as though it will be Chris Nelson's job to lose. 

Nelson is unproven at the big league level with last season being his first, not counting the very short stint he had in 2010. He showed a few flashes of gap power last season but overall was not very impressive, and is surely not known for his glove prowess.

Utility man Jonathan Herrera is just that, a utility man. He is better suited off the bench as a late-game defensive replacement or to spell a starter, but he is clearly not an everyday player at this level.

It seems like the Rockies have been linked to Atlanta's Martin Prado for months now. Prado is a career .293 hitter that can give you around 15 home runs and play solid defense. GM Dan O'Dowd must be willing to part with prospect Tim Wheeler along with Seth Smith to make this trade happen, but has been reluctant to do so.

Is the Rotation Good Enough as Is?

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It's no secret that the Rockies starting pitchers struggled as a whole last season.

Colorado went through 13 different starting pitchers due to various injuries and ineffectiveness. From the unfortunate season ending elbow injury to Jorge De La Rosa after only 10 starts, to Juan Nicasio taking a liner off the head, the staff might have been snake bitten.

The staff seems a bit crowded this offseason after watching so many take the hill last year and trading for a starter this winter.

The starting rotation heading into spring training is likely to be Jhoulys Chacin, Drew Pomeranz, Jason Hammel, Alex White and Kevin Slowey.

The organization is taking it slowly with regards to Nicasio. They do expect him to make a full return to the rotation in 2012 as he has already begun throwing off a mound. He likely will not be ready for the start of the season but will be plugged in the rotation upon return.

De La Rosa is expected back to the rotation in late May or early June. He has been on a long tossing program and experienced no setbacks thus far. It will be a huge shot in the arm when he takes the hill once again. 

It would be great to acquire a middle of the rotation pitcher before the season begins. Seth Smith has been dangled around with many teams interested but asking prices for such pitchers have been high, and GM Dan O'Dowd is reluctant to part with top prospects.

Can Michael Cuddyer Repeat His 2011 Success?

The Rockies got a versatile player when they signed Michael Cuddyer to a three-year, $31.5 million contract.

When the season begins Cuddyer will be 33 years old so it's hard to say whether he will be worth the contract he was given.

He was brought to Denver to be the everyday right fielder and occasionally play third base and spell Todd Helton at first base.

He produced 20 home runs and 70 RBI last season for the Twins and now moves to hitter friendly Coors Field, where he will be hitting in the middle of a strong Rockies lineup.

Will the Rockies get that kind of production again in 2012 from Cuddyer or was last season simply another player producing in a contract year?

Can They Hit on the Road?

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It is no secret that the Rockies love hitting in the friendly confines that is Coors Field.

Unfortunately they have to play half the season on the road and no matter how successful they might be at home, if they don't hit on the road it will yet again be a long season that ends in September.

Last season when the Rockies took to the road they left their bats behind in Denver. They hit a paltry .242 as a team on the road which ranked them 26th out of 30 MLB teams. They also ranked 28th out of 30 in RBI and runs scored.

Those numbers are abysmal and will not get the Rockies to where they want to be which is playing late into October. This team is far too talented to let their hitting woes on the road continue into 2012.