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Rockies news and links for Sunday http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey , November 25, 2018"ThreadsRockies Fan ExperienceRockpileThe Rockies have a difficult road ahead this offseason, but need to strike gold to stay relevant in 2019New,62commentsRockies news and links for Sunday, November 25, 2018the acquisition of a first baseman this offseason, but while demand may be high, supply is certainly low. Kenny Kelly with Beyond the Box Score takes a closer look at the thin 1B market—in both free agency and possible trades—and suggests why it might be difficult for six particular teams who need a 1B the most to find what they’re looking for.The Rockies are listed first under “Teams that could use a First Baseman and can think about contending,” but are faced with an all too familiar road block—Ian Desmond. It’s not impossible to overcome, but Kenny acknowledges that Desmond will have to move to the outfield for the Rockies to sign a new 1B, which just means they’ll have an equally bad black hole hitting in the outfield. Regardless, it wouldn’t hurt to find some more offense.Offseason Outlook: Colorado Rockies | MLB Trade RumorsMLB Trade Rumors is in the middle of publishing Offseason Outlooks for each MLB ball club, and Jeff Todd has the Rockies covered. Luckily, he gets right past the typical “need to get a pitcher” Coors-speak—pointing out the Rockies have a formidable rotation the way it stands—and dives into how this team could improve by adding a bat at several different positions.The discussion of payroll and, of course, Ian Desmond’s contract are a major talking point here, and Jeff notes, “Last year, the Rockies opened with a club-record Opening Day payroll of about $137M. They’re already close to having that amount committed to the 2019 roster.” As such, the Rockies best chance to sign an impact bat would require the payroll to increase again next year, and would signify a willingness of the organization to do what it takes to win now in the club’s championship window.And like Beyond the Box Score above, Jeff believes Ian needs to “stuff his first baseman’s mitt into the back of his locker” and the Rockies should take advantage of that highly coveted “versatility” by moving him to the OF. If that were the case, he suggests Bridich & Co. take a look at free agents C.J. Cron and Justin Bour, to name a couple options Jake Smolinski Jersey , or trade candidates such as Justin Smoak or Carlos Santana (among many more listed).10 years after blockbuster trade, Matt Holliday weighs in on future of Rockies’ Nolan Arenado | Denver Post ($)Well, okay then. In this wonderful piece, Patrick Saunders writes about the upcoming contract discussions between superstar Nolan Arenado and the Rockies, and highlights it through the lens of Matt Holliday—whose career followed an eerily similar path with the club back in 2007. Matt offers his first-hand account of the experience and talks about the advice he’d give to Nolan as free-agency looms.Holliday says deciding between the team you’ve played for your whole career—who drafted and developed you—or seeking top dollar in free-agency is a decision that is “the hardest you’ll ever have to make.” One thing is for sure: if Nolan doesn’t get an exceptional offer from the Rockies that reflects his generational talent, they will have to, as Saunders describes, “deal with the fallout from their fans,” and it could only resemble Chernobyl, as far as I’m concerned.Colorado Rockies: Could we see Jon Gray on his way to Milwaukee? | Rox PileIn an interesting article from Rox Pile, Noah Yingling examines the possibility of a Jon Gray trade involving the Milwaukee Brewers. Noah reminds us the supremely talented Gray Wolf has received trade interest in the past, and following yet another disappointing season with the Rockies, could be a prime “change-of-scenery” target.In this scenario, the primary return for Gray would be right-handed outfielder Domingo Santana. He flashed intriguing talent back in 2017 when he bopped 30 home runs, 85 RBI, 15 stolen bases, and a 126 OPS+. He regressed this year, however (albeit in significantly less opportunities due to the acquisitions of Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich), and posted a 97 OPS+ with only five HR’s and one stolen base. If Santana could return to form and resemble something along the lines of his 2017 campaign, he could be a great bounce-back candidate for the Rockies.The most interesting part of this trade scenario to me, though, is the prospect who would come to the Rockies with Santana—Joe Gray. Yes, that would be Jon Gray for Joe Gray. But, since it’s all speculation http://www.athleticsfanproshop.com/authentic-khris-davis-jersey , there’s no black and white here, only... well, you know.Longest home runs for every MLB team | MLB.comLastly, MLB.com out together a list of every team’s longest recorded home run since StatCast began collecting data in 2015. There are a lot of amazing moonshots, dingers, round trippers, and big flys to take in here—so dig in—but I had to spotlight the Rockies’ entry one more time because, well, it was a monster and holds the record for all of baseball. Here it is again, courtesy of my MVP, Trevor Story. Enjoy! The Cleveland Indians outfield features an array of contenders but few if any safe bets after bidding adieu to free agents Michael Brantley, Melky Cabrera, Rajai Davis, Lonnie Chisenhall and Brandon Guyer.At the moment,Tyler Naquin, Jake Bauers, Leonys Martin, Greg Allen, Jordan Luplow, Brandon Barnes, Matt Joyce and Trayce Thompson top the Tribe's depth chart.That might be enough for Cleveland to reign supreme in a weak, winnable American League Central. Then again, the Minnesota Twins bettered themselves this winter, and the youthful Chicago White Sox are on the rise.Even if the Indians stave off their division foes Chad Pinder Jersey , they'll be hard-pressed to hang with the AL's elite (the Yankees, Red Sox and Houston Astros) without adding muscle to a muddled outfield.No. 2: New York Yankees Not Signing Bryce Harper5 of 6Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated PressThe Yankees boast adequate outfield depth with Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Brett Gardner, Clint Frazier and veteran Jacoby Ellsbury (provided he's healthy), among others.Yet, the Yankees could have used a left-handed bat to balance their righty-heavy lineup.Cough, Bryce Harper.Instead, New York stayed on the sidelines while other teams courted the 26-year-old superstar, who eventually signed a record-breaking 13-year, $330 million deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.Will Harper's pact sting on the back end as he lurches into his late 30s? Of course.Are the Yankees a World Series contender without him? Yes.Does it make sense that the Bronx Bombers, MLB's perennial big spenders, were hardly involved in negotiations for one of this generation's glitziest superstars? Nope.Imagine Harper joining Judge, Giancarlo Stanton et al. at hitter-happy Yankee Stadium in the game's biggest market. It simply makes too much sense, future cash considerations be damned. Once upon a time, that was the Yankee way.Now, apparently, not so much.No. 1: Chicago Cubs Giving Cole Hamels $20M...and Thats It?6 of 6Jim Young/Associated PressThe Chicago Cubs opened the offseason by exercising Cole Hamels' $20 million option. Hamels pitched well after coming over from the Texas Rangers in the deadline trade last season, posting a 2.36 ERA in 76.1 innings for the Cubbies.He also turned 35 in December and posted a 4.49 FIP overall.He could be a solid arm for Chicago in 2018, but the Cubbies did little else after handing Hamels his cash. Further seismic upgrades to the rotation, bullpen and lineup weren't forthcoming. What happened to Harper?The Cubs will amble into 2019 in a deep division with a roster PECOTA projects for a last-place 79-83 finish.They could exceed expectations. But after tossing undue cash at Hamels and essentially calling it a winter, executive Theo Epstein and company have left themselves open to justifiable criticism. All statistics and contract information courtesy of Baseball Reference unless otherwise noted.