Colorado Rockies losing solid contributors from the bullpen

In a strange move, the Rockies dealt Reynolds to Arizona.

First it was Josh Roenicke, not it is Matt Reynolds. Within weeks, the Colorado Rockies have lost two of their biggest contributors.

On Tuesday, the Rockies dealt Reynolds to the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for infielder Ryan Wheeler. The move came as a surprise to most Rockies fans, and Reynolds himself, who told the Denver Post that he hadn't heard any rumors.

Two weeks previous, the Rockies watched Minnesota pick up Roenicke off of waivers, a move made to clear 40-man roster space.

Moves similar to this are made by nearly every team in nearly every offseason. However, these two moves have Rockies fans scratching their heads because of the fact that one of the few strong points in an otherwise horrible season for the Rockies was their bullpen. Guys like Roenicke and Reynolds held things down, overworking their arms, in an effort to bridge the gaping hole left by the starting pitchers.

Colorado Rockies wise to go back in time for coaching decisions

The Rockies named Dante Bichette hitting coach on Tues.

On Tuesday, the Colorado Rockies announced that former slugger Dante Bichette would be the hitting coach under new manager Walt Weiss.

Bichette entered the conversation after Weiss was given the new role of manager. The two played together in Colorado from 1994 through 1997. During those years, the Rockies established themselves as a club that didn't concern themselves with the factors that made it difficult to win in Colorado.

The hiring of both Bichette and Weiss has come with criticism from fans and analysts alike. Much of the disparaging comes from the fact that neither Weiss nor Bichette has any big league coaching experience whatsoever.

However, the Rockies should be commended for their outside the box thinking. This club has been desperately trying to do things outside of the box for quite some time, however, most of the time, it has been to the detriment of the success of the team. This time, however, the Rockies got it right.

Colorado Rockies tab Walt Weiss to fill vacant manger role

Walt Weiss becomes the Colorado Rockies 6th manager.

In a long-awaited decision, the Colorado Rockies have chosen Walt Weiss as their next manager.

The former American League Rookie of the Year has never managed, or coached in professional baseball. He served as a special assistant to the general manager for several years, but never in an official coaching role.

Weiss was asked to join Clint Hurdle's staff on a couple of different occasions, but Weiss turned the opportunity down because he wanted to spend time with his growing family. However, as one of his sons nears the end of his high school career, Weiss has decided that the Rockies opportunity had arrived at the right time.