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Tag: rockies

  • Rockies acquire outfielder Jake McCarthy from Diamondbacks for pitching prospect Josh Grosz

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    The Rockies swung an in-division trade on Saturday to add to their outfield depth.

    Colorado acquired Jake McCarthy from the Diamondbacks in exchange for right-handed pitching prospect Josh Grosz. McCarthy is coming off a down year with Arizona, but his past suggests the potential for his bat to help the Rockies lineup.

    With the move, Colorado’s 40-man roster is full, and the Rockies have another option in an outfield that is returning its top three contributors last year in Brenton Doyle, Jordan Beck and Mickey Moniak.

    Beyond those three and McCarthy, other outfielders currently on the 40-man include up-and-comers Yanquiel Fernández and Zac Veen, utilitymen Tyler Freeman and Troy Johnston, and the yet-to-debut Sterlin Thompson.

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    Kyle Newman

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  • Keeler: CU Buffs QB Julian Lewis brought Shedeur Sanders’ juice, deep ball back to Coach Prime’s attack

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    MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — If Saturday in Morgantown was an audition, Julian Lewis passed.

    And passed.

    And passed.

    Ju Ju looked past open receivers. He looked ready to turtle whenever West Virginia sent the house. But he also looked like Shedeur Sanders out there at times, didn’t he?

    Especially when dropping ball after ball in the bucket for CU wide receiver Omarion Miller.

    The Buffs dropped their third game in a row at Milan Puskar Stadium, falling 29-22 against the Mountaineers and slipping to 3-7 on a lost season.

    Yet it was the most fun the Buffs have been in what, a month? For the first time in what feels like forever, we saw snippets of last fall’s passing game. We saw the deep ball and the vertical passing game that scared the Big 12 half to death.

    2024: Shedeur to Travis Hunter.

    2025: Ju Ju to Omarion.

    Sanders said earlier this week that his decision to start Lewis, a true freshman, at quarterback was guided by “common sense.”

    Hindsight is 20/20, especially when a year goes off the rails. But what took so long?

    Coach Prime should’ve listened to his common sense sooner.

    While senior Kaidon Salter offered zero juice and minimal downfield threat at QB1, Lewis walked into coal country and looked the part. The Mountaineers blitzed from the left. They blitzed from the right. At one point, they even pulled out a piece of Ju Ju’s hair. Kid hung tough: 22 completions on 35 attempts for 299 yards and two touchdowns.

    Lewis to Miler was the combo CU has been waiting for all year. The chemistry was undeniable. The combo was almost unguardable: Miller finished with six catches for 131 receiving yards and a score.

    Ju Ju was at his strongest rolling and throwing to his left, hitting Miller for a 43-yard rainbow early, then Sincere Brown (19 yards) and Joseph Williams (13 yards) on CU’s second drive of the second quarter.

    And yes, some context applies here, too. West Virginia’s defense going into the weekend ranked last in the Big 12 in opponent passer rating (160.25) and 14th in the league in passing yards allowed per game (270.8). It was not unlike debuting a rookie hitter against the 2025 Rockies at Coors Field — a soft landing, a chance to build numbers and confidence.

    Still, you could see that confidence growing in real time. On the CU drive that ended the third quarter and opened the fourth, the freshman faced second-and-7 from the West Virginia 20. He scanned quickly, feeling the pocket constricting to his left and his right. It was the kind of bang-bang play that would’ve been a sure-fire sack earlier in the game, never mind earlier in the season. Lewis stepped up in the pocket and took off for a 3-yard gain, giving CU a third-and-4 at the home 17. CU eventually got a 35-yard field goal from Alejandro Mata to pull the Buffs to within 22-19 with 14:51 left to play in the tilt.

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    Sean Keeler

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  • Grading The Week: Broncos’ passing woes wouldn’t be saved by Jaylen Waddle at NFL trade deadline

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    Jaylen Waddle can’t throw the ball to himself.

    It’s kind of been the worst “best” week for the Broncos that anybody on the Grading The Week (GTW) crew can remember.

    After all, the orange and blue went 2-0 over the last seven days to extend Denver’s lead atop the AFC West with an 8-2 record. The Broncos set up a showdown with the Chiefs (5-4) at Empower Field on Nov. 16 that could officially end the Mahomes-Reid stranglehold on the division.

    It’s how they got there. A victory over the Texans (18-15) was due to a brilliant defense and a very timely injury to Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud. A win over the Raiders (10-7) on Thursday night was an exercise in sheer agony. Brilliant defense again, but mostly agony.

    In between the games, Sean Payton was grouchier than usual. And on Tuesday, despite being on track for a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs, the Broncos elected to stand pat as the trade deadline came and went. Marcedes Lewis, the 41-year-old “blocking” tight end, was Broncos Country’s midseason acquisition of note. Everybody dance!

    Broncos at the NFL trade deadline — D

    Payton insisted midweek that he had everything he needed inside Broncos Park Powered by CommonSpirit. Against Vegas, his offense showed him otherwise.

    Several reports over the last few weeks had the Broncos sniffing around at offensive additions, primarily at wide receiver. Denver was allegedly a suitor for New Orleans wideout Rashid Shaheed, only to be pipped by the Seahawks.

    NFL reporter Jordan Schultz then claimed the Broncos reached out to the Dolphins to inquire about Shaheed clone Jaylen Waddle, only to find the reported asking price — a first-round draft pick, at the least — to be too steep.

    Considering the Colts (7-2) coughed up two first-round picks to free star cornerback Sauce Gardner from the Jets, it puzzled the kids in the GTW offices why the Broncos wouldn’t consider a corresponding move in kind. Nix will only be on a rookie contract for so long, and the Broncos’ cap situation improves significantly in 2026.

    Waddle would be an upgrade over Troy Franklin. But we’re not sure he’d be a significant improvement over Marvin Mims Jr., assuming the latter is good to go. And it would be a waste of a first-rounder to land a guy that Sean Payton would likely just be asking to block on screens anyway.

    DePodesta is a Rockie! — C

    The GTW gang is torn on this one. We’re mildly and pleasantly surprised that Rockies CEO Dick Monfort hired a director of baseball operations from a) outside the organization; and b) outside his genetic family tree. Baby steps, after all, are still steps.

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    Sean Keeler

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  • Renck & File: Giants’ Jaxson Dart is having fun. He won’t be smiling vs. Broncos on Sunday

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    Time for the anvil to drop on Arm&Hammer.

    Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Cam Skattebo have injected enthusiasm into the veins of a long-suffering fanbase, hope into a long-suffering franchise. They have a cool aforementioned nickname.

    Skattebo has been a revelation. Cast as a situational player in the draft, he boasts 338 yards rushing and five touchdowns. He is Brian Bosworth meets Mike Alstott, inspiring teammates with his rock’em, sock’em robot running style. He leads with his chin in every conversation and carry.

    But Dart needs to cool his jets. If, for no other reason, based on what just happened to the Jets.

    Some cayenne pepper got sprinkled on Sunday’s game with trash talk, sanitized as it was. Reigning AFC Defensive Player of the Week Jonathon Cooper made it clear he is not impressed with Dart, saying, “He’s feeling himself a lil’ bit. He’s out there running around. He’s got the chain on. He’s dancing. I feel like everybody needs something, you know.”

    It was a warning. Dart found it amusing.

    “I think a lot of guys wear chains and dance when they score touchdowns,” Dart told the New York Post. “I appreciate him following my dance touchdowns.”

    Covering players like Dart is a blast. But quarterbacks lacking humility get clobbered by reality.

    Drew Lock ring any bells?

    He was the singing QB with the nifty backpack celebration until he wasn’t. He has been cast as a career backup since 2021. Dart is more athletic than Lock, but his total disregard for his body and overconfidence have helped him lead the league in blue tent visits the past three weeks.

    This Broncos defense is frothing, eager to put on a show to impress the Super Bowl 50 champions, who will be honored at halftime.

    Dart is great for the Giants, even if his yards per play are worse than Russell Wilson’s. He loves attention. He just picked the wrong week to engage in verbal jousting. The Broncos have not allowed a touchdown at home, while posting nine sacks.

    Good luck “Hanging with Mr. Cooper” on Sunday, Dart.

    It is the team, not QB: Time to stop pointing the finger at first-round quarterbacks who fail when history shows coaching and organizational dysfunction is largely to blame. Baker Mayfield is 5-1, and an MVP candidate. Daniel Jones is 5-1 and an MVP candidate. Sam Darnold is 4-2 for Seattle. Here are the records of the teams that drafted them: Cleveland is 1-5, the Giants are 2-3-1 and the Jets are winless.

    Wrong tone: The Chiefs welcome back receiver Rashee Rice this week. Can folks stop acting like he is returning from knee surgery? He was suspended for six games for his involvement in a six-car crash that resulted in multiple injuries and led Rice to plead guilty to two felony charges. His absence had nothing to do with his health.

    Latin for winning: Talked to Nuggets center Jonas Valanciunas. And teammates about Jonas Valanciunas. It is clear he has bought into his role as Nikola Jokic’s backup on a team with championship expectations, following the “Age Quod Agis” message posted on the practice wall. Translated, it means: “Do what you do.” Valanciunas gets it.

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    Troy Renck

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  • Renck & File: Shedeur Sanders in danger of becoming Tim Tebow. That’s not a good thing

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    In college, Shedeur Sanders was him. In the NFL, he is becoming Tim.

    And that’s not good.

    The only thing NFL coaches hate more than pre-snap penalties are distractions. And this is where Sanders’ star power works against him with the Cleveland Browns. Remember Tim Tebow? Of course you do. He is the only drafted Broncos quarterback to win a playoff game. He was traded after that season, started two games for the New York Jets, and disappeared into TV work.

    Sanders profiles as an NFL starter. Should be one.

    But the league did not see him that way, with 143 players selected before the Browns pulled the ripcord on his free fall. Even that was a mess since they had drafted Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel in the third round. Fifth-round picks are not guaranteed roster spots. Sanders needed to show up in Cleveland with a low profile — no personal media crew, and, in hindsight, an Uber gift card to avoid speeding tickets.

    Sanders is better than Gabriel, whose helmet is already hitting his ceiling. But that doesn’t matter. If the Browns believe Sanders is a backup — and foolishly keeping four quarterbacks on the opening roster will scream as much — then they will want him to blend into the furniture.

    CU fans love Shedeur’s brand. The style. The watch flex. It worked famously in Boulder. But for all the advantages of playing for his father, Deion Sanders, there was a clear downside of facing no consequences or competition.

    His success was legendary. In the NFL, he is currently viewed as ordinary. It’s not fair. However, unless you are a first-round pick, have a huge contract, or are a coach’s favorite, you don’t get the benefit of the doubt.

    Coaches don’t want celebrity quarterbacks. And they definitely don’t want celebrity backup quarterbacks. Don’t believe it? How quickly did the careers of Cam Newton and Jay Cutler end?

    Sanders, who sat out last week with an oblique injury, will play in the Browns’ final preseason game after 40-year-old starter Joe Flacco and Gabriel.

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    Troy Renck

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  • Letters: Jake Cave inspires Colorado Rockies fan despite a tough season for the team

    Letters: Jake Cave inspires Colorado Rockies fan despite a tough season for the team

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    Cave inspires Rockies fan despite a tough season for the team

    I’ve been following the Rockies since their beginning in 1993. My favorite player in those first years was Dante Bichette. He was such a clutch power hitter and I loved his coach Don Baylor. Baylor believed in Bichette and they were friends. In 2020 the Rockies signed Connor Joe. He was a cancer survivor who was inspiring. He made each play like it was his last. Connor Joe became my favorite player. I still love both Bichette and Joe and was inspired watching them play.

    In a season where the Rockies are at the bottom of the NL West, I don’t know why but this is my favorite season to watch the Rockies. It shouldn’t be, but I think it has a lot to do with Jake Cave, Ezequiel Tovar, Nolan Jones, Michael Toglia, Charlie Blackmon, Hunter Goodman, Kyle Freeland, Ryan McMahon, Brenton Doyle, and their manager, Bud Black.

    Cave, now my favorite Rockies player of all time, is a real-life Crash Davis with a gray beard and a relentless engine. He is playing each game with desperation as if the Rockies are going to send him back to the minors. He makes me believe the Rockies might completely turn it around for the second half of the season.

    Whatever happens, I thank the current Rockies for entertaining this retired 69-year-old man. You have given the devoted fans eternal hope, and it is riding on a 31-year-old gray beard who has no idea he shouldn’t be playing this well.

    Steven Antonuccio, Pueblo

    Harris is an exciting choice for president

    What a summer for the Democratic Party! Today, I find myself as excited about the 2024 election as I was when Barack Obama ran in 2008. Kamala Harris brings a freshness and energy we sorely need. Discouragingly, I am hearing grumblings from people who say America is “just not ready” to have a black woman as president. I say to those people, you need to check your own biases. Black Americans and women are top leaders in all segments of our society today. Questions around how race, ethnicity and gender factor into ability have been asked and satisfactorily answered over and over since this country was founded. The only relevant question now is whether Vice President Harris has the intelligence, skills, fortitude, morals, values, and drive to lead this country.

    Tamara Bennett, Carbondale

    If you really want to thank me for my service …

    I joined the Navy in 1968, one step ahead of the draft. This was just prior to the lottery system and beer-swigging wise-ass 19-year-old punks with lousy high school transcripts, such as me, were being swept up off the streets of America to participate in our first war fought for no logical reason: Vietnam. I consider myself a draft dodger by joining the Navy. Fortunately for me, the Navy gave me a chance to grow up, become focused, and develop self-discipline without the risk of lead poisoning.

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    DP Opinion

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  • Betts and Freeman homer in the 1st to back another solid outing from Stone as Dodgers blank Rockies

    Betts and Freeman homer in the 1st to back another solid outing from Stone as Dodgers blank Rockies

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    LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman homered in the first inning, Gavin Stone had another strong outing and the Los Angeles Dodgers blanked the Colorado Rockies 4-0 on Sunday.

    Betts hit his fourth leadoff homer this season.

    Two batters later, Freeman went deep off Colorado’s Austin Gomber, the eighth time the Dodgers have homered at least twice in an inning.

    Freeman also scored twice and drove in two runs for the Dodgers, who have won five of six.

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    The Associated Press

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