Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag. Pose a Rockies- or MLB-related question for the Rockies Mailbag. Hi Patrick, I read Troy Renck’s (column) about Zac Veen putting on 45 pounds in the offseason. How do you think that’ll help him this ye ar? I know he was more of a speedy guy in the minors, but that 468-foot bomb against the White Sox was incredible. Do you think he’ll make the opening-day roster? — Ryan, Arvada Ryan, Veen’s story is the most intriguing one in camp. I’m rooting for the young man because he’s gone through a lot of personal struggles and has never lived up to the Rockies’ lofty expectations. This spring training is huge for him, no pun intended. He has two questions to answer. First, has he conquered his personal demons? Second, does his talent translate to the major leagues? I don’t know the answers to those questions right now, and neither do the Rockies. You’re right about that home run; it was incredible. For the record, while we were waiting to walk on the field to interview manager Warren Schaeffer after the game, I called Veen’s walk-off homer. But then, so did Cory Little, the head of Rockies media relations, and so did Schaeffer. Will Veen’s increased bulk make him a better player? Well, he wasn’t eating much at all, so he needed to gain weight/muscle. But overall, I don’t think 45 pounds makes him a better player; he was not a solid outfielder to begin with. He looks more like a designated hitter to me, perhaps a serviceable outfielder. Will he break camp with the team? Right now, I’d say no. However, if the Rockies make a trade this spring or if there is an injury, it might open up a spot for him. Is Mickey Moniak going to be our designated hitter? We’re pretty crowded in the outfield, and I love his bat, but he had seven errors last year and a -2.7 defensive WAR. That’s Dante Bichette-esque numbers in the field. — Peter B., Denver Peter, it’s too early to peg Moniak as the DH. It’s looking like the Rockies will be mixing and matching their outfielders on a regular basis, and the player who is not on the field will likely be the designated hitter. The Rockies’ best defensive outfield would be newcomer Jake McCarthy in left, Brenton Doyle in center, and Jordan Beck in right. Related Articles Diamondbacks’ Nolan Arenado ‘will be a force’ in NL West, Rockies’ Warren Schaeffer says Rockies reliever Pierson Ohl to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery Is Rockies’ prospect Charlie Condon ready to shine with stars from 2024 draft class? | Journal Rockies’ Kyle Karros wants to be one of the best third basemen in baseball. He’s got the pedigree. Grading The Week: Why did Rockies’ Dick Monfort spend $233M to sign Kris Bryant and lose Nolan Arenado? Regarding Moniak, he’s still a key to the Rockies’ rebuild. Manager Warren Schaeffer loves his energy and leadership, and he’s very popular with his teammates. Plus, he provides the offense with a much-needed spark. He had a solid .270/.306/.518 slash line with 24 home runs last season. Hi Patrick. Seeing Paul DePodesta and company sign a plethora of pitchers is intriguing. Do you see the Rockies keeping more pitchers than usual on the staff this year? If so, how will that play out for the utility players? — Del, Lamar Del, I do not think the Rockies will have more pitchers on the roster than usual this season. The signing of three veteran starters — right-handers Michael Lorenzen and Tomoyuki Sugano, and lefty Jose Quintana — enabled the team to buy some time for its young starters to improve without getting scorched by being thrown into the fire. That said, you’re going to see a lot of movement between Triple-A and the big leagues this season. Plus, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Rockies employ an “opener” in a number of games this season. We’re going to see some experimentation. Bottom line: There will be five starters, eight relievers and 13 position players. What do you think our rotation looks like this year? We picked a bunch of arms in the offseason. I feel like Kyle Freeland’s our opening-day starter. Michael Lorenzen, Jose Quintana and Tomoyuki Sugano are upgrades over what we had last year. Who else gets that last spot? Chase Dollander? Tanner Gordon? Bradley Blalock? Ryan Feltner? — Mark, Arvada Mark, you’ve got the first four starters right, unless one of them gets hurt. My pick for the fifth starter, at least early in spring training, is Feltner. Apart from Dollander, I think Feltner has the best raw stuff on the team. But Feltner needs to stay healthy and put together a full season, something he hasn’t done. Dollander, in retrospect, wasn’t ready last season. If he doesn’t make the team out of spring training, I’m thinking he’ll be ticked off, but that’s OK, he’ll get his starts in the majors this season. I think Gordon has a chance to be an effective back-of-the-rotation pitcher, but I don’t think he’ll make the team to start the season. Blalock is no longer with the team. The Marlins acquired the right-hander off waivers in exchange for minor league right-hander Jake Brooks last month. Blalock, 25, was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Lorenzen. Hi Patrick. Firstly, thank you for your excellent coverage of the Rockies. It can’t have been easy reporting on the team in recent seasons! My question is about D.J. LeMahieu, who I understand is still a free agent. Would it be worth the Rockies signing LeMahieu to provide some experience and veteran leadership? — David Jones, Selsey, West Sussex, England Well, hello David, from across the pond! Thanks for reading, it’s much appreciated. Regarding LeMahieu, I have not heard anything official, but I believe he’s planning to retire after being released by the Yankees last summer. The good news for him, the Yankees have to pay him $15 million this season. As much as I like LeMahieu (one of my favorite players I’ve covered), he has no place on this Rockies team. Injuries have drained his talent, and the Rockies need to start developing younger players rather than returning to their distant past. Do you know anything yet about the broadcasting of Rockies games this year on both television and streaming? Thanks! — Murph, Akron Murph, the setup is pretty much the same as it was last season. You can stream Rockies games or watch via your cable/satellite provider. Also, the Rockies have partnered with 9News, the local NBC affiliate, to simulcast 10 home games. All 10 games will be shown on KTVD channel 20, and five games will also be shown on KUSA/9News. These games are available for free, over-the-air (OTA) to viewers throughout the region. The 10 broadcasts will begin with the home opener on April 3, when the Rockies host the Phillies, and will continue with the eight select Friday games and one on August 1. If you need more information, here is the Rockies’ information page: https://www.mlb.com/rockies/schedule/programming. As for radio broadcasts, you can listen to all Rockies games on KOA (850 AM/94.1 FM). Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis. ...read more read less