The Colorado Rockies just can’t help themselves. As if their perpetual rebuild wasn’t enough of a punchline, they’ve now decided that one of their most promising young talents isn’t quite ready for the big stage, despite all evidence to the contrary. With Opening Day around the corner, the front office’s latest move has insiders fuming and fans wondering: Do they even want to win?

Could it get any worse for the Rockies fans? They have an ownership that seems more focused on other priorities than the roster. And just when the fans thought they had a promising player on the team, he gets sent down. The Rockies just informed fans that top prospect Zac Veen is not ready for the MLB. And, Insider Ben Verlander slammed the management for this decision.

During his Flippin’ Bats podcast, he said, “Zac Veen is who I want to talk about, stud prospect for them. Absolutely tore it up in spring training, hit .308 with an OPS around .930. It’s an absolute joke he didn’t make the team. He was just optioned down, didn’t make the team out of camp. It’s just, there’s no way around it other than this is service time manipulation.”

Veen’s performance in spring training wasn’t just good—it was exceptional, as Verlander pointed out. In the 44 at-bats, he hit two home runs, drove in 11 RBIs with a batting average of .318. His OPS was an impressive .991, the kind of stat line that would earn a spot on almost any MLB roster. Yet, despite these numbers, the Rockies’ decision to leave him off their team feels almost unjust.

Verlander further pointed out that this might be a case of service time manipulation. If this is true, then the Rockies should be prepared to pay hefty fine, and the manager better be ready to pack his bags. Because any such activity is illegal in the MLB.

Rockies Reverse Course, Send Nolan Jones Back to Cleveland

If only that were their only problem. After once betting on Nolan Jones as a cornerstone of their future, the Rockies have now deemed him expendable, sending him right back to where it all began. It’s a move that raises eyebrows, if not white flags, as the franchise continues its baffling decision-making. He was sent back to the Guardians after just one season, which is unfortunately not a surprise. He came to the Rockies in 2023 and had a good year, batting an average of .297 with 20 home runs and 62 RBIs. However, the 2024 season was nothing close to that.

In 2024, Jones spent most of the time on the injury list and played only 79 games. In those games, he had a batting average of just .227 and a low home run and RBI count of only 3 and 28, respectively. This clearly showed the Rockies’ management could not afford to have another average player on their roster, which turned down their chances of winning a few consecutive games.

And so, the Rockies did what they do best—cut bait on a struggling player they once deemed a franchise piece. Jones’ decline made him expendable, but let’s be honest: Colorado’s roster isn’t exactly overflowing with elite talent. If this move somehow improves their outlook, it’ll be by accident, just like most of their front-office decisions.