Rockies add a bit of old spice to their lineup

Not so long ago, we here at America's Fish were bemoaning how slow the Colorado Rockies were moving in their offseason plans. Coming off a disappointing season, there seemed no sense of urgency about making the team interesting or competitive. With the acquisition of infielder Marco Scutaro from the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, we would like to take it all back. The Rockies have quietly assembled a very solid lineup for 2012. It's a little old in places, but the Rockies have made signficant offense upgrades at second base, right field and catcher, and will field a well-rounded lineup that has more power and strikes out less than the 2011 version of the team. The lineup as it looks right now:

CF Dexter Fowler
2B Marco Scutaro
LF Carlos Gonzalez
SS Troy Tulowitzki
RF Michael Cuddyer
1B Todd Helton
C Ramon Hernandez
3B Casey Blake

Blake is holding a spot for Nolan Arenado, who should begin to slide into the middle of the Rockies order by midseason. Hernandez is holding a spot for Wilin Rosario, who should follow closely behind Arenado, but does not have the same upside. Scutaro is likely holding a spot for Josh Rutledge, who should be competing for a major league job in 2013. Fowler is still less than an ideal leadoff hitter, but the Rockies now have tough outs up and down the lineup in place of swing-and-miss specialists Chris Iannetta, Ian Stewart and Ty Wigginton.

Now, if the Rockies could just land that No. 2 starter.