Rockies news and links for April 5 Shohei Ohtani Jersey , the RocksPebble ReportRockpileRockies Game ThreadsRockies Fan ExperienceRockpileWelcoming the Rockies back to Coors FieldNew,51commentsRockies news and links for April 5, 2019 Welcoming the Rockies back to Coors FieldRockies Insider: Colorado’s opening road trip reveals series of omens for 2019 season | Denver Post ($)In these early days of the 2019 season, there are some warning signs reminiscent of last year. First off, the pitching rotation is still a bit shaky. Kyle Freeland and German Marquez are quite stable, but the back end didn’t look quite as good. The abysmal offense does not bode well, either. The Rockies were meant to work on offense in the offseason after a franchise-low .256, but so far, the plate discipline and lack of hitting is not impressing anyone. In other bad news, the Rockies big offseason attainment Brandon Phillips Jersey , Daniel Murphy, suffered a finger fracture that will bench him for four to six weeks. Jake McGee also suffered an injury, a knee strain, that led to Carlos Estevez being recalled from Triple A. Some good news for the Rockies came in the form of a contract extension with German Marquez. The young pitcher has continued to develop and impress on the mound and he’s a great long-term addition to the pitching rotation.Rockies would be wise to extend hometown ace Kyle Freeland | Mile High SportsKyle Freeland has been a hometown favorite in his time with the Rockies so far. His performance has shown that he deserves a contract extension. Freeland will be eligible for arbitration next year, and the Rockies might consider avoiding arbitration and offering him an extension like they did with German Marquez. Freeland arrived on the scene and dominated the mound, finding himself in contention for the Cy Young award after an unbelievable 2018. Rockies pitching has been a bit rocky of late, and locking down a future with an ace like Freeland could be a step toward success. Colorado Rockies: A return to Home, Sweet Home | Rox PileFriday marks the Rockies’ home opener for the 2019 season. The Rox had a bit of a rough start on the road, suffering from those Florida woes. The lack of any kind of offense was disheartening, but the hope is that the Denver air works a bit more in their favor. Fortunately Barry Larkin Jersey , the pitching showed some real promise, with Kyle Freeland and German Marquez unsurprisingly killing it. The Rockies homecoming is tough, as they’ll start off against the Dodgers, but hopefully the fans in purple can help give them a boost. Colorado Rockies prospect Justin Lawrence skyrockets to Triple-A | Rox PileTwenty-four-year-old righty Justin Lawrence was promoted straight from Class A to Triple-A. He had impressive outings last season and in the spring. He also took advantage of all the learning opportunities being around veteran players provides. Lawrence has a unique pitching style, and that could be a huge boon in the Rockies arsenal. Rockies to dawn new uniform combo in 2019 | Mile High SportsThe Rockies will look a little different when they take the field this year. Their new pants with special jerseys — like the purple ones or the black vests — will not have pinstripes and are solid white instead. The Washington Nationals have thrown out feelers to teams who may be looking to acquire relief pitching, should they decide to become sellers at the trade deadline.Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports reportedKelvin Herrera, Shawn Kelley and Ryan Madson could be on the block ahead of the July 31 non-waiver deadline. All three pitchers are free agents at the end of the 2018 season.The Nationals are currently 50-51, sitting in third place in the NL East. They are seven games behind the Atlanta Braves in the loss column for the second NL Wild Card spot, which has likely led to management considering being sellers at the deadline.Herrera, who was acquired only last month from the Kansas City Royals Chris Sabo Jersey , is arguably the biggest potential chess piece. He has posted a 1.83 ERA and 1.04 WHIP in 41 appearances with the two clubs, saving 15 games in 17 chances.Kelly, 34, is in the midst of a bounce-back year after a miserable 2017. He's posted a 2.67 ERA and 0.86 WHIP in 30.1 innings this season, the third time in four years he's had an ERA under three.Madson is a 37-year-old veteran with a ton of October experience but is also pitching the worst of the trio. He's been rocked for a 4.57 ERA and 1.57 WHIP in 35.2 innings in 2018.None of the three is likely to garner much in terms of elite prospects. Still, bullpen help is necessary in October, and acquiring a couple mid-level prospects that may hit someday could entice the Nats into making a move.