Inbox: Is Young ready for the big show?

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By Thomas Harding / MLB.com

12/21/09 7:10 PM EST

In my opinion, Eric Young Jr. is ready for the big leagues, is 2010 the year?
-- Dean S., Goshen, Ind.

You and the Rockies are on the same page with this one. The plan is to carry Young as a switch-hitting utility player who can fill in at second base, third base and left field. On days he doesn't start, manager Jim Tracy can use the speedy Young as a pinch-runner.

We'll find out soon enough if Young is ready. We can look at the reasons the Rockies believe he can handle a big league job.

The experience isn't much -- 30 games, .246, one home run, one RBI. In most cases, that doesn't warrant being in the big club's plans the following year.

But when those games came makes all the difference. The Rockies called up Young when Dexter Fowler suffered a shin injury in August and the Rockies were fighting for a playoff berth. A second baseman throughout his Minor League career, Young was pressed into duty in center field and manned the position adequately.

At times he was tricked by veteran pitchers on the bases, which is why he was 4 of 8 on steals after swiping 58 bases in Triple-A. But there were no signs of tentativeness, and his at-bats were consistently competitive.

Even more, Young was not awed by the Majors. He listened as veteran Jason Giambi mentored him on situations and opposing pitchers. The fact he grew up around the game -- his father, Eric Young, was a second baseman with several teams, including the Rockies -- no doubt helped.

The Rockies certainly aren't afraid to send a player back to the Minors if he needs it. Last season, they didn't call up outfielder Carlos Gonzalez -- who had dominated Triple-A in 2008 -- until June. But they'll prepare Young to play at all his positions this spring, and give him every opportunity to prove he belongs at the start of 2010.

Have a question about the Rockies? E-mail your query to MLB.com Rockies beat reporter Thomas Harding for possible inclusion in a future Inbox column. Letters may be edited for brevity, length and/or content. First Name, Last Initial: Hometown: Email Address: Question:

Is there any reason for us to believe that Troy Tulowitzki will be able to avoid his usual slow start in 2010?
-- Jeff C., Rexburg, Idaho

This is one of those times when I freely admit I have no answer.

You can't fault Tulowitzki's offseason preparation. Last season, after suffering quadriceps issues in 2008, Tulowitzki retooled his offseason program and incorporated daily strengthening and stretching routines during the season. There were no injuries based on that.

As for his skills, it's hard to say he did a poor job of preparing for last season. Tulowitzki hit .317 with a .369 on-base percentage in Cactus League play. Yet, he was hitting .226 through May.

The best theory might have been offered by hitting coach Don Baylor, who was talking about the team in general, not Tulowitzki. A lot of players grow up in warm-weather areas and have little experience in colder climates. Then the preparation for the season occurs in warm weather. So what happens when the regular season begins? They end up playing in frigid temperatures.

That's as good a theory as any.

Even Tulowitzki has no idea why he has started slowly. After he turned things around last year, he could smile and say it just might be that he's a slow starter.

But knowing Tulowitzki, he won't accept that as an answer. In fact, all that stands between him and the acclaim that would come with something like an All-Star Game appearance is a good start.

What are the Rockies' plans for left-hander Franklin Morales? Does he have a shot at the rotation in 2010 or do they see him strictly as a reliever at this point?
-- Dayday, Brooklyn

There's no doubt in my mind that Morales could develop into an effective, possibly dominant, starter. That may happen at some point, but Tracy believes he is more important to the team late in games, and isn't far from having the kind of stuff that could make him one of he game's best closers.

Thomas Harding is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.