It's not easy being a top prospect. Despite being only 23, many people probably recognize Franklin Morales' name because of his role in the Rockies' improbable run to the World Series in 2007. Last year, he bounced between Triple-A and the majors and mostly struggled at both levels. This was a bit disappointing to some, but given his age it wasn't all that discouraging. He was all set to begin 2009 as part of the Colorado rotation and he had a decent spring when the Rockies traded for Jason Hammel right before the season started. That lead to an awkward situation Wednesday: he knew he was being demoted to Triple-A after an afternoon game against the Diamondbacks, so he went out and tossed six sparkling one-hit innings to pick up the win.
And then he was demoted anyway. With three off-days in the next eight, the Rockies say it's just because they don't need five starters and they want to keep him on a regular schedule. That's certainly a believable and valid story. Unfortunately for them, it comes after Morales whiffed six D'backs while only giving up four hits and a walk in his six innings.
In the long run, Morales is certainly more important to the Rockies than Hammel. Actually, he's probably better than Hammel right now. When it comes time for a long-term move to make room for Hammel on the roster, Juan Morillo is probably a better bet to lose his spot on the team. But that probably doesn't make Morales feel a whole lot better.
