DENVER -- In recent years, the Rockies have followed a Major League trend: If you don’t have a first baseman, make one. As we detail in today’s first Inbox question, it hasn’t worked as well for them as it has for other clubs.

Oddly, sliding players from other positions has become vogue these days.

The Dodgers circulate Cody Bellinger, Max Muncy and Joc Pederson through first base. Former Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu had never played more than one game in a season at first before he spent 40 regular-season games there this year. The Astros’ Yuli Gurriel and the Nationals’ Ryan Zimmerman evolved into first basemen.

Daniel Murphy’s signing came when the Rockies had several choices. Last offseason, the multi-position guy that seemed to fit the Rockies, Marwin Gonzalez, gave the Twins service there, as well as at other positions. Carlos Santana (Indians) and Edwin Encarnacion (Mariners, Yankees) were trade options, too.

But you make a point. On a team with pitchers more oriented to contact than strikeouts, you would prefer better than the below-average play that Ian Desmond and Murphy (who missed significant time with a left index finger fracture) have provided at the position over the last two years.

The Cardinals, for example, moved away from the Carlos Martinez-Matt Adams combo of 2018, and saw their whole defense improve with the addition to Paul Goldschmidt at first this year.

While Murphy has always been more of an offensive player, the message from the club at the end of the year was that he must improve defensively.

The Rockies haven’t developed a true first baseman since Todd Helton, but looking around the game, they aren’t alone. There is hope that they can eventually fill from within, with four of their top 11 MLB Pipeline prospects -- Colton Welker (No. 3), Grant Lavigne (No. 4), Michael Toglia (No. 5) and Tyler Nevin (No. 11) -- being trained at the spot in the Minors.

Raimel Tapia made 89 starts in 2019 with a less-than-desirable .706 OPS. However, as the season progressed, he had his best strings when starting regularly. A platoon that moves Desmond to a reserve role against righties is a workable strategy. (David Dahl, coming off an All-Star Game invite, will be a regular with hopes of staying healthy.)

But with the pitching needs in the rotation and bullpen, your idea is worth exploring. Tapia has tools and showed development in his first wire-to-wire Major League season that other clubs may value. However, being out of Minor League options curtails that to some extent. It seems he would have to be paired with a prospect.

Dealing Tapia would mean a confident evaluation of Sam Hilliard, who hit for power and showed signs that he is headed in the right direction in terms of selectivity. Yonathan Daza will have to show he can make consistent, hard contact in the Majors to be counted upon.

It’s a fair question for a couple reasons. Many teams have someone as a layer between the baseball operation and ownership, and under Bridich, the Rockies have done far better with players they’ve developed than players they’ve signed on the open market. But there are no indications the Rockies are headed in that direction.

Many fans have been asking some version of this question, and it’s understandable with Wade Davis ($17 million), Jake McGee ($9.5 million) and Bryan Shaw ($9 million) coming off various struggles. But the Rockies would either have to take back under-performing players or eat large chunks of salary to move them, so it’s just as likely that they will be given a chance to rebound.

Baseball is not like, say, football, where a team can release a player and escape most or all of the contract. For any two-sport athletes with pro potential who may be reading this (admittedly, not many of you), keep this in mind.

Seasons have ebbs and flows, but even during the best part of the season, the pitching wasn’t consistent. At their best -- from April 14 through June 20 -- the Rockies went 37-22, but their starters had a 5.68 ERA, while their relievers had a 4.66 ERA with 13 saves.