Kiszla: New general manager, same sad story. Rockies have no discernible plan to trade their star shortstop. – The Denver Post

Although his heart is in a righteous place, Bill Schmidt must have rocks in his head to volunteer for the worst job in the major leagues.

After more than two decades of loyal service to the Rockies in the scouting department, Schmidt has been promoted to receptionist for franchise owner Dick Monfort and given the thankless task of fielding calls from teams looking to fleece Colorado in a trade for shortstop Trevor Story.

“I’d like to think I’d be involved in the conversation,” Schmidt said Wednesday. “And we’ll do it as a group.”

Schmidt hopes to be involved in the conversation? If he was actually given full responsibilities as the team’s interim general manager along with spiffy new business cards by the boss, shouldn’t Schmidt be spearheading the trade of Story, instead of leaving pink sticky notes from the Yankees or Angels on Monfort’s desk?

OK, maybe that’s how a competent professional sports team would operate.

But we’re talking about the Rockies here.

Who’s really in charge, you ask? Pay no attention to that meatpacker behind the curtain. The Great and Powerful Monfort was nowhere to be found during Schmidt’s introductory news conference, because passing the buck for his own mistakes of micro-management is what Monfort does best.

The only intrigue left in the season for a Colorado team mired in last place of the National League West is if the trade of Story will make more of a stink than the putrid deal that sent third baseman Nolan Arenado to the St. Louis Cardinals.

If the crumbling Rockies have a coherent plan regarding how a Story trade might jump start the rebuilding process for an organization desperately in need of an infusion of hope, Schmidt was not given the authority to reveal it.

“We’ll address that at the appropriate time, and now is not the appropriate time,” said Schmidt, dodging the issue on the mind of every fan who has ever worn Story’s replica jersey at Coors Field.

How many more games will Story take the field wearing No. 27 for Colorado? His contract expires at season’s end. The trade deadline is July 30. Something has to give.

“Right now …  he’s a Rockie,” Schmidt said. “When you draft and develop kids, yes, you fall in love with them. You care a lot about them because you’ve known them when they’re 17, 18 years old. And your intent as the scouting director is: Hey, they’re going to be with the Rockies forever. But the reality is, we know that’s not the case.”

Does it sound like Story is as good as gone to you, too? Maybe the best we can hope for in this deal is the Rockies don’t have to give some lucky team $50 million to take a five-tool shortstop off their hands.

In the wake of Jeff Bridich’s resignation, Monfort tapped his trusty chief scout on the shoulder and gave Schmidt a mop to clean up the wet spill in Aisle 3 that was none of his making. It’s a messy, slippery job. Even if careful, Schmidt could take a tumble on his keister and be labeled the fall guy.

If the Rockies make a terrible trade for Story, however, there will be plenty of blame to go around among Monfort, Schmidt and freshly promoted president Greg Feasel, who has about as much business directing a baseball team as I do piloting the first manned spacecraft to Mars.

So who ultimately makes the call on Story?

“It would not be me and it won’t be Dick and it won’t be Greg,” Schmidt said. “Believe me, it will be an organization decision by a group of people for what’s in the best interest for the Rockies.”

Story’s future in baseball is bright, in no small part because his future is anywhere but here in Colorado, where a roster that qualified for the playoffs as recently as 2018 could not have been more mismanaged if Dinger the Dinosaur was in charge.

“I wouldn’t use the term ‘rebuild,’” said Schmidt, who believes young players he has brought into the organization can make Colorado competitive in the near future. “We’re always going to be a draft, sign-and-develop organization. That’s who we are.”

When the Rockies are unable to retain homegrown stars such as Arenado and Story, draft and develop seems like a road map to nowhere. And now Colorado can’t get on with rebuilding, because Monfort can’t bear to speak the word, much less embrace the dirty work of scrape and renewal.

Denial is not a strategy. A lack of transparency from a team that has taken its paying customers for granted seems like a rather shoddy way to rebuild trust.

I have about as much faith in Monfort, Feasel and Schmidt bringing a fair return on a deal for Story as if Moe, Larry and Curly were entrusted with the trade negotiations.

This management team has Rox in their heads.

It’s a sad story that goes on and on, my friends, seemingly without end. At least Trevor won’t have to bite his stiff upper lip and put up with this mess much longer.

He’s the lucky one.

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