The Rockies are back, hoping to avoid another losing season

Why it matters: The Rockies must decide whether they will continue sliding into irrelevance or lay the groundwork for a major turnaround.

• They lost on Opening Day Thursday 16-1 to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Between the lines: Just like last season, preseason predictions for this year aren't kind. Most sports outlets are projecting just over 50 wins yet again.

• It's so bad, The Denver Post's Patrick Saunders rightfully asked whether losing has simply become acceptable for a team that hasn't been to the playoffs since 2018.

What they're saying: "We were too OK with it. At times," pitcher Kyle Freeland recently told the Post.Obviously, we want to win every night. We are going out there trying to win ball games."

The intrigue: The Rockies should look at the Texas Rangers — the 2023 World Series winners — for a blueprint at how to turn things around.

• The Rangers went from zeroes to heroes in just two years after spending more than a half-billion dollars on hitters, betting on a young star, bringing back a celebrated manager and changing its front office, writes Axios Dallas' Tasha Tsiaperas.

Reality check: That's a pretty lengthy to do list for a ballclub whose owners, the Monforts, face perpetual calls to sell the team.

The bottom line: Hope springs eternal, as they say, so we will hope to avoid another long, dry, miserable season at Coors Field.