DENVER -- With Thursday’s 10-3 loss to the Cardinals, the Rockies find themselves the second-earliest National League team to be eliminated from postseason contention in 2019 after making postseason trips in ‘17 and ‘18.

A different result was expected after seeing October the last two years and after having a record that was six games over .500 on June 20. Colorado had even overcome a slow offensive start from stars Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon, a lengthy injury to newly signed first baseman Daniel Murphy, and a bad beginning from lefty 2018 NL Cy Young Award candidate Kyle Freeland.

But now the Rockies have all five season-opening starters on the injured list. Closer Wade Davis struggled to the point of losing his job and fellow veteran free agents Bryan Shaw and Jake McGee didn’t have seasons to match their contracts, which run through next season.

So it’s time to ponder five of the questions Colorado will spend the offseason looking to answer.

1. Is this a good team that can be better with health and improved performance, or one that needs an overhaul?

Manager Bud Black: “We need to stay healthy. All things considered, it’s imperative for us -- especially on the pitching side. Our rotation went from the five guys we started with to where we are now, and a couple guys in the bullpen. And I would think a year of play from a number of our players will help them for next year. We can talk about that after the season is over.”

Shortstop Trevor Story: “I don’t think it’s a team that needs a big overhaul or anything like that. We’re similar to the teams we had the last two years -- minus some guys that had some big innings and big at-bats for us, DJ LeMahieu and Adam Ottavino [both now with the Yankees]. But I’ve said it all year, some of the most talented players are in this clubhouse.”

Davis: “This team won two years in a row. This one was not good. From a personal standpoint, I’m going to perform better. I’m going to prepare better. But I don’t think this team needs an overhaul. This team has plenty of talent, but obviously needs to be healthy.”

2. How big of a culprit were injuries?

Arenado: “That's not why we lost this year. I hope that's not the excuse. Yeah, I think there's some things that need to change. I can't answer all of them, but injuries were not the reason why we lost, or we've been losing.”

Blackmon: “I do think -- first and foremost, year over year -- there's not a lot of teams in baseball that have had to deal with the absence of starting pitching for as much as we have. When those guys get hurt, or struggle to make those starts, it's going to be hard to replace them, or anything.”

Freeland: “It’s a little bit of both. Having the early injuries, like to Murphy. Down the stretch when we still had an outside chance of making the playoffs, the injuries just compiled. It’s detrimental to your mindset. It’s like, ‘How are we going to do this now?’”

3. Does the starting pitching need to be overhauled? That usually means adding veterans, something with which the team has had mixed results in the past.

Right-hander German Márquez: “I don’t like to hear that. I like to compete. I don’t like to hear opinions about our situation here. The same guys here pitching better can get us to the playoffs.”

Catcher Tony Wolters: “This year was an opportunity to get better, and to get better sometimes you have to fall. And we're falling right now, but I can't wait to see how we are when we're all up and ready to be going. And I'm excited for this next year.”

Freeland: “We’ve learned that over the past two to three years. This pitching staff can do the same thing as a pitching staff that’s loaded with veteran arms. Some guys are starting to become veterans. Jon Gray is creeping into that category. I’m starting to get more and more years under my belt. Same thing with Marquez and [Antonio] Senzatela.”

4. All-Star outfielder David Dahl (now out with a right ankle injury), second baseman Ryan McMahon, outfielder Raimel Tapia and reliever Scott Oberg (before season-ending blood clots) stepped up into regular roles. Can homegrown products continue to facilitate winning or should the Rockies try to make a free-agency splash?

Blackmon: “I'm seeing some younger guys start to get a handle on how good the league is, and start to make strides and make adjustments and have their own genuine success. Talking about guys who have played for extended periods of time and made adjustments and had success at the big league level.”

McMahon: “Experience in this game is very important. But it’s all what you do with it. We’ve got to take what we learned from this year. I know I can be a lot better. Seeing how things go throughout the whole season and knowing how I played at certain times, my goal is to get more consistent.”

Arenado: “That's the big question. I don't know. A lot of guys that had a tough year are young guys. I think experience is the best teacher. For these guys to get good in this game, to get better, they just need experience. I don't know if that equivalates to winning. So I can't answer that because I want to win. And I think a lot of guys in here want to win.”

5. Two important contract situations aren’t immediate, but bear watching. Arenado is at the beginning of an eight-year, $260 million deal, but he has an opt-out clause after 2021. Additionally, Story is heading into his second year of arbitration and could be a candidate for a multiyear deal. How are they feeling?

Arenado: “A couple of years away, obviously. I don't know what the plan is but I want to win now. When you sign a long-term deal, you sign here expecting to win. And when you don't it's hard to ... it's almost like, well what am I playing for? That's why they signed me. To win. I don't know. That's down the road. I don't even think about those things, but I want to win.”

Story: "This is my fourth season. We’ve been to the playoffs two out of the four years. I feel like we have a really good team. If that’s something that comes up in the offseason to where we come together on something, that would be great. I don’t think it would be fair to rule anything out just because of one bad year.”