No offense to LaTroy Hawkins. But if he’s the best answer the Rockies can come up with for a closer, then the only question is: How long before Colorado falls out of the playoff race due to subpar pitching?

At age 41, Hawkins is an amazing athlete. But he’s a poor club’s excuse to come out of the bullpen and close victories. During a lengthy major-league career, Hawkins has converted a meager 65 percent of his save opportunities. Foes are batting over .300 against him in 2014.

Rockies manager Walt Weiss needs to signal for a bold move in the bullpen.

If the team is certain that top 2013 draft choice Jon Gray is the future, let that future begin now.

Bring up Gray from the minor leagues and begin grooming him to be the team’s closer for a playoff run. Ease the ballyhooed 22-year-old righty into the majors with a large safety net that protects his ego, his arm and his potential. Let Gray begin his stint with the Rockies by pitching the seventh inning as a middle reliever.

PHOTOS: Colorado Rockies defeated the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field

Then slowly, methodically groom Gray to be the team’s closer if the Rockies are playing games that truly matter in August and September.

Gray and his 95 mph fastball are projected to be the ace Colorado has been missing since Ubaldo Jimenez fell from favor and was shipped out of town. But there’s no need for Gray to carry the rotation as a stopper in 2014.

Would using Gray as a temporary closer as he matures into a top-of-the-rotation pitcher be crazy, out-of-the-box thinking? Not really.

David Price, the 2012 Cy Young Award winner for Tampa Bay, earned a big save in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series in 2008. Adam Wainwright, winner of more than 100 games as a starter for St. Louis, was effective out of the bullpen during St. Louis’ run to the World Series title in 2006.

There aren’t 50 shades of Gray to this discussion. Even with the loss of Nolan Arenado to a broken finger, Colorado should have more than enough offense to hang with San Francisco and Los Angeles all summer long.

The Rockies, playing better baseball that has far exceeded preseason calculations of the game’s all-knowing sabermetricians, don’t need a savior.

What Colorado needs is a closer.

Give Gray a shot.