OXON HILL, Md. — New Rockies manager Bud Black met with the media Monday morning at baseball’s annual winter meetings, coolly answering questions about how he can field a winner at Coors Field and hinting that the Rockies are searching for a first baseman this off-season.

He also made it clear that he expects all-star right-fielder Carlos Gonzalez to play for the Rockies in 2017.

Following are excerpts of Black’s Q&A with the media:

Q. How much input have you had, and how much do you expect to have, during the off-season with general manager Jeff Bridich?

Black: “You know, it’s been great with Jeff … since I’ve been hired, because he’s been open about where he sees this team going. He’s asking me a lot of questions.

“I think I’m just part of the decision-making group. And there’s some really talented guys in that room that I’ve come to find out, experienced guys, (scouts) Bill Schmidt, Danny Montgomery, a bunch of guys who have been around a long time, and the younger guys who are bright and creative. So I’m just another one of those voices that lends an opinion.”

Q. Carlos Gonzalez is somebody whose name always comes up at trade deadline time. What are your thoughts on bettering the Rockies through a move like that?

Black: “Well, every GM will tell you that when you have a player like Carlos, he’s valuable in a lot of different ways. He’s valuable for you to win, right? For us, right now, present day, he helps us win a lot. So our mindset as relates to him is, you know, he’s here. He’s a Rockie. He’s going to help us win in 2017.

“Now, there are times, depending on where you are in your team’s cycle, that that value of a player might help transition into another cycle. I think for us, right now, he’s a Rockie … I’ve only been here a month, but I think from what I’ve heard from both sides, there’s a willingness for him to continue being a Rockie past 2017.”

Q. So he’ll be in the opening-day lineup, you think?

Black: “Yes.”

Q. What did you tell your pitchers walking into Coors Field (when you managed in San Diego), and does that — whatever it is — does it play over the course of 81?

Black: “I think so. I think that the main message was — and this goes to anywhere you pitch, more specifically in Colorado — that true pitching fundamentals, if you don’t adhere to those, they are exposed more in Colorado. First-pitch strikes, staying ahead in the count, avoiding walks, don’t beat yourself, do what you have to do as a pitcher in all phases to be successful.

“Because mistakes, whether they are not fielding your position, not controlling the running game, pitching behind in the count, a bad walk, all those things, will bite you more. Because one swing from a number of players in the lineup can get you.

“So if you minimize those over the course of 750 innings of, basically, a home regular season, you should have success. And you have to have the pitchers from a talent standpoint to be able to do that, and that’s where I think that we’re getting to.”

Q. There has been talk about CarGo playing first base at some point in his career. Is that something you’re looking at or is that an idea down the road?

Black: “In our talks, no, we didn’t specifically talk about that. … I know from talking to our guys that he has a first-base glove. If needed, he can go there. But I think for me, and I think the organization, he is our right fielder. There’s no talk of him moving to first base as we move into 2017 and as we move into spring training, no.”

Q. Your outfield is very crowded. What is your perspective of Gerardo Parra? He also played first base.

Black: “I’ve seen Parra a lot over the last number of years. You know, he adds to a very talented outfield group, and he’ll get his at-bats. I do like the fact that he went to first base, and he played it well, from what I was told. I’ve seen some video, some games on TV that I caught last year, and he handled that fine.

“He is always an option at first base, as well as outfield. We have some flexibility with the outfield group, which is great, and he’s a part of that. I’m a proponent, and I think that all of us that are in uniform and executives, the more talented players we have, the better chance we have to win, and he’s in that.”

Q. So do you look at him as a first baseman-outfielder, outfielder-first baseman, or outfielder that can play first base?

Black: “I think it’s the last one. I’ll take C, an outfielder who can play first base.”

Q. Where are you in your assistant coach hiring process?

Black: “We’re going through it. We hired Mike (Redmond), as you know, and I’m really excited about that. Mike’s here in Washington. He’s going to be a big part of our staff. We retained (pitching coach) Steve Foster and (bullpen coach) Darren Holmes and (third-base coach) Stu Cole. We’re going to hire two or three more guys, two guys on the hitting side. We’re going through the process. We’re getting there.”

Q: You have a rotation of guys that are 27 and younger and you have young catching. Can you win with young pitching, young catching?

Black: “The Giants won with Buster Posey as a young catcher. Yes, it can be done, no doubt about it. There is a learning curve, absolutely, on both sides, for the pitchers and the catchers. And this group of catchers, if you’re talking about, you know, (Tony) Wolters, (Tom) Murphy and (Dustin) Garneau, there will be some other guys in spring training and we might along the way bring in another guy into camp.

“But there’s no doubt, the expectation that we’re going to place on our catchers is high. I’m big on the pitcher-catcher thing, big on that relationship. I felt it as a player. When I got to Anaheim (as a pitching coach), one of the things that early on in my relationship with (manager) Mike (Mike Scioscia), was that he felt the same way, from his perspective as a catcher.

“So that has never left me, and over time, I’ve realized how important it is. Again, talking to our guys, they are high on Murphy and Wolters; on their makeup, their aptitude, their work ethic, what they believed in, what they need to do to help our pitchers. And they are young, no doubt about it. But Mike (Redmond), and I, and the pitching coaches, we’ll give them everything we can to make them the players they can be.”

Q. Is Mark Redmond going to double as bench coach and catching coach, or are you going to hire a specific catching coach?

Black: I think Mike will handle the catching aspect. We have a minor-league catching coordinator that will be in spring training, who will help Mike. When you talk about the specifics of it, going through spring training, going through the drills — Mike’s eye will always be on the catcher, and that comes natural for him.

“If you hear me talk about, I see the game through a pitchers’s eyes, he sees it through the eyes of a catcher. He gets that. That will be a big part of the growth of those young guys, and they have got a great coaching crew and system, our pitching coaches. Mike now will be able to expand on that.”