The Rockies have signed right-hander Josh Roenicke to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Colorado Springs, reports MLB Daily Dish’s Chris Cotillo (on Twitter). Roenicke is a client of the Legacy Agency.
The 32-year-old Roenicke has spent the 2014 campaign with the Nationals’ Triple-A affiliate and struggled to a 5.45 ERA with just 4.2 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9. However, prior to this season, he’d pitched at least 16 big league games per season over a span of five years. Most recently, Roenicke (the nephew of Brewers manager Ron Roenicke) pitched 63 innings of 4.35 ERA ball for the Twins in 2013. He fanned 45 batters in that time but also walked a troubling 36 hitters as well.
Command has always been an issue for Roenicke, who actually spent the 2012 season with the Rockies, pitching a career-high 88 innings. He turned in a 3.25 ERA that season and has posted a 3.33 ERA in 105 1/3 career innings with Colorado. Roenicke was once a fairly well-regarded relief prospect with the Reds, who flipped him to the Blue Jays along with Edwin Encarnacion in the Scott Rolen trade.
Slight edit in order here: “prior to this season, he’s pitched at least 16 big league games PER SEASON…”
Roenicke had the best season in 2012 of anyone on the Rockies pitching staff, and then the FO lost him for nothing on a waiver claim after the season in order to Rule 5 protect Josh Sullivan who was never a prospect and never made it out of AA. Sometimes I hate being a Rockies fan.
A guy we unwisely let go, to be sure.
I had no problem letting him go, it was letting him (and the other 3 guys on the same day) go for nothing in return. All four were claimed by teams in the top 7 of waiver claims and is the #1 reason why I finally decided that the Rockies front office has no idea how to identify talent.