The Rockies will decline their $12.5MM club option on outfielder Gerardo Parra in favor of a $1.5MM buyout, per the Associated Press. The 31-year-old will become a free agent when the move is formally completed.
[Related: Colorado Rockies depth chart]
Parra signed a three-year, $27.5MM with the Rox prior to the 2016 season but struggled throughout most of his time with Colorado. Despite playing in one of the game’s best offensive environments over the past three seasons, Parra posted a .727 OPS with just 23 home runs in 1249 plate appearances as a member of the Rockies. His walk rate deteriorated in the first two seasons of the deal before rebounding in 2018, and his once-elite defensive ratings slipped as well, though they still checked in above league average.
Parra and fellow veteran outfielder Carlos Gonzalez both seem likely to land elsewhere in 2019, leaving cornerstone Charlie Blackmon and young David Dahl as the two locks for the 2019 campaign. Other internal options for the outfield include fleet-footed Raimel Tapia and Noel Cuevas, while Mike Tauchman and Yonathan Daza represent additional depth pieces on the 40-man roster.
Gerardo Parra holding actual fantasy outfielders back for years..
Rockies in rebuild – 2B, OF spot or spots if Dahl can stay healthy – 3B contract year for Arenado…..Blackmon fading and no wheels like he had… in West with Old Giants, Dbacks rebuild and Padres….2nd place very possible despite the holes to fill.
You say and padres
The padres are not far away from running the west. Come back to be your team can actually win a game in the World Series
The Padres have been rebuilding for at least 2 decades. Seems perpetual.
We Padres fans have that argument all the time amongst ourselves. So far, the best anyone can come up with is some variant of, “It’s different this time!”
That’s sad and funny at the same time.
The Padres May win the west eventually but it’s a long time coming. They aren’t surpassing the Rockies this year either. Much better baseball team than the one in San Diego. Until SDP gets some of their top arms in the majors they aren’t coming that close. LAD still has a much better major league team and their farm system is pretty good too. They aren’t afraid to spend their money either.
“Running the West”. Now that’s funny.
Not even close to a rebuild with that solid young rotation
They made the playoffs this year and aren’t losing much in free agency… and you call that a rebuild. More like a finished rebuild, I hope that’s what you meant
Well they are losing quite a bit in 3 starters in the field, but should have MLB ready replacements for each of them in the system. The key will be getting one of the holdover relievers to have a bounce back season to replace Ottavino.
You got this from news that the Rox are paying $1.5M Gerardo Parra to walk?
You’re really assuming a lot here
Could be a fit in Anaheim, given they want a left handed bat that can fill in time to time at first, and can play the 4th OF role.
Decent OBP guy and can play the OF. Can he play 1B as well? Is he good enough defensively to cover a few games in CF when Trout needs to rest?
I also love the idea of actually having someone who can come off the bench and get on base late in close games
Decent platoon player moving forward providing the terms aren’t extravagant. For example, I think a platoon of Parra & Tyler O’Neill would be more productive than that of which Fowler/TO would provide not that I’m proposing such a move! However I could live with a Brantley/O’Neil platoon real easily from a Cardinals perspective.
The cardinals wouldn’t sign Brantley to platoon though. Nor would he want to.
I bet you could live with brantley as a platoon player. The only problem with that is that he’s not a platoon player.
He’s not? Not good at all against LHP
Over the past three years, including Fowler’s horrible season last year, Fowler is still the better player.
Pirates, go get em’. They need a part time replacement in right field until Gregory Polanco comes back, and can use him as a decent 4th guy once Polanco is healthy again. Plus he’s got at least a .280 batting average against each of the NLC teams that aren’t The Pirates..
Parra would be a smaller market type of pickup. Tampa, Cleveland, Pitt….
This is the right call for Colorado. If they move Desmond to the OF and roll him, Dahl and Blackmon they just need to address the right side of the infield. Use that money elsewhere.
Bridich needs to figure out a suitable package of prospects to package with Desmond to get someone to take him off their hands.
If that gets sorted out, along with this move on Parra and letting CarGo also walk, they should be able to sign Arenado long-term AND address the catcher position.
That would put Blackmon, Tapia, and Dahl in the OF (l to r), McMahon at 1B, Hampson/Rodgers at 2B, and a legit everyday catcher.. That’s a squad that can win with the rotation they have.
Question for Rockies fans: Is Colorado high on Jordan Patterson as 1B or corner OF if Desmond plays 1B? Just curious.
The Rockies have made some pretty head scratching FA signings in the past 5 or so years. Parra and Desmond never made sense, Over investing in the bullpen was also a poor move.
Historically Parra was never worth the contract he received. I never understood that signing from the get go. Desmond was in the midst of a horrible fielding decline when he signed his. And there’s enough history for everyone to know that relief pitchers and units as a hole can be volatile from year to year.
They are fortunate to get out from under from Parra and have Dahl waiting in the wings. Having Rogers in the fold and letting LeMahieu walk will also be the right move imo. I think Rogers ultimately ends up being a stud who puts up numbers similar to Bregman.