TODAY: The move is official, with Colorado also activating lefty Jake McGee from the injured list. Righty DJ Johnson and infielder Pat Valaika were optioned down to create active roster space.
YESTERDAY: The Rockies are expected to promote top prospect Brendan Rodgers, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com. Corresponding moves remain to be seen, but a recent injury to shortstop Trevor Story is said to have played a role in the decision.
The 22-year-old Rodgers has been considered an elite prospect ever since he went to the Colorado organization with the third overall pick in the 2015 draft. He has steadily marched up the club’s farm system, briefly reaching Triple-A late last year. Rodgers entered the current season with consensus top-thirty leaguewide prospect billing; MLB.com was most bullish, grading him the tenth-best prospect in the game.
Rodgers has shown himself more than ready for a MLB opportunity early in the 2019 campaign. He’s slashing .356/.421/.644 with nine home runs over 152 plate appearances thus far at Albuquerque — impressive numbers even in an offensively robust league with a launching pad for a home park.
The Rockies could certainly stand to receive a boost. They enter play today at two games under .500 and 7.5 back of the Dodgers in the NL West. Whether Rodgers can perform at a top-end level out of the gates remains to be seen. But it’s a shot worth taking for a club that has received little with the bat from its other options at second base — where he’ll presumably line up except when he plays short in relief of Story.
There’s no reason to believe that Story’s injury will sideline him for long, or even that he’ll require a trip to the injured list. But the middle-infield duo has lacked punch even with the established slugger at full health. Story has held up his end of the bargain, but Garrett Hampson, Ryan McMahon, and Pat Valaika have not. The Rox offensive output at second base has easily been the worst in baseball this year. Hampson was already optioned down recently; another of those players could be pushed out to make way for Rodgers. (Both can still be optioned.)
Harding indicates that the promotion will likely occur on Friday. If that indeed comes to pass, then Rodgers can record as many as 136 days of MLB service this season. That would set him up for potential Super Two qualification in the future, so long as he’s able to keep his roster spot.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
the NL RoY chase is going to br REALLY interesting this year.
I’ll save you the suspense – Pete Alonso = NL ROY
hitting .180 over his last 13 games interesting enough for you?
Mike Soroka, Chris Paddack?
Soroka was awesome in yesterday’s game.
They really need to create a Rookie Player of the Year and Rookie Pitcher of the Year for each league. It’s just comparing apples to oranges.
Austin Riley as well. lol I know only 2 games but man what a start .
Nah Paddack and Tatis are still side by side with Alonso. Add in more top guys like Rodgers, Riley, Hiura, etc. and it’ll be a good race.
3/4 of a season to go, and Verdugo ain’t doing so bad either.
Ted Hans delete your account, it will save you the embarrassment
Zion Williamson
He would win NL ROY except he threatened to go back to college if was drafted by an NL team.
He’s an American League guy.
I heard he supports the NL DH
“— impressive numbers even in an offensively robust league with a launching pad for a home park.”
So playing in Colorado should feel very familiar to him.
You say that as a joke, but that is why Colorado changed their AAA affiliate to Albuquerque. Albuquerque approximates Denver more than any other AAA sized city. Pitchers can learn to pitch in the same conditions they will face in Coors and the team can get a better idea who will be able to handle it.
hiflew-I had wondered why Albuquerque was chosen to replace Colorado Springs as the Rockies AAA affiliate, and your reasoning makes sense. Here’s hoping Rodgers is ready for the big step up and also hoping Story returns soon. It may be time to release Valaika and Chad Bettis on the mound is very bad.
Colorado Springs sounds like a great match, but it is almost half a mile higher than even Denver. It was the Rox AAA affiliate from the beginning, and they almost always brought any pitchers worth anything straight from AA. Any pitcher that was sent to AAA usually had no future with the organization. I think they finally figured out that AAA can be a useful step in the minor leagues.
Valaika, yeah it is about time. Although I will always love Patty Barrels for his 2017 season. It seemed he got clutch pinch hits almost every time he came to the plate. Of course it was unsustainable, but I didn’t care. I enjoyed him doing it regardless.
Bettis is a tough one. How do you cut a cancer survivor? Especially when he went through the entire process as a member of the team. And Bettis can be very good at times, but he hasn’t been recently. I hope they ride him out as the long man/mop up guy and maybe he gets back on track. If he doesn’t rebound, then maybe say goodbye after the season.
His numbers are inflated by the new ball used in AAA MLBTR doesn’t mention that
The “new ball” is the same ball they use in MLB. They’re just starting to using it in the minors. But yes, it is causing an offensive spark league wide.
McMahon is running out of time, if Rodgers sticks when Story is back there is no room for him or at least playing time. Who knows, maybe he’s the corresponding move.
They have really mismanaged Ryan, IMO. I believe he can hit and hit well given time.
For some unknown reason they still have Ian Desmond on the roster.
i agree and he’s shown flashes of it, a short IL trip didn’t help, playing multiple positions isn’t easy or playing in a platoon.
He’s on the roster because of money. It’s not an unknown reason, it is just an unpopular reason.
Might have to do with having a contract.
I still like Desmond in tough situations and with RISP. He has good speed, some pop in his bat, experience and versatility. Of course I’m not denying the fat contract factor.
If they think they’re running out of time with McMahon they can send him to Toronto and plug Smoak into the middle of their lineup….
Except for Daniel Murphy’s presence.
I read that his defense at 2B leaves a little bit to be desired. So if he’s filling in at SS for an injured Story, it might not be a given that he moves to a regular gig at 2B once Story comes back. Unless he rakes and renders any defensive concerns moot of course.
I wouldn’t worry about that. In the minors, people were concerned about the defense of Nolan Arenado. With Story and Arenado in the same big league infield, if he is going to make it in the majors he will keep up.
I remember the questions regarding Arenado’s defensive abilities. But he had layed those concerns to rest to all but the most hardened doubter by the time he got called to replace Chris Nelson (dont jump on me if it wasnt Nelson. Going off memory)
It was a Nelson/Jordan Pacheco platoon. That was back when the Rox were trying their best to find a spot for Pacheco and he was failing at every one. Nelson did play the majority of the time though.
The offense can surely use an infusion, and that is his calling card.
I’m guess Pat Valaika’s time in the organization is drawing to a close since Hampson is pretty much his equal with the bat and is a better defender.
One can only hope. I will always appreciate the rookie year of “Patty Barrels” and his timely pinch hits, but he was really bad last year and is even worse this year. It’s time to say goodbye.
Finally. I like Hampson’s speed and defense but we need someone who can hit above .200
He was a lot of fun to watch in Hartford. Good luck Mr. Rodgers.
Excited to see this kid play for the Rockies
Is Rodgers hurt? He hasn’t played in a few days.