The Rockies are in agreement with free-agent outfielder Mike Gerber on a minor league contract, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets.
The 27-year-old Gerber spent the 2019 season in the Giants organization but didn’t find any success in a limited big league stint. The former Tigers farmhand went 1-for-24 in his brief time with the Giants. However, Gerber did put together an impressive .308/.368/.569 batting line with 26 homers in Triple-A. He’d previously struggled quite a bit in limited time at the Triple-A level, but the Rockies will take a no-risk look as they gauge whether the strides he took were more attributable to genuine improvement or to this year’s video-game-esque offensive environment in Triple-A.
Both Charlie Blackmon and David Dahl are entrenched in the Colorado outfield, while Sam Hilliard impressed quite a bit in his brief MLB debut in 2019. Longtime prospect Raimel Tapia is out of minor league options, so stumbled through a rough 2019 showing, he seems likely to have a good shot at cracking the MLB roster. Garrett Hampson, meanwhile, struggled early in the year and has played more infield than outfield, but he was logging time in center during a torrid stretch September and could be in line for outfield time next season. Yonathan Daza, 25, represents another 40-man option that Gerber would have to leapfrog in order to make the roster, but there’s enough uncertainty on the Rockies’ 40-man unit at present that he could conceivably earn a look at some point.
Good move. Simply because so many ex Tigers do well once out of Detroit. Worth the gamble.
Nice player, but the guy is baby.
Lol
there has never been a more AAAA player
That’s a fun conversation starter. As an Indians fan I’ll throw Matt LaPorta in there, but there are a ton of nostalgic names you could add.
Tribe history is overflowing with AAAA players. :(
That was my impression of him. Saw him quite a bit in Toledo. He’s a different player as soon as he gets the call to the bigs. Good luck to him.
It’s a mental issue
Mac Williamson
If this guy plays anything more than an organizational depth role then that would signal bad news for the Rox.
He was part of the tank job the Giants wanted for 2019. You can’t be seriously competitive when your opening day outfielders consist of Mike Gerber and Conner Joe.
I hope for his sake he’s been spending a lot of time in the batting cage because he couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat.
I believe it was Michael Reed instead of Gerber, but I agree.
Hey Rockies fan. Is Blackmon on the market? He’s 33 and owed about $73 mil. Think the Rocks would move him and if so, what kind of return would they want? Also, I know he’s a poor fielder with poor home/road splits but I wouldn’t mind him on the Yanks if he can handle LF.
First, he’s not a poor fielder, he is an average fielder. Defensive stats do not take into account the large dimensions of Coors Field. They always make fielders look worse than they are.
Second, home road splits are useless for evaluating Rockies hitters.
Third, I would hate to see Chuck Nazty have to lose the beard to be a Yankee.
Fourth, he could definitely handle LF, but I don’t think he is available. At least I hope not.
rox are “willing to listen.” moving Nasty not the plan, so asking price would be too high for a team to meet it.
Rockies had nobody to call up from AA and planning on Hilliard sticking with the MLB team. This guy won’t escape AAA.
It is big moves like this that gives the Rockies front office a reputation for rolling the dice!