The Rockies are in agreement with right-hander T.J. Zeuch on a minor league contract, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (Twitter link). He’ll get an invite to big league Spring Training.
Zeuch is looking to rebound after a tough 2022 campaign. His big league work consisted of three starts for the Reds, in which he allowed 18 runs across 10 2/3 innings. That marked the fourth consecutive year of some MLB time for the 6’7″ hurler, but it was lightest workload over that stretch. Zeuch has tossed between 10 2/3 and 22 2/3 big league frames four seasons running, posting a 6.49 ERA across 16 outings (10 starts). Despite a solid 50.5% grounder rate, he’s allowed more than two home runs per nine innings with barely more strikeouts than walks.
The 27-year-old has pitched in parts of three years at Triple-A as well. Zeuch owns a 4.71 ERA in 216 career innings at the top minor league level, striking out a below-average 17.2% of batters faced with an average 8.6% walk rate. The sinkerballer typically posts excellent ground-ball numbers against minor league opponents, though, and the ability to keep the ball down has gotten the University of Pittsburgh product opportunities with four organizations.
Zeuch has spent much of his career in the Blue Jays system after entering pro ball as Toronto’s first-round pick in 2016. St. Louis acquired him from the Jays for cash in July 2021, but he never appeared in the majors as a Cardinal. Released this May after a rough start to the year in Triple-A, he hooked on with the Reds via minor league pact and earned his brief big league look with five solid outings in the minors. He was released in September after his trio of tough MLB starts.
The Rockies have now added two former first-round draftees on minor league contracts this week. Colorado agreed to a non-roster deal with former Pirates utilityman Cole Tucker on Wednesday.
This a great move by the Rockies. They pay him his lunch money and at the big league level the fans pack the stands like they have something to root for. Beer, food and apparel sales exceed expectations and the Monfort’s count their money while preparing for the 1st pick in next years draft. Yes I’m a disgruntled Rockies fan, but well aware of how dysfunctional this team is operated.
Why would you be upset by a minor league signing? You might need another hobby.
It is not the minor league signing, it is the perpetual incompetence of the worst run franchise in MLB, And knowing it will not improve until Monforts sell.
You people act like the problem is all the Monforts. The Monforts bought the team in 2005 and the Rockies were not exactly a well run franchise in the years prior to that. The Monforts haven’t been great, but they are better than the previous owners by leaps and bounds.
They bought the team 17 years ago! It is ALL the Monforts and their Front Office! They’ve put more money into areas like the Rooftop and McGregor Square than they have building a strong team. As long as fans come in a spend money it’s all good for them. Obviously they have many of them like you who they’ve reeled in.
How dare those businessmen make money operating their business! I don’t even live in Colorado and I have never set foot in Coors Field, nor will I likely ever do so, so I have not been reeled anywhere. I’m just not naive enough to believe that ANY of these billionaire owners really cares about what people like you and I think or cares about making us happy.
Who dis
This is the T-shirt I am wearing to Spring Training in Scottsdale this March.
Don’t be a Dick!
Sell the team!
I’m sure the ladies will just flock to you. And you’ll be a wonderful thing for the children to see.
Ooooof!!! 18 runs surrendered over 10 2/3 innings last year! I’m sure there were position players who put up better numbers than that. And this guy is gonna pitch at Coors?