Left-hander Scott Alexander has been released by the Rockies, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been designated for assignment by Colorado last week. He’ll head to the open market once he’s cleared released waivers, unless he has already.
This was the expected outcome once Alexander was DFA’d. He joined the Rockies on a $2MM deal this offseason. He went on to post a 6.06 earned run average over his first 19 appearances with the club. Given that performance, no club would want to take on his salary. If he had cleared outright waivers, he would have had the right to elect free agency and keep that money, as a veteran with well beyond five years of major league service time.
The Rockies are skipping that formality and sending him more directly to the open market, which could potentially lead to him garnering more interest. The Rockies remain on the hook for what’s left of his salary. Any other club could sign him and would only have to pay him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Rockies pay.
While Alexander is currently sitting on a rough ERA for this year, it’s worth considering the Coors Field effect. He has a 7.20 ERA in Denver this year but a more reasonable 4.26 ERA on the road. Those are small samples of 10 innings and 6 1/3 innings respectively but Alexander also has a 48.7% ground ball rate in Denver compared to 63.2% elsewhere.
Getting those grounders has been the key to his major league career, which spans almost a decade at this point. He debuted back in 2015 and has since posted a 66.6% ground ball rate in 325 2/3 innings. Zack Britton is the only pitcher in baseball with a better grounder rate in that time, among pitchers with at least 300 innings pitched. That has helped Alexander post a 3.34 ERA in his big league time. Considering that track record and the low price tag, it’s possible the southpaw field some calls in the coming days.
Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
Sorry. Who?
Scott Alexander, MLB player from Sonoma State who has played 10 years in major league baseball.
Who are you?
5.7 WAR and nearly 9M in career earnings. Solid track record and pitched some really nice innings for a couple of teams.
Imagine being so bad that even the Rockies don’t even want you.
For those not paying attention, Rockies bullpen ERA is 4.41, ahead of teams like the Phillies.
Most of us felt Alexander was a good addition to a young bullpen, but it hasn’t worked out. He’ll get picked up quickly & continue to have a successful career.
@Beer Can: Forgive me, but yours is a silly and facile remark. All teams move players in and out all season. Good teams and bad teams. It would not be surprising if this pitcher surfaced with a better team and did well.
I ain’t reading anything you write. Ever.
I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings–and I mean that, that isn’t sarcasm. I have no right or intention to hurt anyone’s feelings. My intention is to instruct, to help prople approach baseball matters in a more thoughtful, holistic way. But of course, you have the right to read or not read anything you want, written by me or anyone for that matter.
This guy must feel blessed. Now has a chance to resume career without the dumpster fire at Coors Field.
I think when Scott is rocking back and forth on his porch, grandson on his knee….he’d do well to keep mum about his time with Colorado, and the fact that he got a pink slip from a team on pace to lose 135 games.
His grandson will be too distracted by his WS ring to ask about the menial aspects of his career.
Or rings* not sure if he got one with KC
These comments wow. This guy lived out his dreams and pitched a decade in mlb. Won over 20 games and even pitched in a World Series. At least five hall of famers didn’t get to experience that. I think that if this is it he has a lot to be proud of
It seems some commenters would rather be the anonymous peon with the pitchfork.
I don’t know what’s lamer, the online trolls, or the people who whine about online trolls.
As bad as his season is, its better than the Orioles recently DFA’d lefty Cionel Perez. What the heck; scoop him up Os.
Alexander must be glad to be off COL his splits show he is terrible in COL, but serviceable outside COL although his K rate is awful
Doyle Alexander is still pitching? #Legend
But he is the closer on my Rocks chise on the show.