Rockies Rumors

Rockies Sign Ryan Howard To Minors Deal

By Connor Byrne | August 12, 2017 at 4:51pm CDT

The Rockies announced that they have agreed to a minor league contract with first baseman Ryan Howard.

This is the second time this year the longtime Phillie has taken a minors pact. Howard signed one with the Braves back in April, but the 37-year-old only lasted about a month with the organization. After Howard batted just .184/.238/.263 in 42 plate appearances with the Braves’ Triple-A affiliate, they released him.

At his best, Howard was an NL MVP-winning slugger in Philadelphia, where he belted 382 home runs from 2004-16 and swatted between 31 and 58 HRs in each season from 2006-11. But Howard declined markedly as his Phillies career progressed and posted a personal-worst season in 2016, making it difficult for him to find work since.

Howard still possesses enough power to make him a somewhat interesting fit for Colorado’s Coors Field, but he’s certainly not a lock to ever play a game for the Rockies. The playoff hopefuls have gotten solid production at first this year from Mark Reynolds, and they just promoted big-hitting prospect Ryan McMahon on Friday. Nevertheless, with Sept. 1 roster expansion forthcoming, Howard will hope to make his way back to the majors during the season’s final weeks.

Rockies Promote Ryan McMahon

By Connor Byrne | August 11, 2017 at 2:29pm CDT

The Rockies announced that they’ve promoted infield prospect Ryan McMahon to the majors. In corresponding moves, the team optioned outfielder Raimel Tapia to Triple-A and designated left-hander Sam Moll for assignment.

Colorado chose to select McMahon’s contract because of first baseman Mark Reynolds’ left hand injury, tweets Nick Groke of the Denver Post. McMahon’s primary position has been third base since the Rockies used a second-round pick on him in 2013, but the 22-year-old has seen plenty of action at first in recent seasons with Nolan Arenado holding down the hot corner in the majors.

The lefty-swinging McMahon is the sport’s 64th-best prospect, according to MLB.com, while Baseball America has him at No. 91. MLB.com’s scouting report credits McMahon’s natural power, but the outlet notes that there are questions as to whether he can handle good pitching. McMahon has held his own offensively this year at Triple-A Albuquerque, though, with a .375/.409/.625 line in 269 plate appearances, to go with a .250 ISO and 13 home runs. His output has been a whopping 61 percent better than the Pacific Coast League average, per FanGraphs’ wRC+ metric.

Moll, 25, joined the Colorado organization back in 2013 as a third-rounder. He hasn’t yet reached the majors, and has posted so-so Triple-A results in a tough league for pitchers over the past couple years. Moll threw 47 1/3 Triple-A frames of 4.94 ERA ball in 2016 and has amassed the same amount of innings this season. Thus far, he has logged a 4.18 ERA with 7.42 K/9, 3.42 BB/9 and a 50.3 percent ground-ball rate.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Chatwood Moved To Bullpen

By Steve Adams | August 7, 2017 at 2:02pm CDT

The Rockies announced yesterday that they’ve moved right-hander Tyler Chatwood to the bullpen, clearing way for rookie Antonio Senzatela to rejoin the starting rotation, as Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes. That’s a disappointing development for the 27-year-old Chatwood, who is slated to become a free agent for the first time following the 2017 season. The results for Chatwood haven’t been there in 2017, though, as he’s averaged 7.2 K/9, 5.0 BB/9 and 1.36 HR/9 en route to a 5.11 ERA through 112 2/3 innings. Chatwood does have a rather gaudy 57.4 percent ground-ball rate, though, and he’s pitched well away from Coors Field in each of the past two seasons. Both elements could help him look a bit more favorable on this winter’s open market, as will the fact that he’s rather young for a free-agent starter. Chatwood, as Saunders notes, voiced that his clear preference is to pitch as a starter, though he also stated that he’ll pitch in whatever role the Rox feel is best as the team looks to land an NL Wild Card spot.

Rockies Made Four-Year Offer To Carlos Gonzalez In Spring

By Mark Polishuk | August 6, 2017 at 7:18pm CDT

The Rockies offered Carlos Gonzalez a new four-year deal during extension talks last spring, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports. The two sides explored an extension for the long-time Colorado outfielder during the offseason, though talks never seemed to get too far — this four-year proposal is the only known offer exchanged, apart from some “initial suggestions” from Rockies management that were rejected out of hand by Gonzalez’s representatives in early December. Gonzalez said that he and the team hadn’t engaged in serious talks as of last February 22, and negotiations were reportedly “on hold” as of early March. The dollar value of the offer isn’t known (Nightengale describes it as “lucrative”), though the fact that Colorado was willing to offer four years to a player who will be 32 next Opening Day is in itself significant, especially since the Rockies have several other interesting outfielders on their big league roster and in the minors. The lack of an extension looms large for Gonzalez in the wake of his disappointing 2017 season — he has suffered through two DL stints and is batting a career-worst .228/.299/.345 over 365 plate appearances.

Rockies Reinstate Chad Bettis, Place Kyle Freeland On 10-Day DL

By charliewilmoth | August 5, 2017 at 3:21pm CDT

The Rockies have announced that they’ve reinstated righty Chad Bettis from the 60-day disabled list and optioned him to Triple-A. They’ve also placed lefty Kyle Freeland on the 10-day DL with a groin strain. In addition, they’ve recalled righties Shane Carle and Carlos Estevez and optioned Scott Oberg to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Bettis’ return to official minor-league duty, as well as his impending return to the Majors, is terrific news not only for the Rockies and their fans but for baseball as a whole. The righty had surgery for testicular cancer in the offseason, then began chemotherapy a few months later once it turned out the cancer had spread. He finished chemo in mid-May and returned to the Rockies in early June. He’s since had five rehab appearances, and he’s expected to return to the big-league rotation next week. Bettis posted a 4.79 ERA, 6.7 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 over 186 innings in the big leagues last year.

Freeland left yesterday’s start against Philadelphia after just nine pitches. The 2014 eighth overall pick been one of the keys to the Rockies’ surprising success this season, posting a 3.70 ERA, 5.7 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in 121 2/3 innings in what’s been a strong rookie year.

Athletics Claim Dustin Garneau From Rockies

By Steve Adams | August 4, 2017 at 2:07pm CDT

The Athletics announced on Friday that they’ve claimed catcher Dustin Garneau off waivers from the Rockies. Oakland already had a spot open on its 40-man roster, so no corresponding move is necessary.

With Jonathan Lucroy now in Colorado following last Sunday’s trade, in addition to fellow catchers Tony Wolters and Tom Murphy, Garneau became a somewhat expendable piece for the Rox. The A’s, however, aren’t as well-stocked in terms of catching depth, with Bruce Maxwell, Josh Phegley (currently on the disabled list with an oblique strain) and Ryan Lavarnway currently representing their top options.

Garneau, who’ll soon turn 30, has seen limited MLB action in each of the past three seasons — 76, 75, and then 74 plate appearances in each successive campaign. He owns a subpar .199/.259/.335 slash with four home runs in that span.

That said, there could be more in the tank. Garneau has thrived over the past two years at Triple-A Albuquerque. Though it’s a noted hitter’s paradise, his numbers there stand out: through 355 plate appearances, he has knocked 25 long balls and a .962 OPS.

Knocking Down The Door: Honeywell, Kemp, Lopez, McMahon, Smith

By Jason Martinez | August 2, 2017 at 10:00am CDT

“Knocking Down the Door” is a regular feature that identifies minor leaguers who are making a case for a big league promotion.

Brent Honeywell, SP, Tampa Bay Rays (Triple-A Durham) | Rays Depth Chart

While the Rays were busy adding first baseman Lucas Duda and a trio of relief pitchers prior to the non-waiver trade deadline, they didn’t make the splash that they were probably capable of making based on the depth and quality of their prospect talent. The team’s likely unwillingness to include the 22-year-old Honeywell in a deal is probably among the top reasons.

Not only is Honeywell one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, there’s also a chance that he can help the Rays down the stretch in the same way that rookie David Price did in 2008 when he pitched 14 innings in September and another 5 2/3 frames in the playoffs for the AL Champs. Since being named the Futures Game MVP, the right-hander has continued to look more and more comfortable in Triple-A, allowing only three runs and 12 hits over his past 16 innings while striking out 22.

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Tony Kemp, OF/2B, Houston Astros (Triple-A Fresno) | Astros Depth Chart

The window could close quickly depending on how quickly George Springer returns from the disabled list, but the recent trade of Nori Aoki could allow the Astros to give Kemp a rare chance for semi-regular playing time in the big leagues.

Kemp is doing his best Jose Altuve impersonation down in Triple-A, and it’s not just because he’s a 5’6″ second baseman. The 25-year-old is slashing .324/.376/.465 with 19 stolen bases, 31 walks and 32 strikeouts in 90 games. His ability to play left field—he started 24 games there for the Astros in 2016—and left-handed bat should give him plenty of value on the Astros’ roster down the road, even if he’s destined to be a bench player. But it’s probably a good time to find out if he can be more than that.

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Reynaldo Lopez, SP, Chicago White Sox (Triple-A Charlotte) | White Sox Depth Chart

Somewhat surprisingly, the White Sox did not trade free agents-to-be Miguel Gonzalez and Derek Holland prior to the deadline, which would’ve cleared a path to the big league rotation for Lopez — one of several elite prospects that the team has acquired since the offseason.

The 23-year-old Lopez, who came to the ChiSox in the Adam Eaton trade, could be forcing the team’s hand anyhow, though. In his past six starts, he has a 1.97 ERA with 26 hits allowed, eight walks and 49 strikeouts over 36 2/3 innings. He hasn’t allowed more than two runs over that span and has three 10+ strikeout games. It will be a surprise if he makes more than two more starts in Triple-A.

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Ryan McMahon, INF, Colorado Rockies (Triple-A Albuquerque) | Rockies Depth Chart

Mark Reynolds has been productive enough in 2017 that a less-than-stellar month of July (.229/.319/.410) won’t cause him to lose his starting job, especially to a rookie with zero Major League at-bats. But it’s getting to the point in the season where it makes sense for the Rockies to at least give the 22-year-old McMahon, the No. 1 ranked player in Roster Resource’s MiLB Power Rankings, some occasional starts at first base while utilizing him occasionally at other spots on the diamond.

McMahon, who has played a good amount of games at first base, second base and third base this season, is 19 for his last 34 to push his Triple-A batting average to .396 (86-for-217). Overall, he’s slashing .364/.406/.598 between Double-A and Triple-A with 36 doubles and 17 homers. It’s safe to say that he has very little left to prove in the minors.

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Dominic Smith, 1B, New York Mets (Triple-A Las Vegas) | Mets Depth Chart

Despite hitting only 10 homers in the low minors over his first three professional seasons, Smith was a highly-touted prospect who many experts believed would develop power at some point. They were right. And it didn’t really take that long. Since reaching the upper minors as a 20-year-old in 2016, the left-handed hitting first baseman has 30 homers and 62 doubles while hitting over .300 and maintaining a disciplined approach at the plate.

Even after trading Duda, the Mets are holding off on calling up the 22-year-old Smith for some reason. That’s difficult to do after he slashed .385/.437/.725 in July, but this is the organization that called up Amed Rosario, arguably, two months after he was making it clear that he was ready for the Major Leagues. GM Sandy Alderson has suggested that they won’t wait much longer on Smith, though. He should settle in as the team’s first baseman before the end of the month.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Rockies Release Domonic Brown

By Mark Polishuk | July 31, 2017 at 10:48pm CDT

Also from Eddy, the Rockies released outfielder Domonic Brown. Colorado signed Brown to a minors contract in the offseason. Once considered one of baseball’s top prospects when coming up in the Phillies system, Brown was an All-Star in what looked like a breakout season in 2013, though badly struggled in his next two seasons and hasn’t since returned to the big leagues. Brown did hit a decent .304/.327/.449 over 171 PA at the Triple-A level this season, though in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Brandon Kintzler Trade Rumors: Deadline Day

By Jeff Todd | July 31, 2017 at 1:53pm CDT

When the Twins decided to change course and begin selling assets, righty Brandon Kintzler immediately became the club’s most obvious trade chip. He’s a pending free agent with an affordable salary and sterling track record over the past two seasons. While contenders won’t likely be targeting him as a closer, he has succeeded in that role over the past two seasons in Minnesota.

Here’s the latest chatter on his still-developing market:

The Twins appear to be nearing a trade involving Kintzler, though it’s not yet apparent where he’s headed, according to a tweet from ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick.
Also still involved on Kintzler are the Diamondbacks, per LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune (Twitter link).
The Nationals are indeed “in touch” on Kintzler today, tweets Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post, with MLB.com’s Jon Morosi characterizing things similarly on Twitter by citing “ongoing discussions” between the teams.
Discussions are likely to go right up until the deadline at 4pm EST today, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter). The Nationals and Rockies are among the teams that have checked in on Kintzler, he notes. Likewise, the Rays have shown at least some interest, per 1500 ESPN’s Darren Wolfson (via Twitter).
With the Red Sox landing Addison Reed, that may have taken one suitor out of the running. But it also perhaps teed up Kintzler as the next-most-appealing righty rental reliever. As MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand suggests on Twitter, the volume of traffic on Kintzler now has the Twins believing he’ll be dealt today.

Rockies Acquire Jonathan Lucroy

By Jeff Todd | July 30, 2017 at 9:27pm CDT

The Rockies have officially struck a deal to acquire Rangers catcher Jonathan Lucroy, as Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network first reported (via Twitter). A player to be named later is going to Texas in return, per ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick (via Twitter). (Note: the PTBNL cannot be a 2017 draft pick.)

[RELATED: Updated Rockies Depth Chart]

Lucroy, 31, was connected to the Rockies earlier today. The veteran receiver will help bolster a catching situation that has been less-than-ideal all year long. While Tom Murphy was expected to play a major role, he missed an extended stretch due to injury and was optioned after struggling upon his return. Tony Wolters has been over-extended as a regular, and neither Ryan Hanigan nor Dustin Garneau has shown much during their time in the majors this year.

Colorado will hope that Lucroy provides a steadying presence, both in the field and at the plate. He’s earning just $5.25MM on the year — just over $1.8MM of which remains — before reaching the open market at season’s end, so his acquisition won’t make a major dent in the club’s payroll.

But for this move to succeed, Lucroy will need to engineer a turnaround. Through his 306 plate appearances this year, the veteran is hitting just .242/.297/.338 with four home runs. And the questions aren’t limited to the offensive side of the equation. Once the poster boy for pitch framing, Lucroy has rated as perhaps the worst framer in baseball in 2017.

That output falls far shy of his typical work. From the start of his breakout 2012 season through the end of the 2016 campaign, Lucroy ran up a .291/.353/.465 slash line — numbers more commonly seen from quality corner outfielders than backstops. He also developed a reputation as a top-tier defensive catcher, driven especially by his outstanding abilities in the then-underappreciated art of pitch framing.

Whether the veteran can bounce back will surely be interesting to see. He has struck out in just 10.5% of his plate appearances this year, though he’s also walking at a lesser rate (6.2%) than usual. He has surely been a bit unfortunate with a .259 BABIP, though that hardly explains the massive power drop-off (from a career .153 isolated slugging to a current .096 mark). And it is concerning that Lucroy is making far less hard contact (22.3%) and putting the ball on the ground far more (56.2%) than he has typically. With respect to the framing downturn, it’s anyone’s guess whether he can return to his prior levels, though perhaps there’s reason to think that Lucroy will excel regardless in the-less quantifiable aspects of his craft behind the dish.

For the Rangers, meanwhile, the move perhaps begins what could be quite a busy stretch. The club has been rumored to be preparing to move star righty Yu Darvish, and will surely be listening to offers on a variety of other players. Relievers Keone Kela and Jeremy Jeffress are said to be available, while pending free agent hitters Carlos Gomez and Mike Napoli likely are as well.

It’s disappointing, surely, for the Rangers to be overseeing a sell-off in the midst of a season that started with lofty expectations. But the club is also undoubtedly right not to double down on a roster that had too many questions. That said, with numerous core pieces under contract for the foreseeable future, the expectation remains that the Rangers will be focused on moving pending free agents while reloading for another run in 2018.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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