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Rockies Outright Bernardo Flores Jr.

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The Rockies announced that left-hander Bernardo Flores Jr. has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Albuquerque. He doesn’t have the requisite service time to reject an outright assignment, so he’ll remain in the organization.

Flores was originally drafted by the White Sox, with whom he spent the first few years of his career. The southpaw made his big league debut with Chicago last season, tossing two innings. He’s bounced between a couple organizations this year, landing with the Cardinals via waiver claim in April and moving to the Rockies a couple months later. He made one big league appearance with St. Louis but has yet to suit up in the majors with Colorado.

Instead, Flores has spent almost his entire tenure in the organization on the minor league injured list. He landed on the IL immediately after being claimed off waivers and just made it back with Albuquerque for the first time last week. The 26-year-old will look to work his way back onto the 40-man roster now that he’s returned to health. Flores has very little Triple-A experience, but he’s posted a quality 3.04 ERA over 156 2/3 career innings in Double-A.

Rockies Select Ryan Vilade, Designate Bernardo Flores Jr.

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The Rockies announced that they have selected the contract of outfield prospect Ryan Vilade from Triple-A.  Left-hander Bernardo Flores Jr. was designated for assignment and righty Ryan Feltner was optioned to Triple-A in corresponding moves.

Vilade places fifth on MLB Pipeline’s ranking of the Rockies’ top prospects, and the 2017 second-round pick is now set to make his Major League debut.  Vilade has hit .286/.339/.420 with seven homers over 447 plate appearances for Triple-A Albuquerque this year, which marked his first experience at the Triple-A level.

With rather modest power numbers in the hitter-friendly environs of the former Pacific Coast League, Vilade has yet to fully tap into the power potential cited in Pipeline’s scouting report.  With increased strength paired alongside “solid bat-to-ball skills and an advanced approach” at the plate, Vilade could be a candidate to hit 25-30 home runs per year at the big league level.  Playing in Denver’s thin air could very well help unlock that extra pop, and the Rockies figure to give Vilade a good chunk of playing time over the season’s final two weeks.

Vilade is in Colorado’s lineup as the starting left fielder today, and this figures to be his primary position going forward.  He was originally drafted as a shortstop, however, and he has also seen work as a third baseman, first baseman, and at the other two outfield positions.  Developing into a multi-position type would only help the 22-year-old Vilade’s future prospects, giving him more chances to stick somewhere in the Rockies’ everyday lineup.

Flores was claimed off waivers from the Cardinals back in June, and he has spent much of his time in the Rockies’ organization on the Triple-A injured list.  The southpaw’s only MLB game of the 2021 season came on May 5, when he faced three batters without recording an out in a 7-2 Cardinals loss to the Mets.

A seventh-round pick for the White Sox in 2016, Flores made his MLB debut with two innings for Chicago last season.  The grounder specialist has a 3.42 ERA over 473 1/3 career innings in the minors, but with only a 6.68 ERA in 33 2/3 frames at Triple-A.

Rockies Option Ben Bowden, Reinstate Robert Stephenson

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  • The Rockies have reinstated Robert Stephenson from the paternity list and optioned Ben Bowden to Triple-A, per the team. The 26-year-old Bowden has a 6.56 ERA/4.84 FIP in 35 2/3 innings. Stephenson has been a productive member of the Rockies’ bullpen, tossing 38 1/3 innings with a 3.76 ERA/4.02 FIP.

Rockies Activate Jon Gray, Promote Colton Welker

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The Rockies announced Wednesday that they’ve reinstated right-hander Jon Gray from the 10-day injured list and called up infielder Colton Welker for his Major League debut. Righty Antonio Santos was also recalled to the MLB roster. In a trio of corresponding moves, the Rox put right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez on the 10-day injured list with a strained oblique, placed righty Robert Stephenson on the paternity list and optioned infielder Joshua Fuentes to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Gray returns to the club after a minimal stay on the injured list due to inflammation in his right forearm. It was a somewhat ominous diagnosis at the time, given the pronounced struggles Gray endured in the month of August, but a swift return is good news both for the club and for Gray as he nears his first foray into the free-agent market.

To this point in the season, Gray has posted a 4.13 ERA with a 23.1 percent strikeout rate, a 9.8 percent walk rate and a 49.9 percent ground-ball rate in 126 1/3 innings of work. Those solid numbers come in spite of a disastrous month of August, wherein Gray yielded a 6.55 ERA in 22 innings and lasted fewer than five innings in three of his five appearances.

Both Gray and the Rockies have made their mutual interest in some kind of extension known, though the recent injury hiccup could have some impact on the potential for a deal. At the very least, the Rockies likely want to see how Gray responds to 10 days of downtime before determining how to proceed. They reportedly intend to issue a qualifying offer to Gray, but it’s also possible the two sides work out a mutli-year deal at a lesser rate. Gray, of course, could also see what the market has to bear from other clubs upon receiving a QO from the Rockies. Players have 10 days to accept or reject their QOs, and they’re free to talk to other clubs during that time.

Turning to Welker, the 2016 fourth-rounder is getting his first look at the big league level. He’s long been ranked among the better prospects in a generally thin Rockies system, currently sitting eighth among their farmhands at FanGraphs, 20th at MLB.com and 23rd at Baseball America.

Welker has been limited to just 23 games and 93 plate appearances at the Triple-A level in 2021. He’s spent much of the year on the restricted list due to an 80-game suspension issued in May upon testing positive for a banned substance (dehydrochlormethyltestosterone). He’s one of several players to have pushed back against suspensions for trace amounts of the DHCMT long-term metabolite — picograms, in most cases — though to this point all suspensions under such circumstances have seemingly been upheld. (The Wall Street Journal’s Jared Diamond took an in-depth look at the situation last August.)

In his limited sample of work this season, Welker has been productive. He’s slashed .286/.378/.476 with three homers, five doubles, a triple and a 12.4 percent walk rate against a 20.7 percent strikeout rate. He’s spent all of his time at third base, though some scouting reports on Welker feel his range (or lack thereof) will eventually push him to first base. The Rockies don’t currently have a clear long-term answer at either corner infield position, so Welker seems likely to get a chance to prove he’s capable of seizing one of those two spots.

Rockies Place Austin Gomber, Connor Joe On 10-Day Injured List

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Sep. 5: As expected, the Rockies have indeed moved Gomber to the 60-day IL in order to select Feltner, per a team announcement. Right-hander Antonio Santos was optioned to make room for Feltner on the active roster.

Sep. 4: The Rockies announced a series of roster moves today, including the placement of left-hander Austin Gomber and first baseman/outfielder Connor Joe on the 10-day injured list.  According to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding, Gomber will be moved to the 60-day IL tomorrow when the Rockies select the contract of right-hander Ryan Feltner from Double-A, as Feltner will make his MLB debut by taking Gomber’s spot as the scheduled starter against the Braves.

Right-hander Jordan Sheffield has been activated off the 60-day IL, making his return after first hitting the IL on June 5 due to a right lat strain.  In addition, infielder Joshua Fuentes has been called up from Triple-A.

Gomber is suffering from spondylolysis, or a stress fracture in his lower back (also known as pars defect).  The 60-day IL placement will end Gomber’s first Colorado season on a painful note, though he did make a solid accounting of himself in his first full season as a starter.

Acquired from the Cardinals as part of the Nolan Arenado trade, Gomber provided some silver lining for disgruntled Rockies fans by posting a 4.53 ERA/4.28 ERA over 115 1/3 innings.  Gomber missed a month due to forearm tightness, and it’s fair to speculate that Gomber’s back problems may have impacted his recent performance, as the southpaw has a 8.50 ERA over his last four starts and 18 innings.  Looking at the Statcast numbers, Gomber’s strikeout and walk rate are roughly middle-of-the-road, though he has been good at limiting hard contact.

Joe left Friday’s game due to his injury, which has now been termed as a right hamstring strain.  As manager Bud Black told reporters (including The Athletic’s Nick Groke), “it’s not a definite season-ending injury,” so Joe could potentially see some more action in 2021 if his hamstring cooperates.  Signed to a minor league contract last winter, Joe has hit well over 211 plate appearances with the Rockies, batting .285/.379/.469 with eight home runs.

Feltner was Colorado’s fourth-round pick in the 2018 draft, and the Ohio State product will make the jump to the majors without the benefit of any Triple-A experience.  In 110 combined innings at high-A and Double-A ball this season, Feltner has a 2.62 ERA and 27.53% strikeout rate over 20 starts.  The big league promotion is a nice late birthday present for Feltner, who turned 25 last Thursday.

Red Sox Add Taylor Motter, Option Connor Wong

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The Red Sox have added Taylor Motter to the active roster, optioning Connor Wong to Triple-A, per the team. Motter was only recently claimed off waivers from the Rockies.

Motter played in 13 games with the Rockies, slashing .150/.227/.150 in 22 plate appearances. The 31-year-old utility man can play all over the diamond, which will be particularly helpful for a Boston team with nine players on the COVID-related injured list. In his career, Motter has bounced around, suiting up for the Rays, Mariners, Twins, and Rockies, as well as a short stint in the KBO.

Wong, 25, has appeared in just six games, but he’s had success in the early going. Wong has four hits in 14 plate appearances, including a double, triple, and a walk. He has also struck out seven times, however.

Rockies Outright Jose Mujica

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The Rockies announced they passed José Mujica through outright waivers this afternoon. Colorado hadn’t previously announced that Mujica had been designated for assignment, so the move creates a vacancy on the 40-man roster.

Colorado signed Mujica to a major league contract over the 2019-20 offseason. The right-hander had spent seven seasons in the Rays’ organization but never made it to the majors and elected minor league free agency. Mujica has been on the Rockies’ 40-man roster over the two years since, but he’s barely pitched in the big leagues. He made his MLB debut last season, allowing seven runs (six earned) over 4 2/3 innings.

Mujica has spent the entirety of this season with Triple-A Albuquerque, where he’s had a difficult season. The 25-year-old has an 8.68 ERA over 74 2/3 innings with the Isotopes. Mujica has been tagged for twenty home runs in that extremely hitter-friendly environment, and he’s punched out a below-average 19% of opposing hitters.

Because Mujica has previously been outrighted in his career, he has the right to elect free agency. The team didn’t indicate whether he planned to do so. If he accepts the assignment, Mujica will qualify for minor league free agency this winter if not selected back onto the 40-man roster before the end of the season.

Red Sox Claim Taylor Motter

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The Red Sox have claimed infielder Taylor Motter off waivers from the Rockies, per a club announcement. Colorado designated Motter for assignment earlier in the week.

Motter, 31, only got a brief look with the Rockies before being designated for assignment, going 3-for-20 in 13 games upon having his contract selected from Triple-A Albuquerque. The well-traveled, journeyman utility player had been enjoying a monster season in Albuquerque, where he’d batted .335/.460/.759 with 24 home runs, 16 doubles and a triple in just 265 plate appearances. That type of pop has never previously been there for Motter, who entered the year with 44 career Triple-A home runs through 1410 plate appearances.

The Red Sox will be the fifth big league team for Motter, a career .189/.261/.304 hitter in parts of four seasons between the Rays, Mariners, Twins and Rockies. Motter has spent the bulk of time at second base and third base in 2021, but he has at least 300 professional innings at every position other than catcher and pitcher.

With the Red Sox currently being overrun by a Covid-19 outbreak that has sent eight players to the Covid-19-related injured list, there’s ample room for them to plug Motter directly onto the MLB roster. Boston is currently without Xander Bogaerts, Enrique Hernandez, Christian Arroyo and Yairo Munoz, so adding an infielder who can play multiple positions and was enjoying a hugely productive Triple-A season is eminently logical. Whether Motter can stick on the club once the Sox get back to full strength (or close to it) will be dependent on his performance in the days to come. He’d be ineligible for the postseason roster, should the Red Sox hang onto a spot, by virtue of the fact that he was acquired after Aug. 31.

Rockies Place Jon Gray On Injured List, Select Julian Fernandez

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The Rockies announced Wednesday that they’ve placed right-hander Jon Gray on the 10-day injured list due to tightness in his right forearm. Colorado also selected the contract of right-hander Julian Fernandez and recalled righties Antonio Santos and Justin Lawrence from Triple-A Albuquerque as rosters expand to 28 players.

Forearm tightness is ominous for any pitcher and is particularly alarming given the manner in which Gray’s performance has dropped in recent weeks. A bright spot in the Rockies’ rotation for much of the season, Gray has compiled just 22 innings in his past five appearances and been rocked for a 6.55 earned run average in that time. There’s been no drop in his velocity, but the results alone are enough for concern when combined with an injury.

Gray is a free agent at season’s end, which prompted broad-reaching expectations that the Rockies would move him at the trade deadline. That didn’t happen, however, and the Rockies have voiced hope that they can keep Gray beyond the current season. The interest is mutual, as Gray has said he enjoys playing in Denver and would welcome a contract extension. The Rockies are currently expected to issue Gray a qualifying offer, which would be for one year in the $18-19MM range, but any arm injury of note could impact both the potential for a QO and the potential for a long-term deal.

Fernandez, 25, will be making his Major League debut when he first pitches in a game. The righty was originally signed by the Rockies out of the Dominican Republic and has had a rather unusual journey to the big leagues. The Rockies lost Fernandez to the division-rival Giants in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft, but he suffered a ligament injury in his pitching elbow that spring and required Tommy John surgery. The Giants carried him all through that 2018 season but removed him from the roster in November 2018 — at which point the Marlins claimed Fernandez. He spent much of the 2019 season continuing his rehab before suffering a setback that shut him down. Miami returned him to the Rockies in October 2019, nearly two years after he’d been selected in the Rule 5 Draft.

Because of those injuries and the lack of a minor league season in 2020, the 2021 campaign marks the first time since 2017 that Fernandez has pitched in an actual game. Finally healthy, the right-hander had a nice showing in Double-A before an even more impressive run in a hitter-friendly Triple-A setting. He’s pitched to a combined 2.53 ERA in 42 2/3 innings this season, including a sterling 0.64 mark in Triple-A, where he’s fanned a third of his opponents against just a 7.4 percent walk rate.

Dodgers Made C.J. Cron A Contract Offer Last Winter

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  • The Dodgers made C.J. Cron a contract offer last winter, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (via Twitter).  The exact nature of the offer isn’t known, but Cron instead opted to take a minors deal with the Rockies that ended up paying him $1MM in guaranteed money once he was selected to the active roster.  As noted by Nightengale, it was a “bet on himself” type of move from Cron that has worked out well, as the first baseman has hit .275/.379/.537 with 24 homers over 428 PA.  This type of playing time would likely not have been available in Los Angeles, as Cron was able to fill Colorado’s need for an everyday first baseman.  Cron will look to convert his big season into a nice free agent contract this winter and possibly some security after playing with five different teams over the last five seasons.  Since the Rockies didn’t trade Cron at the deadline, one would imagine the club has some hopes of re-signing the veteran slugger.
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