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Matt Carasiti Elects Free Agency

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Reliever Matt Carasiti elected free agency after going unclaimed on outright waivers, per the transactions log at MLB.com. The Rockies designated him for assignment over the weekend when they called up Geoff Hartlieb. It’s the third career outright for Carasiti, who can choose free agency each time he clears waivers.

Carasiti made seven big league appearances, allowing 10 runs in 8 2/3 innings. It was the 32-year-old’s second consecutive season working out of Bud Black’s bullpen. The former sixth-round draftee tossed a personal-high 24 1/3 frames with Colorado last year, allowing a 6.29 earned run average. Carasiti has surrendered 7.41 earned runs per nine in 58 1/3 MLB innings over parts of four campaigns dating back to 2016.

A St. John’s product, Carasiti owns a 4.18 ERA over six seasons in Triple-A. He struggled at that level this year, allowing almost six earned runs per nine with Colorado’s top farm team in Albuquerque. That’s a very difficult place to pitch, though, and he managed to strike out nearly 27% of opposing hitters.

Carasiti has fanned upwards of a quarter of his opponents in his Triple-A career behind a mid-90s fastball and a forkball, a rarely-seen offering in today’s MLB, that sits around 80 MPH. He’s never had great control, walking more than 10% of his opponents in Triple-A and the majors, but his arsenal has gotten him minor league looks from the Cubs, Mariners (who briefly called him up in 2019) and Giants — in addition to a stint in Japan with the Yakult Swallows back in 2018.

The Rockies initially drafted Carasiti and have signed him to a handful of minor league contracts over the years. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see them circle back on a new non-roster deal, but his camp will have the chance to explore other opportunities.

Yankees Notes: Bullpen Trade Targets, McMahon, Cole

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The Yankees’ 46-21 record is the best in the American League, and there aren’t many glaring holes on a team that has been outstanding on both the hitting and pitching fronts.  As such, the Yankees’ deadline needs are fairly specific at the moment, as SNY’s Andy Martino writes that the Bronx Bombers are looking to reinforce their bullpen with another left-hander, and a right-handed strikeout specialist.

New York entered Sunday’s action with the third-best bullpen ERA in baseball, so the current relief corps is far from a weak link.  However, Martino notes that “evaluators tend to slot [Caleb Ferguson and Victor Gonzalez] as the second lefty in an ideal bullpen,” so the Yankees could stand to acquire another southpaw as their top option.

Of the two in-house choices, Gonzalez has a 3.00 ERA over 18 innings but he has been drastically outperforming his peripherals.  Gonzalez’s SIERA is a much less impressive 5.65, as his walk rate (13.5%) is higher than his 10.8% strikeout rate.  Ferguson has something of the opposite issue, with a 5.03 ERA but a 3.62 SIERA in 19 2/3 innings, with a 25.8% strikeout rate and 11.2% walk rate.

On the right-handed side of the equation, a righty pitcher that can miss bats would be a nice complement to closer Clay Holmes, who himself throws from the right side.  Holmes is having another excellent year with a 1.23 ERA and 19 saves over 29 1/3 innings, though Holmes is an extreme ground ball pitcher with a staggering 69.4% grounder rate.  His strikeout rate is only a bit above the league average, however, so having more of a strikeout-focused power arm for certain high-leverage situation would allow the Yankees to save Holmes for the ninth inning.

As Martino observes, the Yankees’ knack for getting great results out of unheralded relievers means that the club might not need to pursue bigger names available at the deadline in order to fill these bullpen needs.  They might not even necessarily need to go outside the organization to find the right-handed strikeout artist, as Luis Gil might eventually end up in the bullpen as part of New York’s desire to conserve his innings.  Gil pitched only 29 2/3 total frames in the majors and minors over the last two seasons due to Tommy John surgery, and with 75 innings already on his ledger in 2024, it remains to be seen how much the Yankees will want him to pitch in the regular season if they’re taking the longer view of wanting Gil available throughout what they hope will be a deep postseason run.

Beyond the bullpen, both corner infield positions could be potential target areas, though Martino figures the Bombers will give the struggling Anthony Rizzo and DJ LeMahieu more time to turn things around.  LeMahieu has only played 10 games since a season-opening stint on the 60-day injured list, so it is understandable that the veteran needs more time to knock off the rust.

This isn’t to say that New York wouldn’t be open to corner infield help already, as Bob Nightengale of USA Today writes that the Yankees are among the teams who “would love to get their hands on” Ryan McMahon.  Adding McMahon would be more than just a short-term strike, as the third baseman is still owed roughly $51MM through the end of the 2027 season as per the terms of the six-year, $70MM extension he signed with the Rockies in March 2022.

While the Rox aren’t in contention and will sell at the deadline to some extent, moving McMahon is the type of bigger-picture move Colorado isn’t likely to make.  Indeed, earlier reports indicated that the Rockies aren’t likely to move the third baseman, as he is still viewed as a building block on the roster.

In other Yankees news, Gerrit Cole completed his second rehab start with Double-A Somerset today.  The AL Cy Young Award winner allowed one run on two hits over 4 2/3 innings, while recording four strikeouts.  Cole’s 57 pitches represented a small bump up from the 45 pitches thrown in his first rehab outing, and his velocity reached as high as 96mph, according to Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post.

Cole described the appearance to Dunleavy and other reporters as a “pretty good day, still got things to work on…Wish I would’ve been able to crisp up the location quicker. Really, that was about it.”  Naturally Cole wants to be as ready as possible for his 2024 debut, so while he is set for one more rehab start, Cole wasn’t yet sure if he’ll require another outing after that.  The Yankees obviously aren’t going to rush Cole in any regard, and the rotation’s great work in Cole’s absence means there isn’t even any immediate need for Cole to return to the big leagues.

Rockies To Promote Adael Amador

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6:20pm: As relayed by Harding, club manager Bud Black confirmed to reporters this evening that Rodgers is being placed on the injured list, with Amador to be recalled in a corresponding move.

2:18pm: The Rockies are set to call up infield prospect Adael Amador for his Major League debut, according to reporter Francys Romero (X link).  Amador will bypass Triple-A entirely on his way to the big leagues, and the Rox will need to make a corresponding transaction to create room for Amador on both the 26-man roster, although he is already on the club’s 40-man roster.

It’s a surprisingly aggressive move for the Rockies considering that Amador is hitting only .194/.337/.329 over 209 PA with Double-A Hartford, though he does have 22 steals in 25 attempts.  However, it isn’t entirely clear whether or not Amador will officially be added to the roster today or if he’ll be on the taxi squad, as MLB.com’s Thomas Harding writes that the Rockies are still determining whether or not Brendan Rodgers will need to visit the 10-day injured list.  Rodgers left yesterday’s game with a hamstring injury and is currently day-to-day, so it is possible Amador might not be needed if Rodgers has a very quick recovery.

If Rodgers does hit the IL, or the Rox might give the 21-year-old Amador more or less everyday work at second base if Rodgers will be sidelined for at least the next 10 days.  Given the situation, it seems like Colorado prefers using a 40-man spot on Amador rather than create a space for any of their infield options at Triple-A, none of whom have much or any experience in the majors.  While Amador’s season-long numbers leave something to be desired, he has recently been on a tear, hitting .309/.400/.655 over his last 66 plate appearances.

While a stop at Triple-A was expected first, Amador was generally seen as an advanced enough prospect to be a candidate for his MLB debut in 2024.  Amador is ranked 32nd by MLB Pipeline and 34th by Baseball America on their constantly-updated top 100 prospects lists, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel also had the infielder 33rd on his preseason top-100 ranking.  Amador was an international signing for Colorado back in 2019, and due to the pandemic, he didn’t make his proper pro debut until he played in the Arizona Complex League in 2021.

Even if the Double-A numbers haven’t quite reflected it, Amador’s switch-hitting approach at the plate has been widely praised, and he has more walks (186) than strikeouts (172) over his minor league career.  This contact has been quality contact as well from both sides of the plate, even though Amador has yet to show much power.

It’s possible more pop could come as he gets older and perhaps gains more size (though Amador isn’t a small man at 6’0″ and 200 pounds), and even if his power numbers stay below average, it’s easy to see him driving double or triples into the big outfield at Coors Field.  Amador has stolen 73 bases of an even 100 attempts in the minors, and evaluators feel he could stick at shortstop, though the Rockies have made him pretty much a full-time second baseman since Ezequiel Tovar has the shortstop position locked down for the rest of the decade.  Since Rodgers is a free agent after the 2025 season, Amador has been viewed as Colorado’s new second baseman of the future.

Service time probably won’t be a big consideration for the moment since Amador’s first stint in the majors might not last too long (if at all), so it’s too early to speculate about Super Two qualification down the road.  Still, the fact that the Rockies are calling up Amador over their Triple-A options and are at least willing to consider starting his MLB service clock indicates that the team might have a longer look in mind for Amador later in the season.  Rodgers’ health situation will impact his potential trade value heading into the deadline, but a case can be made that the Rockies could move Rodgers before July 30 and clear the way for Amador at second base for the latter half of the 2024 campaign.

Rockies Designate Matt Carasiti, Select Geoff Hartlieb

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The Rockies have designated right-hander Matt Carasiti for assignment, according to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding (X link).  The move creates a roster spot for Geoff Hartlieb, whose contract was selected from Triple-A.

Carasiti has pitched for Colorado in each of the last two seasons, rejoining the organization on a minors contract last winter.  The contract was selected to the big league roster two weeks ago, and the righty has struggled to a 10.38 ERA across 8 2/3 innings and seven appearances.

Between these results and a 5.91 ERA in 21 1/3 Triple-A innings, it’s been a rough season all around for Carasiti, and he’ll now head to DFA limbo to await the next step.  If he clears waivers and the Rockies outright him off the 40-man roster, he has the right (due to a previous outright in his career) to reject a Triple-A assignment in favor of free agency.

The 32-year-old has a 7.41 career ERA over 58 1/3 innings across parts of four Major League seasons — with the Rockies in his 2016 rookie season, with the Mariners in 2019, and the last two years in a return trip to Colorado.  Carasiti has bounced around to a few other spots in his journeyman career, including stints in independent ball and with the Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball, as well as some time in the Cubs’ and Giants’ farm systems.

Hartlieb’s career arc is somewhat similar, as the Rockies represent his fifth MLB organization since was initially a 29th-round pick for Pittsburgh in the 2016 draft.  He has a 7.17 ERA over 70 1/3 career innings with three different teams at the big league level, with all but four of those frames coming with the Pirates and Mets from 2019-21.  After spending 2022 in the Red Sox farm system, he then spent most of 2023 also in the minors with the Marlins’ Triple-A affiliate, though he did make it back to the Show for two appearance and four innings for Miami.

He’ll now get another shot as a fresh arm in Colorado’s bullpen, and any sort of good results will help Hartlieb stick on a Rockies team starved for any kind of relief help.  The Rox rank at or near the bottom of the league in most major pitching categories, particularly on the bullpen side of the ledger.  Hartlieb is out of minor league options, so he’ll have to be designated for assignment himself if the Rockies wish to move him back to Triple-A.

Rockies Recall Greg Jones For MLB Debut

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2:00pm: The Rockies have now made the official announcement, recalling Jones and Toglia while placing both Bryant and Bouchard on the 10-day IL. Bryant’s ailment is listed as a left rib contusion while Bouchard’s is a right ankle sprain.

1:08pm: The Rockies are set to recall infielder/outfielder Greg Jones from Triple-A Albuquerque for what’ll be his major league debut, reports Thomas Harding of MLB.com. Jones is already with the club in St. Louis, and the Rockies appear set to place not only Kris Bryant (as reported yesterday) but also fellow outfielder Sean Bouchard on the injured list. Harding notes that Bouchard, who exited last night’s game with an apparent foot or ankle injury after running out a sacrifice bunt (video link), was on crutches in the clubhouse prior to the game.

Acquired from the Rays in a spring training trade sending pitching prospect Joe Rock to Tampa Bay, the 26-year-old Jones was the No. 22 overall pick in the 2019 draft. After impressing with a 2019 run in Low-A and a 2021 run in High-A, his bat stalled out in Double-A and Triple-A, however, and his prospect stock tumbled accordingly. Jones had a rebound last year when he slashed .278/.344/.467 in a hitter-friendly Triple-A setting (101 wRC+), which was enough to pique Colorado’s interest and bring about that offseason swap.

While Jones spent about a month on the injured list this season, he’s gotten into 20 Triple-A games and taken 89 plate appearances, batting .240/.360/.387 with a hefty 12.4% walk rate against an also sizable 28.1% strikeout rate. Jones has popped two home runs and, despite his limited time on the field, already swiped 15 bases in 16 attempts. He’s played both shortstop and center field in Albuquerque this year, spending more time at the latter of the two.

Strikeouts have been an issue for Jones throughout his minor league tenure, but scouting reports have credited him as a 70- or even 80-grade runner with a plus arm and huge athleticism. Injuries have regularly kept him off the field though, and paired with the lost minor league season in 2020, Jones has just 293 professional games despite being drafted nearly five years ago.

Those roadblocks in his development have left him rougher around the edges than most 26-year-old minor leaguers, but there’s a clear collection of impressive tools in his skill set if he can eventually hone his bat-to-ball skills with more reps. Doing so at the game’s top level will be a challenge in and of itself, but with Bouchard and Bryant likely headed to the IL alongside outfielders Nolan Jones and Jordan Beck, the Rockies aren’t exactly teeming with outfield options. Michael Toglia is already expected to take Bryant’s spot on the big league club, and Jones is the only other outfielder on Colorado’s 40-man roster.

Rockies Planning To Place Kris Bryant On Injured List

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The Rockies expect to send Kris Bryant back to the 10-day injured list, Bud Black told reporters after today’s loss to the Reds (video relayed on X by Patrick Lyons). The Colorado manager said Bryant’s rib soreness “didn’t really respond to treatment,” necessitating the IL trip. Thomas Harding of MLB.com writes that first baseman Michael Toglia is likely to be recalled in a corresponding move.

It’ll be Bryant’s second IL stint of 2024 and the seventh of the first two and a half seasons on his $182MM free agent deal. The former MVP was plagued by left foot injuries in 2022-23. He lost a month of this year to a lower back strain. This most recent injury occurred over the weekend as he caught a foul ball up against the wall.

Around the injury absences, Bryant has struggled to make an impact. He’s hitting .186/.307/.279 in 101 plate appearances this year. He has appeared in 146 games and tallied 617 trips to the plate in a Rockies uniform. In what essentially amounts to one full season’s worth of games, he has a .247/.331/.385 line in MLB’s most favorable hitter’s park. Bryant spent most of his defensive work in the corner outfield between 2022-23. The Rockies moved him primarily to first base this season in an effort to keep him healthy.

Elehuris Montero has drawn into the lineup at first base for the past few games. He and Toglia are set to split the position while Bryant is out of action. Montero hasn’t provided any kind of impact offensively, struggling to a .213/.279/.303 slash over 197 plate appearances.

The Rox have kept him on the MLB roster because he’s out of options, meaning they’d need to expose him to waivers before they could send him back to Triple-A. They have the leeway to continue giving Montero at-bats that a more competitive team wouldn’t be able to offer, but it stands to reason they’ll need to see more out of the 25-year-old fairly soon if they’re going to carry him all year.

John Curtiss Elects Free Agency

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May 31: Curtiss rejected the assignment and instead elected free agency, per the transaction log at MiLB.com.

May 30: The Rockies have sent right-hander John Curtiss outright to Triple-A Albuquerque, per his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week. He has the right to elect free agency though it’s not yet clear if he has chosen to do so.

Curtiss, 31, was signed to a minor league deal in the offseason. He didn’t crack the Opening Day roster, reporting to Albuquerque for some work there. He tossed 21 1/3 innings in the Pacific Coast League with a 6.75 earned run average. His 7.1% walk rate was solid but he only struck out 18.2% of batters faced and was hurt by an unfortunately low 57.8% strand rate.

Despite that fairly shaky performance, the Rockies called him up last week. They had played two straight extra-inning games and needed some fresh arms. In Saturday’s game against the Phillies, Curtiss relieved Justin Lawrence with two out in the ninth inning after the latter had blown a save. With the Rockies down 4-3 and with two men on base, Curtiss was brought in to face Bryce Harper and allowed a three-run homer. He then allowed an Alec Bohm double and a Nick Castellanos single, with Castellanos thrown out at second to finally end the inning after Bohm had scored.

Colorado needed pitching reinforcements again a couple of days later and designated Curtiss for assignment, leaving him currently sporting an ugly ERA of 54.00, thanks to him having allowed two earned runs while only recording one out.

Players with more than three years of service time or a previous career outright have the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency. Curtiss would qualify on both counts and may choose to exercise that right. He had a solid run in 2020 and 2021 before Tommy John surgery put him out of action, and he hasn’t really had an extended chance to establish himself since then.

He tossed 69 1/3 innings with a 2.86 ERA over 2020 and 2021, spending time with the Rays, Marlins and Brewers. He struck out 24.1% of batters faced and only gave out walks at a 5.2% clip. He went under the knife in September of 2021 and missed all of 2022. With the Mets last year, he tossed 19 2/3 innings with a 4.58 ERA and a diminished 19.8% strikeout rate.

The Rockies organization is a tough spot for a guy looking to re-establish himself, given the hitter-friendly nature of both Coors Field and the PCL, but Curtiss may not have had many options this winter after a long injury absence and underwhelming return. Now that the season is a third of the way through and several clubs are dealing with mounting injuries to their pitching staffs, Curtiss might be interested in pursuing opportunities elsewhere.

Rockies Reportedly Unlikely To Trade Ryan McMahon

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The Rockies have the second-worst record in the National League and will again head into deadline season without a chance to compete for a playoff spot. Colorado has been reluctant to move players in past summers even when they’ve looked to be clear deadline sellers.

It remains to be seen how general manager Bill Schmidt and his front office will approach the coming months, yet it doesn’t seem they’re keen on dealing their best position player. MLB Network’s Jon Morosi tweeted this morning that the Rockies are unlikely to make Ryan McMahon available. They’ll certainly get calls from other clubs inquiring about the possibility; Morosi reports that the Blue Jays are among the teams already showing interest in the veteran third baseman.

As part of a reader mailbag, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post also suggests he doesn’t anticipate the Rockies dealing McMahon. Saunders floats second baseman Brendan Rodgers and catchers Elias Díaz and Jacob Stallings as more realistic possibilities. The returns for any of those players would be minimal, though. Colorado could seek a much better prospect package for McMahon than they’d receive for any of Díaz, Stallings or Rodgers.

Of course, that’s a testament to McMahon’s talent and excellent start to the 2024 campaign. In 234 plate appearances, he’s hitting .286/.366/.483 with a team-leading 10 home runs. McMahon is on pace for personal-best marks in all three slash stats. He ranks in the top 10 among qualified hitters in hard contact rate, topping a 95 MPH exit velocity on a massive 55.2% of batted balls. McMahon is drawing walks at a lofty 11.5% rate and has cut his strikeout percentage by six points relative to last season. While he’s still punching out at a higher than average clip (25.6%), this level of swing-and-miss is more than reasonable for a player with his power and plate discipline.

Even after accounting for Coors Field, McMahon has been produced as a middle-of-the-order bat. His defensive grades in this season’s 467 innings are around average, but he’s been one of the sport’s best defensive third basemen over the course of his career. McMahon has been a solid regular since 2021 and is playing at an All-Star level this season.

That arguably makes this the best opportunity for the Rockies to move him. He’s amidst a career year at age 29. Colorado has no playoff hope this season; it’s hard to see a path to even fringe Wild Card contention next year. The Rox probably won’t have a meaningful postseason chance until his age-31 season at the earliest. It’s unlikely McMahon would be as valuable a trade candidate at that point as he is now. Even if he maintains this increased performance level, he’ll be deeper into the slightly backloaded six-year extension that he signed in Spring Training 2022.

McMahon is under contract for three and a half more seasons. He’s playing this season and next on $12MM salaries and will make $16MM annually in 2026-27. He could technically play his way into an opt-out opportunity, but that requires a top five finish in MVP balloting that seems unlikely even with his current production.

The extra three seasons make it unsurprising that the Rox don’t seem eager to deal McMahon, even if this summer could be a sell-high window. Colorado held onto Trevor Story and Jon Gray when they were impending free agents a couple seasons ago; they did the same with Brent Suter last summer. They’ve extended other potential trade candidates like Díaz, Antonio Senzatela and Kyle Freeland in recent years. The Rockies have steadfastly resisted taking trades that they consider to be below a player’s value, even if it meant losing them in free agency not long after. That strategy generally hasn’t yielded good results, but the Rox could justifiably distinguish their past inactivity on rentals from holding onto a key player they have signed for another three years.

Díaz, Stallings and Rodgers would be much less significant subtractions. The veteran catching tandem has produced well, but they’re each impending free agents who are into their mid-30s. Rodgers is under arbitration control through 2025. The former #3 overall pick has never developed into the caliber of player that the Rockies anticipated. He’s hitting .266/.308/.342 with just one homer in 50 games this season; it’s not out of the question he’s simply non-tendered next winter.

As for the Jays, they’re a sensible suitor for offensive help even if the Rockies don’t want to move McMahon specifically. The Jays entered the season with questions at third and second base. Offseason pickup Isiah Kiner-Falefa has done a nice job at the hot corner, hitting .269/.315/.410 in 169 plate appearances. He’s capable of playing essentially anywhere, so the Jays could move him around the diamond if they added third base help. Using Kiner-Falefa more frequently at second base would push Davis Schneider more definitively to left field and allow the Jays to cut into the playing time of the struggling George Springer.

Toronto is in last place in the AL East at 25-29, but they’re not likely to pivot towards selling until it’s absolutely necessary. The Jays have a veteran-laden roster seeking a third consecutive playoff berth and their fourth trip in five years.

Rockies, Stephen Gonsalves Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Rockies are in agreement with Stephen Gonsalves on a minor league contract, per the transaction log at MLB.com. The southpaw is headed to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Gonsalves, 29, began this season in the Dodgers system. He inked a non-roster deal with L.A. in January. The Dodgers assigned him to Triple-A Oklahoma City, where he struggled over 18 innings of relief. Gonsalves allowed 12 runs on 14 hits and an alarming 20 walks. The Dodgers briefly assigned him back to their Arizona complex before releasing him last week.

A former fourth-round draftee of the Twins, the San Diego native was once a reasonably highly-regarded prospect. Gonsalves didn’t carry over his dominant low minors production once he reached Triple-A, though. He owns a 4.23 earned run average in parts of seven Triple-A campaigns. His 27.1% strikeout percentage is above average, but he’s walked nearly 16% of his opponents. Gonsalves hasn’t gotten much of a major league look as a result. He has pitched in 10 MLB games, logging a 6.21 ERA through 29 innings.

Gonsalves has starting experience, though he’s worked out of the bullpen since 2022. He’ll presumably step into long relief for Albuquerque. The Rox have cycled through a few bullpen arms in recent days and evidently needed to backfill some of their lost upper minors depth.

Daniel Bard Planning Comeback In 2025

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Daniel Bard is losing the entire 2024 season to injury. The Rockies reliever underwent arthroscopic surgery to fix a meniscus tear in his left knee in February. While rehabbing, he went down with a forearm injury and underwent a season-ending flexor tendon repair.

At the time of the arm surgery, the 38-year-old righty was noncommittal about whether he’d continue his career. Now that he’s six weeks removed from the procedure, Bard tells Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post that he plans to give it another go.

“Going into the surgery, I was probably 50-50,” Bard told Saunders over the weekend. “When you first find out you need surgery and you are going to miss 12 months, there is that moment of disappointment. You kind of get the wind knocked out of you. But having a few weeks to think about it and watch baseball, it really makes me want to see if I’ve got it next spring.”

Bard, who turns 39 in June, is in the second season of an extension he signed with the Rox. He was amidst a stellar 2022 season as Colorado’s closer when he and the team agreed on a two-year, $19MM deal covering the 2023-24 campaigns. The extension came together days before the ’22 trade deadline. Bard would have been one of the top rental relievers on the summer market, but a noncompetitive Colorado team elected to keep him around.

That decision didn’t work out at all as the Rox hoped. Bard began the 2023 season on the injured list after battling anxiety issues that had sidetracked his career in the mid-2010s. While he made it back to the mound, he had trouble finding the strike zone. Bard walked more than 21% of opposing hitters and spent the season working in the middle innings. He probably would have gotten another chance to compete for the closer role this spring, but the injuries wrecked that plan.

Saunders writes that Bard will spend his time on the injured list in Denver to serve as a mentor to Colorado’s younger bullpen mates. The Rox have had a very tough go in the late innings. Rockies relievers have allowed a league-worst 5.10 earned runs per nine. Jalen Beeks and Victor Vodnik have managed decent run prevention marks despite middling strikeout rates. The rest of Colorado’s bullpen has struggled, with particularly disappointing numbers from late-inning arms Justin Lawrence and Tyler Kinley.

Given the seemingly strong relationship between Bard and the Rockies, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Colorado keeps him around for his 2025 comeback attempt. He’ll be a free agent next offseason and will almost certainly need to take a minor league contract, but the Rox could have interest in such an arrangement.

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