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Rockies Outright Justin Bruihl

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The Rockies have sent left-hander Justin Bruihl outright to Triple-A Albuquerque, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week.

Bruihl, 26, made seven appearances for the Rockies this month after being acquired from the Dodgers in a cash deal. Unfortunately, he allowed six earned runs in his 3 2/3 innings in that time. An incredibly low 12.5% strand rate surely distorted his 14.73 ERA in that small sample, but he quickly lost his roster spot nonetheless.

He could have perhaps garnered interest based on his longer track record with the Dodgers, having had a 3.65 ERA with that club from 2021 to the present season. However, he only struck out 15.6% of batters faced in that time, with a .263 batting average on balls in play and 74.8% strand rate helping him out. ERA estimators like his 4.48 FIP and 4.62 SIERA suggested he may have had some luck helping him keep a few extra runs off the board.

No other club put in a claim, so Bruihl will stay in the Rockies’ organization as non-roster depth. He doesn’t have three years of service time or a previous career outright, meaning he won’t have the right to reject this assignment in favor of free agency. He’ll therefore head to Albuquerque and look to work his way back to the majors.

Rockies Release Jurickson Profar

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The Rockies have released outfielder Jurickson Profar, The Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders reports (X link).  Profar’s spot on the roster will be taken by prospect Hunter Goodman, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A.  Goodman’s impending big league promotion was first reported yesterday by the Blake Street Banter X feed.

Profar’s tenure in the Mile High City ends after 111 games, 472 plate appearances, and a disappointing .236/.316/.364 slash line.  Only three qualified hitters have a lower wRC+ in 2023 than Profar’s 72 wRC+, and his -1.9 fWAR is the lowest of any qualified hitter in baseball.  It wasn’t at all what Profar or the Rockies were hoping when they agreed to a one-year, $7.75MM free agent deal back in March, and Colorado has now chosen to part ways with Profar entirely in order to open up more time for younger players.

Today’s news will again put a spotlight on Profar’s decision to enter the free agent market last winter, as he opted out of the final year of his previous contract with the Padres in search of a longer-term and more lucrative pact.  However, the market didn’t deliver such a deal, and Profar ended up having to wait until the middle of March to sign with Colorado.  Between his Rockies salary and the $1MM buyout he received from opting out, Profar ended up making a bit more money than if he’d just remained in his Padres contract for a $7.5MM salary for the 2023 season, yet it is hard to view the situation as a win given Profar’s season-long struggles.

The long wait in free agency likely contributed to those struggles, as Profar didn’t really have much of a Spring Training, though he did get some high-level competition while playing for the Netherlands during the World Baseball Classic.  Rockies manager Bud Black also recently said that Profar had been “been battling that [left] knee for a little,” so it possible this nagging injury might have been a factor in Profar’s lack of production.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that Profar’s 2023 fortunes might have been different if he’d stayed in San Diego, had a full spring, or stayed healthy.  Given the up-and-down nature of Profar’s career, his dropoff this season can’t be viewed as a total surprise, as Profar’s last six seasons have alternated positive wRC+ numbers to below-average offensive production.  His solid work with the Padres in the shortened 2020 season led to his re-signing with the club on a three-year, $21MM free agent deal that winter, though Profar again didn’t hit well in 2021, which led him to decline his first opt-out opportunity in the 2021-22 offeason.  He then bounced back to hit .243/.331/.391 over 658 PA in 2022, translating to an 111 wRC+ and 2.6 fWAR, and giving Profar the confidence to test the open market again.

With this in mind, Profar might well rebound for another good year in 2024, though it is possible he might be able to catch on with another club before this season is out.  Despite his rough numbers this year, his track record of success as recently as 2022 and his past status as an elite prospect might still catch the attention of a club in need of outfield depth.  Signing Profar would cost a team only a prorated minimum salary, as the Rockies are on the hook for the remainder of the $7.75MM owed.

Goodman is set to make his MLB debut today, suiting up at catcher in Colorado’s lineup.  The 23-year-old has an interesting defensive skillset, as he has seen plenty of time as a catcher, first baseman, and left fielder over his three professional seasons.  However, Goodman’s power bat is what punched his ticket to the majors, as he is hitting .259/.338/.581 with 34 homers over 467 combined PA at Double-A and Triple-A.  Goodman has only 15 games and 67 PA under his belt with Triple-A Albuquerque, but he has a 1.321 OPS over his brief stint with the Rockies’ top affiliate.

A fourth-round pick for the Rox in the 2021 draft, Goodman is ranked 10th by Baseball America and 12th by MLB Pipeline in their listings of Colorado’s best prospects.  There is no doubt about his power potential, as BA’s scouting report gives him a 70-grade in power and notes that Goodman “produces big-time bat speed with a violent, leveraged swing.”  This pop has helped Goodman be very productive at the plate despite a relatively lacking average and OBP, as he still need more overall polish to his approach.  Defensively, Goodman can play multiple positions but he might top out at average whenever he lines up on the diamond.

With the Rockies well out of contention, the team has looked to several youngsters early in their big league careers in order to get a head start on evaluations heading into 2024.  If Goodman can hit well in his first trip to the Show, he’ll earn consideration as an interesting bench or part-time option heading into next season, as he wouldn’t be relegated to only backup duty behind starting catcher Elias Diaz.

Rockies, Charlie Blackmon Have Mutual Interest In New Contract

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Charlie Blackmon is slated to become a free agent for the first time in his career, as the veteran outfielder is in the final season of the five-year, $94MM extension he signed with the Rockies back in April 2018.  However, it seems possible that Blackmon could end up remaining in Colorado, as both the player and the team have interest in continuing the relationship.

Rockies GM Bill Schmidt told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post that the club is “very interested” in retaining Blackmon, adding that “Charlie would provide a good leadership structure for our young guys.  And he can still play.”  From Blackmon’s perspective, he said he would be open to playing for a new team, “but Colorado is certainly my first choice….Right now, I’m not thinking about any other options.”  Blackmon also left open the possibility of retirement, stating “I’m not saying officially, either way,” that he plans to play in 2024, but “there is definitely a possibility I’ll come back.”

Between the Rockies’ last-place record and a fractured hand that cost him almost two months of action, it has been a difficult season for Blackmon, despite some solid personal statistics.  The 37-year-old is hitting .285/.372/.463 with seven home runs over 285 plate appearances, translating to a 113 wRC+.  This would be Blackmon’s best offensive performance (and first above-average season at the plate) since 2019, when he posted a 127 wRC+ as part of a 32-homer campaign.  While Blackmon’s hard-contact rates haven’t been good, he is at least making a lot of contact, as he has one of the lowest strikeout rates of any batter in the league.

Despite these numbers, Blackmon’s age and relative lack of defensive utility figures to limit his free agent market, perhaps capping him at one guaranteed year or a one-year deal with a club/vesting option.  A two-year contract might be feasible with the Rockies as a nod to his long history with the team, as Blackmon has played all 13 of his Major League seasons in the Mile High City.  As Schmidt noted, Blackmon has stature as a clubhouse leader, which is important for a team that is counting on an upcoming core of young players to get the franchise back on track.

Blackmon has played only right field for the last five seasons, with the UZR/150 metric loving his glovework while other defensive metrics rank him as average or below average on the grass.  Since the National League instituted the designated hitter, Blackmon has spent more time as a DH than as a right fielder, and that usage is likely to continue into 2024 should Blackmon indeed return to Colorado.

Michael Toglia figures to get regular looks at both first base and in right field next season, so a scenario exists where the Rox could use Blackmon in right field whenever Toglia has infield duty, and then the DH spot could be rotated between Blackmon and other players.  Of course, Kris Bryant is also a factor, and as Saunders notes later in the piece, Bryant and manager Bud Black have both been open to the possibility of Bryant playing mostly as a first baseman next year.  Nolan Jones’ emergence will make him a regular in the Rockies’ lineup in some fashion next year, though Jones has played more left field recently and that might be his primary position in 2024 even if Colorado does toggle him around to a few different positions.

Rockies Designate Justin Bruihl, Select Evan Justice

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The Rockies announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Evan Justice, with fellow lefty Justin Bruihl designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Bruihl, now 26, had spent the past few years with the Dodgers. Since being added to their roster in August of 2021, he made 65 major league appearances for that club with a 3.65 earned run average. His 15.6% strikeout rate was well below league average, but his 7.6% walk rate and 44.7% ground ball rate were both strong. He was designated for assignment just prior to the deadline when the Dodgers added Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly.

The Rockies sent cash considerations to the Dodgers in order to take a shot on Bruihl, which was a sensible gamble. They are now playing out the string on a lost season and he’s a pitcher with some major league success and years of club control remaining. But in 3 2/3 innings with his new club, he’s allowed six earned runs on four hits and three walks, which seems to have prompted the club to quickly move on.

Since the trade deadline is now in the rear-view mirror, the Rockies will have to put Bruihl on waivers in the coming days. Left-handed relief tends to always be in demand, which could lead to Bruihl getting some interest. If he has a new club prior to September 1, he would be postseason eligible for that team. He can still be optioned for the rest of this campaign and one more season and comes with five years of control beyond this one. If Bruihl were to clear waivers, he would have to accept an outright assignment since he doesn’t have three years of service or a previous career outright.

The Rockies will use the remaining weeks of the season to take a look at Justice, 25, who cracks a big league roster for the first time in his career, having been selected by the Rockies in the fifth round of the 2021 draft. He made a brief professional debut in the Complex League after that draft but spent all of 2022 on the minor league injured list.

This year, he has gone from High-A to Double-A to Triple-A, logging 38 2/3 innings between those levels with a 3.49 ERA. He’s struck out 38% of batters faced but also issued walks at a concerning rate of 15.7%. Back in June, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs gave Justice an honorable mention on the list of top prospects in the system, noting that he was hitting 94-95 mph with his fastball but has been held back by a lack of command with his slider.

West Notes: Kinley, Hancock, Hudson

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Rockies right-hander Tyler Kinley was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation earlier today, as noted by Luke Zahlmann of the Denver Gazette. While additional details of Kinley’s injury and his timetable for return are currently unclear, it’s a devastating blow for the 32-year-old righty, who made just seven appearances this season after working his way back from elbow surgery, which he underwent last June. Prior to his surgery, Kinley appeared to be something of a revelation out of the Rockies’ bullpen last year, with a dazzling 0.75 ERA, 1.74 FIP, and a 27% strikeout rate in 25 appearances with Colorado in 2022.

That strong showing led the club to extend Kinley last November with a contract that guaranteed him $6.25MM over the 2023-25 seasons. Now, it seems likely that the first of those seasons, at least, will bear little fruit. In his seven trips to the mound this season, Kinley struggled badly to a 9.53 ERA with two home runs allowed in 5 1/3 innings, though that of course is a small sample size immediately following a significant layoff from big league action. With the 2023 campaign already essentially lost for the 48-75 Rockies, the club’s top priority regarding Kinley seems likely to be ensuring he’s fully healthy and ready to go for the 2024 campaign.

More from around MLB’s West divisions…

  • Mariners right-hander Emerson Hancock exited today’s start against the Astros after just 31 pitches with a right shoulder strain, per a club announcement. While the club has not yet indicated whether Hancock will require a trip to the injured list, that seems to be the most likely outcome. After all, the 24-year-old Hancock is just three starts into his big league career and has already eclipsed his previous career-high for total innings with 110 frames of work between the majors and minors this season. If Hancock does require a trip to the shelf, the Mariners are well-equipped to weather the injury with fellow youngster Bryan Woo expected to be activated from the injured list later this week.
  • Dodgers right-hander Daniel Hudson has managed just three innings of work this season thanks to first a torn ACL and then a sprained MCL, but the veteran hurler tells Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register that he’s hopeful he can return to the Dodgers in time to be part of the club’s postseason bullpen. If that comes to pass, Hudson would surely provide a boost to the relief corps in LA. While Dodgers relievers rank 10th in the majors with a solid 3.85 ERA, the club’s bullpen has also handled the third-most innings of work in the NL this year, leaving them potentially vulnerable to losing steam as the season heads toward the stretch run. While Hudson seems focused on a comeback attempt this year, the 36-year-old also acknowledged that he’s contemplating the end of his playing days, noting that he’s “been in pretty consistent pain for about 15 months.” With that being said, Hudson ultimately was noncommittal on his plans post-2023, saying, “…maybe I give it another shot. If not, I’ve had a pretty good run and it is what it is at that point.”

Alex Cole Passes Away

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The Guardians announced that former big league outfielder Alex Cole recently passed away. He was 58 years old. The club also announced the passing of Dick Tomanek, who you can read about here.

Cole was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina in 1965. He attended the State College of Florida and was selected by the Pirates in the 11th round of the 1984 draft but didn’t sign. The next year, the Cardinals took him in the second round and he put pen to paper this time around. He climbed the minor league ladder with the Cards but was twice traded in 1990, first going to the Padres and then the Indians.

It was with that latter club that he made his major league debut, getting into 63 games in that 1990 season. He didn’t show much power, not hitting any home runs in his 256 plate appearances that year. But he produced a batting average of .300 and stole 40 bases in just 63 games.

He carved out regular playing time in the seasons to come and generally produced in a similar fashion, not providing much power but using his speed to propel himself around the basepaths. He stayed in Cleveland in 1991 before being traded to the Pirates midway through the 1992 campaign. After that season, he was selected by the Rockies in the expansion draft, becoming an inaugural member of that franchise. He would eventually reach free agency, signing with the Twins for 1994-1995 and Red Sox for 1996, which would prove to be his last season in the big leagues.

Over parts of seven seasons, Cole got into 573 major league games and made 2,012 plate appearances. He batted .280 in that time, racking up 493 hits, including 58 doubles, 26 triples and five home runs. He stole 148 bases in 207 attempts. He scored 286 runs and drove in 117.

We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to his family, friends and loved ones.

Rockies Outright Cole Tucker

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The Rockies have sent utility player Cole Tucker outright to Triple-A Albuquerque, per the transaction log at MLB.com. He cleared waivers after being designated for assignment on Monday.

Tucker had a brief stay in Denver, appearing in three games while spending a week on the MLB roster. The return of Charlie Blackmon this week pushed him off the club. Tucker has been one of the better players in the Pacific Coast League this season, hitting .311/.419/.459 over 58 games. He’s only hit five home runs but is walking at a huge 15.7% clip against a decent 19.1% strikeout rate.

A former first round pick of the Pirates, Tucker has appeared in parts of five big league campaigns. He never established himself as a regular in Pittsburgh, posting well below-average offensive numbers in each of his limited looks. Through 477 career plate appearances, he owns a .214/.263/.316 batting line.

This is the second time in Tucker’s career in which he has gone unclaimed on outright waivers. As a result, he has the ability to test free agency in lieu of a return to Albuquerque. It isn’t clear whether he plans to do so.

Rockies Release Fernando Abad

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The Rockies have released veteran reliever Fernando Abad, according to his transaction page on MiLB.com. This is the second time he has been released by Colorado this season.

Since making his debut in 2010, Abad has pitched for the Astros, Nationals, Athletics, Twins, Red Sox, Giants, Orioles, and Rockies. From 2013-17, he was one of the more reliable middle relievers in the game, pitching to a 3.13 ERA and 3.75 SIERA in 275 games. Unfortunately, things began to go downhill in 2018. He sat out the season after being given an 80-game suspension for failing a PED test, and while he was back in 2019, he never quite returned to form. From 2019-21, he posted a 4.99 ERA and 4.66 SIERA in 37 games.

The southpaw seemed to have turned things around at the start of the 2023 season. Pitching for the Triple-A Albuquerque Isotopes on a minor league deal, he put up a 1.69 ERA in his first 13 games, striking out 20 and walking only two. He earned a promotion to the big league club in May, but there he struggled in three appearances. His turnaround was short-lived, and he was designated for assignment less than a week after his promotion.

Abad signed another minor league deal with the Rockies shortly thereafter and returned to play for the Isotopes in June. He looked every bit as good as before, striking out eight batters in eight games with a 0.93 ERA. The Rockies promoted him again, yet still he struggled to find a role in the major leagues. He was designated for assignment in mid-July, and this time around, he failed to recapture his magic at Triple-A. In 4 2/3 innings of work, he gave up nine runs on ten hits, ultimately prompting his release.

As a free agent, Abad has the opportunity to sign with a new club, perhaps before the September 1 deadline for postseason eligibility. While he has struggled to stick in the majors for the past few years, he could provide an option for a team in need of left-handed depth.

Rockies Designate Cole Tucker For Assignment

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The Rockies announced they’ve designated utilityman Cole Tucker for assignment. The move opens an active roster spot for Charlie Blackmon, who is back from the 10-day injured list. Colorado also reinstated Sean Bouchard from the 60-day IL and optioned him to Triple-A Albuquerque. The Rox’s 40-man roster remains full.

Tucker had a brief stay on Colorado’s roster. The Rox selected his contract one week ago, plugging him into three games. He collected three singles and a walk in eight trips to the dish. He’s out of minor league options, though, meaning Colorado had to keep him on the active roster or DFA him once they called him up.

They’ll now have a week to put him on waivers. A career .214/.263/.316 hitter in parts of five big league campaigns, the 27-year-old Tucker had a solid .311/.419/.459 showing this season in Albuquerque. Since he’s out of options, any team that claims him would have to plug him directly onto the MLB roster. Tucker has been outrighted before in his career, so he’d have the ability to become a minor league free agent if he clears waivers again.

Blackmon returns after missing more than two months. The veteran outfielder fractured a bone in his right hand in early June. He’ll return to the lineup carrying a solid .265/.347/.422 line through 56 games on the season. Blackmon is playing this year on a $15MM salary and will be a free agent in a couple months.

Bouchard has missed the entire season after undergoing biceps surgery in Spring Training. The 27-year-old impressed with a .297/.454/.500 showing over 97 plate appearances in his first big league action last summer. He’ll get more time in Triple-A before returning to the MLB roster but could get a chance to carve out a role in the first base/corner outfield rotation down the stretch.

NL West Notes: Diamondbacks, Yaz, Haniger, Luciano, Profar

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In designating Carson Kelly for assignment earlier today, the Diamondbacks are a little short on catching depth, and GM Mike Hazen told reporters (including MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert) that the club was looking out for external catching options.  Gabriel Moreno is the catcher of the present and future in Arizona, and beyond backup Jose Herrera, Ali Sanchez and Juan Centeno are the only other backstops in the organization with any Major League experience.  Despite the situation, Hazen felt that “with five to six weeks to go, depth becomes less important than trying to put the best [team] on the field….When we had the roster construction in the first half of the season with Gabi and Herrera, we played really well.  I don’t know that that is going to be the secret formula to getting back to the way we were before, I don’t think that’s anyone’s expectation, but that was the choice we had, to send Herrera down or make this move.  We decided to make this move.”

Today’s victory over the Padres brought the D’Backs back up to a .500 (59-59) record, though the club is only 10-25 since the start of July.  Between this slide and the Dodgers catching fire, the D’Backs went from leading the NL West to trailing Los Angeles by 12.5 games, and the Snakes are also 2.5 games back of a wild card position.  While any number of factors have contributed to Arizona’s struggles, a lack of pitching has been the biggest culprit, and the D’Backs will now “take some risks and play it by ear, week by week” with their rotation, according to Hazen.  Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Brandon Pfaadt will continue to operate as traditional starters, but the team be open to using bullpen games, piggyback starters, or opener/bulk pitcher setups for the remaining two rotation spots until Zach Davies is back from the 15-day injured list to take one of the spots.

Some other notes from around the NL West…

  • Mike Yastrzemski has been on the Giants’ 10-day IL since July 31 recovering from a hamstring strain, but the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser writes that the outfielder is close to being activated.  Yastrzemski had a live batting practice session on Saturday and has been running the bases at full speed, so it doesn’t appear as though he’ll need any minor league rehab work.  With Yastrzemski possibly returning on Monday, Slusser speculates that the Giants might option Luis Matos to Triple-A, since Heliot Ramos has been hitting well as of late.
  • In other Giants injury updates, Mitch Haniger could soon begin a minor league rehab assignment, and Slusser estimates that he might return to the majors in around two weeks’ time.  Haniger hasn’t played since June 13 due to forearm surgery, continuing his unfortunate recent history of injury-shortened seasons.  The news isn’t as good for Marco Luciano, as the top prospect will sidelined for at least a month due to a hamstring strain.  Luciano made his MLB debut with a four-game cameo with the Giants in July, as the team needed an extra infielder to help solve some depth issues.  Over 292 combined plate appearances at Double-A and Triple-A in 2023, Luciano has hit .231/.336/.445 with 13 home runs.
  • Jurickson Profar suffered what the Rockies described as a twisted left knee in today’s game, which forced Profar to make an early exit.  Profar had to collide with the left field ball to make a running catch on a Mookie Betts fly ball, and Profar was in obvious discomfort afterwards.  Colorado manager Bud Black told reporters (including Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post) that Profar had already been dealing with a sore left knee even prior to today’s injury, and the outfielder will undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the problem.
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