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Rockies Select Warming Bernabel

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TODAY: The Rockies officially announced Bernabel’s selection.

JULY 25: The Rockies are expected to select Warming Bernabel before tomorrow’s game in Baltimore, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com.  Mike Rodriguez first reported that the 23-year-old infielder was being called up. Colorado has an opening on the 40-man roster after the Ryan McMahon trade.

This is Bernabel’s first major league call. He was on Colorado’s 40-man roster during the 2023 season so the Rox could keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He hit .236/.282/.367 in the minors that year. The Rockies felt comfortable exposing him to waivers and outrighted him off the roster at the end of Spring Training 2024. He spent last season at Double-A Hartford and has played this year with Triple-A Albuquerque.

Bernabel is hitting .301/.356/.450 in his first 75 Triple-A contests. That looks strong on the surface but is below average after accounting for the Pacific Coast League environment. Bernabel has plus bat-to-ball skills but frequently expands the strike zone. That keeps him from making much hard contact. He’s averaging just 84 MPH off the bat in the minors. It’d be tough to make that approach work against big league pitching unless he finds a way to become a lot more selective.

There’s nevertheless little harm for the Rockies in giving a look to a young player who was once a prospect of some note. Bernabel is a primary third baseman and could step into everyday playing time vacated by McMahon’s departure. He also has experience at first base, where Michael Toglia is hitting .197/.266/.359.

Yankees Acquire Ryan McMahon

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The Yankees have a new third baseman. New York announced the acquisition of Ryan McMahon from the Rockies for pitching prospects Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz. The Yanks already had an opening on the 40-man roster, so no additional move was necessary.

The Yankees are taking on the remainder of McMahon’s contract. He is making a $12MM salary this year, leaving a bit more than $4MM to be paid out, then will make $16MM in each of the next two seasons.

McMahon, 30, will join a new franchise for the first time in his career. He was drafted by the Rockies in the second round of the 2013 draft. He climbed up to the majors and eventually established himself as a regular in Colorado, playing quality defense at multiple infield positions.

It’s hard to say what the Yankees will be getting from McMahon offensively. He has generally been good for 20-25 home runs a year, though while playing his home games in the hitters’ haven of Coors Field and with some high strikeout totals. Despite some good surface-level stats, he’s generally been ranked as a subpar hitter by metrics that adjust for the Coors effect. He has a career batting line of .240/.323/.420 but a wRC+ of 89. In other words, that metric considers him 11% worse than league average at the plate.

For his career, McMahon has hit .263/.343/.476 at home and .216/.302/.362 on the road, obviously a huge difference. At first glance, that might suggest he can only hit in Denver and will fall to pieces in a new jersey. The truth is likely more nuanced than that. Pitches move differently at elevation than they do at sea level due to the differences in resistance or drag. Most notably, breaking balls move less in Denver than in other parks, so it’s tough for Colorado hitters to constantly adjust as they go on the road and back.

Over the years, many players have had big home-road splits as Rockies but then evened out after leaving Denver. One such player is DJ LeMahieu, who also moved from the Rockies to the Yankees. During his time with Colorado, LeMahieu hit .329/.386/.447 at Coors but just .267/.314/.367 on the road. When he left Denver for the Bronx, the move wasn’t difficult for him at all. He slashed .336/.386/.536 over his first two seasons with the Yankees.

In terms of the glovework, there’s little question that McMahon is strong there. He has played lots of first base and second base in his career but has settled in as Colorado’s third baseman. The Yanks will surely keep him at the hot corner. They recently moved Jazz Chisholm Jr. from third to second, both due to his personal comfort level and some shoulder soreness he was experiencing. That led to LeMahieu getting bumped off the roster and released.

They’ve been connected to various third basemen for weeks, including McMahon, Eugenio Suárez and others. In the meantime, they’ve been covering the position with Oswald Peraza and Jorbit Vivas. Neither of those two have been hitting well this year. Vivas has a .164/.270/.255 line this year while Peraza is at .147/.208/.237.

For McMahon’s career, he has 5,550 innings at third. He’s been credited with 64 Defensive Runs Saved and 44 Outs Above Average. Dating back to the start of 2021, when he first got regular run at third, he has 54 DRS and 42 OAA. In both cases, he trails only Ke’Bryan Hayes among big league third basemen for that span.

The Yankees can bank on sure-handed defense at third. The Yankees love ground-ball pitchers, on account of their hitter-friendly park, so McMahon should be a notable upgrade in turning those grounders into outs. The offense is a bit more of a question mark, as outlined above, but it will still likely be an upgrade over the in-house options.

Due to his contract, McMahon should be able to cover the hot corner for not just this year but two more. The Rockies signed him to an extension just ahead of the 2022 season. As mentioned, that deal pays McMahon $12MM this year followed by $16MM in each of the next two years. The Yankees will be paying him at a higher rate than that. They are a third-time competitive balance tax payor and above the highest CBT tier. That means they pay a 110% tax on any new spending.

A player’s CBT hit is recalculated at the time of a trade to account for what is left on the contract. McMahon is still owed about $36.2MM over two seasons and the roughly 35% of this year’s schedule that remains. That works out to a CBT hit of about $15.4MM. Prorate that over the rest of the year and McMahon adds about $5.4MM to the 2025 CBT. 110% of that is a bit over $5.9MM in taxes. That means the Yanks are paying more than $11MM total to have McMahon for the stretch run. Taxes will likely be a factor with his 2026 and 2027 seasons as well.

In addition to the financial cost, the Yanks are also subtracting a couple of pitchers from their system. Herring, 22, was a sixth-round pick in last year’s draft. He has made 16 starts this year between Single-A and High-A, eight at each level. He has a combined 1.71 earned run average, 28.5% strikeout rate, 10.1% walk rate and 50% ground ball rate. Baseball America gives him a 45 grade on the 20-80 scale and had him listed as the #17 prospect in the Yankee system.

Grosz, 22, was an 11th-round pick in 2023. He has since pitched 208 2/3 innings in the minors with a 3.97 ERA, 25.7% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate. BA doesn’t list him as one of the top 30 prospects in the Yankee system.

For the Rockies, it’s a notable shift for them. They haven’t had a winning record since 2018 but haven’t always capitalized on their losing seasons by trading players at the deadline. Trevor Story wasn’t traded and ended up departing for just qualifying offer compensation. Jon Gray didn’t even get a QO, so he departed for nothing. Players like Daniel Bard and C.J. Cron got ill-advised extensions instead of being traded.

However, the team seems to be accepting that they are in a rough spot and need change. Their struggles have reached a new nadir this year. Their 26-76 record is easily the worst in baseball. In fact, they are on pace to challenge the modern-day loss record, which the White Sox set just last year.

The scope of the franchise’s struggles has opened up more willingness to try new things. Though the club has often been considered loyal to a fault, they fired manager Bud Black in May. McMahon was reportedly a favorite of owner Dick Monfort, but that’s no longer enough to keep him off the trading block. The club is also reportedly open to offers on controllable pitchers like Victor Vodnik and Seth Halvorsen.

Parting with McMahon allows them to add some young pitching prospects, which is an ongoing concern for them. They regularly struggle to put competent pitching staffs together and even some of their modest success stories are running out of steam. Germán Márquez, Antonio Senzatela, Kyle Freeland and Austin Gomber have all had some success for the Rockies but they’re all now in their 30s and nearing free agency. Márquez and Gomber hit the open market in a few months. Senzatela and Freeland have options in their contracts but are only guaranteed through 2026.

The Rockies will ideally develop younger pitchers over time, but even their most notable prospect struggled this year, as Chase Dollander had a 6.68 ERA in 15 starts before being sent back down to the minors. Improving their long-term pitching outlook will be an ongoing project and they’ve added a couple more arms today.

The move could also have impacts on the broader market. The Yankees were one of several clubs connected to Suárez, so there is one less suitor for him now. However, he has reportedly drawn interest from a dozen different teams, so the Snakes should still be able to do well there. Even after adding McMahon, the Yankees should still be on the lookout for pitching. The Rockies, meanwhile, could make a few more trades before next week’s deadline. In addition to the aforementioned pitchers, position players like Thairo Estrada and Mickey Moniak could be available.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com first reported the Yankees had an agreement to acquire McMahon for two prospects. ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reported Herring’s inclusion. Bob Nightengale of USA Today was first with Grosz heading to Colorado. Joel Sherman of The New York Post reported that the Yanks were assuming McMahon’s entire salary.

Photo courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing, Peter Aiken and Jim Dedmon, Imagn Images

Rockies Designate Sean Bouchard For Assignment

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The Rockies announced a series of roster moves Friday — unrelated to their reported trade of Ryan McMahon to the Yankees — most notably designating outfielder Sean Bouchard for assignment in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster for veteran reliever Nick Anderson, whose previously reported promotion from Triple-A is now official. Colorado also optioned infielder Adael Amador to Triple-A, reinstated infielder Thairo Estrada from the injured list and placed righty Victor Vodnik on the paternity list.

Bouchard, 29, has seen action in each of the past four seasons for the Rockies but has battled frequent injuries — most notably missing nearly the entire 2023 season due to a torn biceps. He showed plenty of promise early in his career despite lofty strikeout rates, slashing .304/.429/.563 in 140 plate appearances from 2022-23.

Bouchard struggled considerably since returning from that biceps injury, however, hitting only .178/.272/.274 in 181 big league plate appearances. His previously strong numbers in Triple-A have dropped off this season, too, as his minor league strikeout rate has spiked to 33.2% (and his big league strikeout rate, in 73 plate appearances, jumped to 37%).

At his best, Bouchard looked the part of a potential power-hitting right fielder with average speed and solid defense. He’s now 29 years old, however, and struggling for a second straight season after incurring a major injury during his age-27 season. This is his final minor league option year as well, and with the Rockies breaking in several young outfielders (most notably Jordan Beck), Bouchard’s opportunities have dried up.

The Rox will have five days to trade Bouchard or place him on outright waivers. He hasn’t been outrighted in the past and doesn’t have three years of major league service time, so if he passes through waivers unclaimed, he’d stick in the organization as a non-roster depth piece in Triple-A for at least the remainder of the current season.

Rockies Willing To Entertain Offers On Victor Vodnik, Seth Halvorsen

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The Rockies are willing to field offers on relievers Victor Vodnik and Seth Halvorsen, report Katie Woo and Will Sammon of The Athletic. Unsurprisingly, The Athletic notes that the Rox have a high asking price on both controllable power arms.

Vodnik and Halvorsen have been Colorado’s two highest-leverage bullpen options over the past month. They’re each 25-year-old righties with massive arm speed. Vodnik, acquired from the Braves at the 2023 deadline in the Pierce Johnson deal, averages 98.5 MPH on his fastball. Halvorsen, a seventh-round draft pick from two seasons ago, has a heater that sits above 100. Only Mason Miller and Jhoan Durán throw harder than he does.

Of the two, Vodnik has had more success. He tossed 73 2/3 innings of 4.28 ERA ball in his first full season last year. He missed five weeks earlier this season with shoulder inflammation but carries an even 3.00 earned run average in 30 frames. He has gotten ground balls at a huge 56.3% clip, though he has given up a lot of hard contact. Vodnik has also walked a concerning 13.4% of opposing hitters while turning in a league average 23.6% strikeout rate.

[Related: Under-The-Radar Bullpen Trade Candidates]

Vodnik’s underlying marks don’t support a low-3.00s ERA. At the same time, it’s easy to see the appeal of a pitcher with this kind of velocity and ability to generate ground balls. It’s a similar story with Halvorsen, who is working as the rebuilding team’s closer. He has gotten grounders at a 53.2% clip while posting middling strikeout (21.3%) and walk (11%) rates. Halvorsen has allowed a few too many home runs, leading to a pedestrian 5.02 ERA through 37 2/3 frames.

The Rockies are generally resistant to dealing players with multiple years of control, but reporting out of Colorado has suggested they’re more open to selling than in years past. That’s most relevant for third baseman Ryan McMahon but could apply to controllable relievers Jake Bird, Vodnik and Halvorsen.

Trading either of the latter two pitchers would have some parallels to last summer’s deal of Nick Mears — another controllable power arm with middling results — to Milwaukee. Mears was two years older than Halvorsen and Vodnik are now, and he’s a former waiver claim whom the Rockies could’ve been more willing to move than pitchers they’ve drafted or acquired in trade. Vodnik is under club control for four seasons after this one; Halvorsen has five-plus years of control.

Rockies To Select Nick Anderson

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The Rockies are set to select the contract of right-hander Nick Anderson from Triple-A Albuquerque, as first reported by Chase Ford of MiLB Central. Colorado is off today while traveling to Baltimore for a three-game set against the Orioles, so the move might not be formally announced until tomorrow.

Anderson, 35, signed a minor league pact with Colorado back in late May. He spent the early portion of the season with the Cardinals’ Triple-A club after originally signing a minor league deal with St. Louis. He opted out of that deal before landing with the Rox.

A veteran of five big league seasons, Anderson has an outstanding track record of results in the majors but a poor track record of health. Dating back to the 2020 season, he’s missed time with a shoulder strain, an internal brace procedure on his right ulnar collateral ligament, plantar fasciitis, a back strain and forearm inflammation.

When healthy enough to take the field, Anderson has pitched 158 1/3 innings with a 3.18 ERA, a 31.6% strikeout rate and a 7.8% walk rate. He boasts an excellent 34.1% opponents’ chase rate and 15.4% swinging-strike rate in his big league career.

Anderson has pitched 11 1/3 innings with the Rockies’ Triple-A club and allowed six runs on 13 hits and six walks (three intentional) with 15 strikeouts. It comes out to a 4.76 ERA, though nearly all of the damage against him came in one nightmare outing where he yielded four runs to the Padres’ Triple-A club without recording an out.

The Rockies’ 4.91 bullpen ERA is fifth-worst in the majors, and over the past month they’re at a 5.87 mark that ranks 28th in MLB. Jake Bird, their most effective reliever for much of the season, has run into a particularly rough patch over the past 30 days (10 runs in 8 2/3 frames). It’s not a surprise to see Colorado taking a look at a fresh arm.

Beyond that, it’s quite possible that some members of the bullpen will be shipped off to new clubs in the week between now and the July 31 trade deadline. Recent struggles notwithstanding, Bird stands as a logical trade candidate alongside veterans Tyler Kinley and Jimmy Herget. If the Rockies want to go a step further, controllable power arms like Seth Halvorsen and Victor Vodnik would surely command prominent interest. Vodnik is controlled through 2029, however, while Halvorsen is controlled all the way through 2030.

Mariners Have Shown Interest In Ryan McMahon

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D-backs slugger and former Mariner Eugenio Suárez is reported to be the Mariners’ top trade target, but he’s not a surefire bet to be available with Arizona on the periphery of the NL Wild Card chase. Seattle wouldn’t put all of its eggs in one basket anyhow — Suárez would have several motivated bidders trying to acquire him — so it’s not a big surprise to see Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post report that the Mariners are among the teams to show interest in Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon.

[Related: Seattle Mariners Trade Deadline Outlook]

The 30-year-old McMahon wouldn’t bring the same type of power as Suárez, but he’s younger with a much better glove and is signed for an additional two seasons. After a brutal start to his season and a poor final few months in 2024, McMahon has bounced back to his previous form. Dating back to May 1, he’s slashing .249/.333/.478 with 14 home runs, a dozen doubles and a triple. His 11.2% walk rate is strong, though a 29.7% strikeout rate in that span and a lengthy history of sub-par contact skills does present one concern.

McMahon does have pronounced home/road splits. He entered play Wednesday batting .253/.368/.500 at Coors Field and .189/.265/.324 on the road. He’d hardly be the first player to struggle on the road while playing home games at altitude and then even things out when traded to a more neutral setting, though. Prominent names like Matt Holliday, Dexter Fowler and Nolan Arenado (among others) have shown considerable home/road splits while playing for the Rockies before going on to find plenty of success elsewhere. That said, going from Coors Field to Seattle’s T-Mobile Park — perhaps the most pitcher-friendly setting in MLB — would potentially be a rude awakening.

McMahon has been particularly hot of late, hitting in six straight games and batting .345/.406/.848 with four homers and two doubles across his past eight contests. (That does not include the walk he drew in his first plate appearance of today’s game.) He’s being paid $12MM in 2025 — with about $4.32MM yet to be paid out — and is owed $16MM per year in 2026-27.

Although McMahon isn’t as complete a player as Matt Chapman, his remaining contract (which covers his age-31 and age-32 seasons) is a fraction of the six-year, $151MM contract Chapman signed starting in his age-32 season. McMahon’s contract looks affordable by comparison, and while much of the Mariners’ activity over the past two years has been dictated by ownership mandates to scale back payroll, ownership is reportedly willing to bump the payroll at this summer’s deadline.

Third base has been a weak spot for the Mariners throughout the season. Rookie Ben Williamson has been the primary option for Seattle, providing strong defense but virtually nothing in terms of power or on-base skills. The 24-year-old Williamson, Seattle’s second-round pick in 2023, rushed to the majors after just 14 games in Triple-A. He’s hitting .256/.289/.315 with one home run in his first 268 major league plate appearances.

Entering the season, the hope was that veteran switch-hitter Jorge Polanco — who re-signed as a free agent over the winter — would transition from second base to third base. Knee and side injuries have left Polanco as a designated hitter more often than not, however. His bat has more than held up its end of the equation, evidenced by a strong .254/.313/.462 slash with 15 homers and a tiny 14.2% strikeout rate. Polanco has played just 113 innings in the field this season, however.

[Related: Colorado Rockies Trade Deadline Outlook]

As for the Rockies, they tend not to be particularly active on the summer trade market even in non-contending seasons. They have a reputation for holding players well past the point at which their trade value reaches its apex. That’s arguably already happened with McMahon, though his resurgent play since May has done plenty of work to rebuild some of the value he’d lost over the past three to four months of play.

Saunders is the latest of several prominent reporters to suggest that with the Rockies bottoming out so significantly in 2025, they could well be more amenable to trading some veteran players over the next eight days. ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote similarly today, and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic suggested as much earlier in the month as well.

Rockies Place Germán Márquez On Injured List

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July 23: The Rockies announced Wednesday that they have indeed placed Márquez on the 15-day injured list due to right biceps tendinitis. The move is retroactive to July 21 but will still keep him on the injured list beyond the July 31 trade deadline. Injured players can still be traded, but the IL placement obviously impacts his value and reduces the chance of a deal coming together.

July 22: Per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, the MRI showed biceps inflammation but no structural damage. Thomas Harding of MLB.com says that Tanner Gordon is with the club and will likely start tomorrow, with Márquez likely bound for the IL.

July 21: Germán Márquez went for an MRI on his shoulder this afternoon, relays Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. The Rockies have not placed the veteran right-hander on the injured list to this point. They’re currently calling the issue shoulder inflammation but are awaiting more specifics from the imaging.

Márquez only managed three innings in yesterday’s start against the Twins. He told reporters (including MLB.com’s Thomas Harding) that the issue stems from his final start before the All-Star Break. He’d pitched well in that appearance — six innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts in Cincinnati — but apparently worked through some discomfort. He’d hoped that the issue would resolve itself with over a week of rest because of the break. That didn’t happen, and Márquez acknowledged yesterday that he and the training staff are considering skipping his next start.

It’s an inopportune time for an injury. Márquez is an impending free agent. He’s very likely to be traded if he’s healthy. A pitcher with a 5.67 earned run average across 20 starts seemingly wouldn’t be of much interest to contenders. Márquez has an even worse road ERA (5.95) than he does at Coors Field (5.31).

Still, some teams could view him as a change-of-scenery candidate in a market that’ll be starved for starting pitching. Márquez was an above-average starter before he underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023. He’s averaging north of 95 MPH on his fastball and getting whiffs on his mid-80s knuckle-curve. Márquez also seemed to be rounding into form over the past six weeks.

The 30-year-old posted a 2.97 ERA over six starts in June (though he gave up six unearned runs on June 18). Márquez was bombed by the White Sox in his first appearance of July before turning in arguably his best start of the year during the aforementioned appearance against the Reds. Sunday’s start was terrible — three runs in as many innings with four hits and walks apiece — but it’s easy to forgive that based on the injury. While he wouldn’t be anyone’s top target, teams seeking a back-end starter could view him as more of an intriguing upside play than the likes of Andrew Heaney, Aaron Civale or Erick Fedde.

If Márquez requires an injured list stint, he’ll be out beyond next Thursday’s trade deadline. Even if he simply skips one turn through the rotation, he wouldn’t be lined up to pitch again by July 31. They could push him back a few days while running him out on July 29 or 30 against the Guardians in an attempt to showcase his health, but that’s dependent on the imaging results. Márquez is playing on a $10MM salary and would receive a $1MM assignment bonus if he’s traded. He’d also unlock $2MM in bonuses at each of 140, 150 and 160 innings pitched, but those are lofty targets considering he’s currently at 98 1/3 frames and now facing an injury.

Rockies Sign No. 4 Overall Pick Ethan Holliday

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The Rockies have signed No. 4 overall draft pick Ethan Holliday, reports Jim Callis of MLB.com. He’ll receive a $9MM signing bonus that clocks in about $229K over slot value. It’s the largest bonus ever received by a high school player.

Holliday, 18, was in the mix for the top overall selection, though that distinction went to another second-generation high school shortstop: Eli Willits. Instead of heading to D.C., Holliday will don the jersey worn by his father for the first five years of his career. Matt Holliday, of course, starred for the Rockies from 2004-08, making three All-Star teams and winning three Silver Slugger Awards along the way. He also returned to the Rockies for a 25-game stretch to close out his career and has now had two sons — Ethan and Orioles second baseman Jackson Holliday — come off the board as top-four picks in a major league draft.

Ethan Holliday ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the draft at Baseball America, MLB.com and at The Athletic. He landed second at FanGraphs and ESPN. He draws praise for his athleticism and plus raw power, with scouting reports also crediting him for the defensive tools and actions needed to stay at shortstop for at least the early portion of his career. Holliday may eventually move to third base or an outfield corner. He’s thought to possess some of the best raw power in the draft — and the ability to get to that power in games — but there are some swing-and-miss concerns and he’s only an average runner (or slightly below).

Holliday should immediately become Colorado’s top prospect, supplanting last year’s No. 3 overall pick Charlie Condon for that title — though Condon is far closer to MLB readiness, having been selected out of college. He’s already reached Double-A.

Daniel Bard Retires

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Veteran reliever Daniel Bard is ending his comeback bid and will retire, reports WEEI’s Rob Bradford. The 40-year-old Bard signed a minor league contract with the Mariners earlier this summer and had pitched well in a limited look with Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma, allowing two runs on six hits and a walk with nine punchouts in 5 2/3 innings.

Originally a first-round pick by the Red Sox back in 2006, Bard made his big league debut in 2009 and quickly became a star reliever in Boston. In his first three seasons, the righty pitched 197 innings of  2.88 ERA ball and piled up 79 holds and five saves. Along the way, he fanned nearly 27% of his opponents. That’d be a strong mark even in today’s game, but at the time, the league-average strikeout rate sat around 18% (compared to this year’s 21.9%). Bard ranked 21st among all relievers in strikeout rate over that three-year period and, despite not debuting until mid-May in ’09, tallied the third-most holds in MLB from ’09-’11.

In 2012, the Red Sox tried moving Bard into the rotation, hoping some of that single-inning dominance would carry over to lengthier stretches. It didn’t pan out. Bard made ten starts and was hit hard, yielding a 5.30 ERA in 54 1/3 innings and showing some alarming command troubles. The lanky right-hander walked more hitters (36) than he struck out (34) and plunked eight batters. He was moved back into the bullpen later in the season.

Bard’s command struggles had actually begun in September of 2011. They continued in 2012 during that shift to the rotation, and reached a tipping point the following season. Bard pitched just one major league inning in 2013, plus another 15 1/3 frames in the minors — during which he walked one-third of the batters he faced and threw 11 wild pitches. Bard would eventually learn that he’d also been pitching with an undiagnosed case of thoracic outlet syndrome — he underwent surgery in 2014 — and he’s also been candid throughout his career about his ongoing battle with anxiety.

A series of minor league deals with the Rangers, Cubs, Pirates, Cardinals and Mets didn’t pan out, and by 2017 Bard had opted to call it a career and move onto the next phase of his baseball journey. He took a job with the D-backs, serving as a player mentor/mental skills coach who worked with young players throughout the organization. Bard held that position for a couple years but found that with some time off, his velocity, command and desire to pitch all returned. He worked out for clubs ahead of the 2020 season, signed a minor league deal with the Rockies and embarked on one of the more improbable comebacks in recent memory.

Bard was heading into his age-35 season and hadn’t pitched in the majors for seven years when he went to camp with the Rockies. He wound up not only earning a spot on the roster in the shortened 2020 season — he was named National League Comeback Player of the Year. Bard pitched 24 2/3 innings with the Rockies that season and logged a 3.65 ERA with a 25.5% strikeout rate, 9.4% walk rate, six saves and two holds. His fastball, which had sat 93-94 in 2012-13 while he was unknowingly pitching with thoracic outlet syndrome, averaged a hearty 97.3 mph.

Bard had a tough 2021 season but was brilliant in 2022 when he saved 34 games and pitched to a 1.79 earned run average. The Rockies signed him to a two-year, $19MM extension that summer rather than ship him out when he would’ve been one of the most popular rental arms on the trade market. That contract didn’t work out, as Bard struggled again in 2023 and missed the 2024 season recovering from a pair of surgeries: one to repair a torn meniscus and another to repair a torn flexor tendon. He’d hoped to make one final run in the majors, but he’ll now wrap up one of the more interesting career arcs this generation of baseball has seen.

All told, Bard pitched in parts of five seasons with the Red Sox and four with the Rockies — plus minor league appearances with the Rangers, Cardinals and Mets. He pitched 457 1/3 big league innings, saved 66 games, tallied 91 holds and recorded a 3.74 ERA. Bard set down just over 24% of the hitters he faced on strikes over the course of his career, and he earned more than $31MM in salary, thanks largely to that late-career extension in Colorado.

Bard has already taken one non-playing job with the Diamondbacks. It stands to reason that plenty of clubs would welcome someone with Bard’s background to their organization, be it in a coaching role, a player development role or a baseball operations role — should he choose to again look for new opportunities to stay involved in the game.

Rockies Place Thairo Estrada On IL With Thumb Sprain

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The Rockies announced today that infielder Ezequiel Tovar has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. In a corresponding move, fellow infielder Thairo Estrada goes the other way. He’s been placed on the 10-day IL due to a sprained left thumb, retroactive to July 11th.

It’s a notable development for Estrada and the Rockies, as he is one of the most obvious trade candidates this month. He’s a veteran playing for the worst team in the league, so all signs were pointing to him being on the block.

Unfortunately, his value was already low due to a previous injury. He signed a one-year, $3.25MM deal with the Rockies in the offseason but then broke his right wrist on a hit-by-pitch during spring training. Since he missed time in 2024 due to left wrist sprains, it was a less than ideal development for him.

He was reinstated from the IL at the end of May. Since then, he stepped to the plate 125 times with a .284/.312/.397 batting line. That looks okay at first glance but translates to an 83 wRC+ due to the favorable conditions of Coors Field.

Estrada had a strong three-run with the Giants from 2021 to 2023. He slashed .266/.320/.416 for a 105 wRC+ over those seasons, stealing 45 bases in the process. But he hit just .217/.247/.343 last year while battling those wrist issues. That got him bumped from the roster, which led to his deal with the Rockies.

If he had been able to bounce back to that 2021-23 form, he would have been an intriguing piece at this year’s deadline. Unfortunately, he’s now coming up on two years of being hurt and fairly ineffective. Given that the IL stint is backdated, he could come back in a week. But even in that best-case scenario, that doesn’t give him much time to change his trade value. He can be retained for 2026 via arbitration but is trending towards a non-tender.

Photo courtesy of Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images

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