Rockies Rumors

Rockies Outright Warming Bernabel

By Steve Adams | March 30, 2024 at 8:40pm CDT

March 30: Bernabel went unclaimed on waivers and has been assigned outright to Double-A Hartford, per the Rockies’ transaction log at MLB.com. He’ll remain with the organization.

March 28: The Rockies announced Thursday that they’ve selected the contract of utilityman Alan Trejo and opened a spot on the roster by designating third base prospect Warming Bernabel for assignment. Colorado also placed relievers Daniel Bard and Lucas Gilbreath on the 15-day IL, as expected. The former is recovering from spring knee surgery and the latter from 2023 Tommy John surgery.

Bernabel, 21, ranked seventh among Rockies prospects at Baseball America this time last year but has seen his stock drop considerably after a rough 2023 season. After a standout 2021 campaign in which he slashed .313/.370/.499 between Low-A and High-A, Bernabel batted only .225/.282/.367 in 83 Double-A games. A back injury cost him more than a month of the season and quite possibly impacted his performance at the plate as well. BA dropped Bernabel to 27th in a poorly ranked Rockies farm system for the 2024 campaign, noting concerns about his below-average raw power and poor exit velocities.

Bernabel has played third base in all but one game of his pro career, when he logged a brief two-inning stint at second base. Scouting reports credit him with an average arm and enough range to handle the hot corner, but he’s not regarded as a plus defender at this time. He only spent one season on the Rockies’ 40-man roster before being designated for assignment, meaning he has two minor league option years remaining. That, paired with his youth and pre-2023 reputation could create interest from other clubs.

The Rockies will have a week to trade Bernabel or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. He doesn’t have the prior outright assignment or service time needed to reject an outright assignment, so if he goes unclaimed, Colorado can retain him and send him back to the minors (presumably, a second stint at Double-A) without needing to dedicate a 40-man roster spot to him.

NL West Notes: D’Backs, Montgomery, Buehler, Monfort

By Mark Polishuk | March 30, 2024 at 9:00am CDT

The Diamondbacks officially introduced Jordan Montgomery at a press conference yesterday, with Montgomery, agent Scott Boras, and several team officials answering questions from the Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports, and other media. D’Backs managing general partner Ken Kendrick said that the club initially checked in on Montgomery early in the offseason but weren’t eager to meet the asking price at the time. As Montgomery’s stay in free agency ended up stretching almost to the very end of Spring Training, GM Mike Hazen and assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye started to explore the idea of re-engaging with the southpaw, and negotiations both started and ended within just a few days’ time.

The two sides agreed to a one-year, $25MM contract with a $20MM vesting player option and opt-out clause covering the 2025 season. Boras said Montgomery had some longer-term offers but “Jordan’s edict to me was, ’I want to play for a competitive team. I want to make sure that I’m there and if I have to take something short-term to play for a competitive team, I will.’….It resulted in I think a deal that served our purposes in the short term and certainly served Jordan’s competitiveness needs and put an evaluation on I think his performance for this year and potentially next year that was appropriate for what he’s done.”

From Arizona’s perspective, adding Montgomery boosts payroll to a team-record $168MM for 2024, yet Kendrick and team president/CEO Derrick Hall are comfortable with the extra spending in order to keep the team in championship contention. While Hall hinted that the D’Backs might need another lengthy postseason trip to sustain a higher payroll into 2025, Arizona’s run to the World Series last year already provided enough of an extra revenue boost (both in ticket sales during the playoffs and more tickets already sold for this season) to justify more of all-in push in 2024.

Some other items from the NL West…

Walker Buehler will throw four or five innings in a Triple-A rehab start on Sunday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register and Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times). Sunday’s outing will be the first of four rehab starts for Buehler, as per the team’s current plans, though things remain fluid as the Dodgers want to be as careful as possible in managing Buehler’s return after undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2022. Buehler is already well beyond the normal 13-15 rehab window, though obviously not every recovery process is the same for every pitcher, plus this was also the second TJ procedure of Buehler’s career. If all goes well at Triple-A, Buehler should be on track to be part of the L.A. rotation before April is over.
“I do feel like we are on the right track,” Rockies owner Dick Monfort told the Denver Post’s Troy Renck, with Monfort citing his team’s up-and-coming core of young talent and his ongoing trust in GM Bill Schmidt and manager Bud Black. Colorado has had only five winning seasons since the Monfort family bought the team in late 2005, and things seemed to bottom out last year when the Rox lost a club-record 103 games. Still, Monfort believes in the “organic” strategy of relying on homegrown prospects and only mid-range payrolls, as Monfort is critical of the revenue disparities among Major League franchises. Denver fans have themselves long been critical of Monfort’s approach due to the lack of on-field success, and Monfort has frequently come under fire for his perpetually over-optimistic view of his team’s fortunes and the Rockies’ reliance on long-time employees. While Monfort admitted that he worries about being too loyal at times, he noted that when looking to replace former GM Jeff Bridich, he wasn’t impressed by external candidates’ plans to fix the team. “They would tell me how to win at altitude and everything they mentioned, it would not have worked, or it’s all things we have tried. I think in any business you have to have people you can trust, and I trust [Schmidt and Black],” Monfort said.

MLBTR Podcast: A Live Reaction To The Jordan Montgomery Signing, Ohtani’s Interpreter, And J.D. Martinez Joins The Mets

By Darragh McDonald | March 27, 2024 at 9:58am CDT

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers makes remarks about his former interpreter and the gambling investigation (1:20)
The inner strife of the MLBPA seems to be fizzling out (14:35)
We are discussing J.D. Martinez signing with the Mets when we are interrupted by… (18:30)
Live breaking news of Jordan Montgomery agreeing to a deal with the Diamondbacks (20:25)
Then we go back to Martinez and the Mets (25:00)
Some more Montgomery and Diamondbacks talk (29:10)
Rangers sign Michael Lorenzen instead of Montgomery (34:15)
Wyatt Landford makes Opening Day roster with the Rangers but Jackson Holliday doesn’t make the Orioles (39:00)
Rockies sign Ezequiel Tovar to an extension (45:10)

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

Luis García Jr, Lance McCullers Jr, and Kendall Graveman of the Astros are likely out, at the very least, until mid-June. How come none of these guys are on the 60-day injured list? Do you seen the Astros moving them there and if so, when? (49:15)
Do you think it’s possible that the league begins to follow the Angels and Rangers footsteps and call up recent draft picks as soon as they show any signs of potential? Also, do you think it is at all possible that teams start to call up teenagers? (52:25)

Check out our past episodes!

Mutiny In The MLBPA, Blake Snell Signs With The Giants And The Dylan Cease Trade – listen here
Injured Pitchers, Brayan Bello’s Extension, Mookie Betts At Shortstop And J.D. Davis – listen here
The Giants Sign Matt Chapman, Zack Wheeler’s Extension, And Blake Snell And Jordan Montgomery Remain – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!

Rockies Extend Ezequiel Tovar

By Nick Deeds | March 26, 2024 at 1:15pm CDT

March 26: The Rockies have formally announced Tovar’s extension. Per Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the 2031 option has a $23MM salary and $2.5MM buyout

March 24: The Rockies and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar have agreed to a long-term contract extension that will run through at least the 2030 season. The 22-year-old Tovar will earn $63.5MM over the seven guaranteed years of the deal, and the Rockies hold a club option on his services for the 2031 season that could bring the total to $84MM if triggered. Tovar is represented by the Rimas Sports Agency, and the extension will be official once the shortstop passes a physical.

Tovar was already under club control through the end of the 2028 season, and this next extension will now add at least two and maybe three more years to his time in Colorado. Due to Tovar’s young age, he’ll still be in his prime when eligible for free agency, as he’ll either be 29 or 30 years old at the end of the deal depending on whether or not the Rox exercise their club option.

Tovar entered the 2023 season as a consensus top-25 prospect in the sport. The youngster made the club’s Opening Day roster as the starting shortstop last year but got off to a difficult start before heating up towards the end of April. Tovar managed to carry that hot streak into the All Star break, hitting a solid .283/.314/.479 with nine home runs during that 65 game stretch. Unfortunately, however, Tovar struggled in the second half and hit a paltry .246/.277/.386 the rest of the way. While Tovar’s 66 extra-base hits hinted at real power potential, the youngster struck out in 27% of his trips to the plate while walking just 4.1% of the time. That undisciplined approach left him with a wRC+ of just 70, 30% below league average and fourth-worst among all qualified hitters in the majors last year.

Difficult as Tovar’s rookie season may have been, his age and prospect pedigree make it easy to imagine him finding another gear offensively in the coming years, and his glove is already nothing short of elite. Tovar’s defense at shortstop was worth a whopping 16 Outs Above Average last year, which ranks in the 99th percentile of all MLB fielders per Statcast. Fielding Bible’s Defensive Runs Saved was similarly impressed with Tovar’s work in the field, as his +12 DRS ranked behind only Anthony Volpe, Wander Franco, and Dansby Swanson among major league shortstops last year.

Glovework of that caliber can be a carrying tool that allows players to remain productive overall in the majors leagues even if they struggle at the plate. That’s particularly true at shortstop, where strong defensive players can put together star-level production with even average offensive contributions. For the Rockies, that leaves this deal as a somewhat less risky arrangement than it might seem on the surface; after all, the deal is somewhat similar to the eight-year, $70MM pact the Pirates and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes agreed to on the heels of a 2021 campaign that saw Hayes post a 85 wRC+ in 96 games. That deal maxes out at $82MM over nine years if Pittsburgh exercises its club option, a similar commitment to the $84MM over eight years Tovar will earn if his club option is exercised by the Rockies.

For Tovar, meanwhile, the deal locks in life-changing money while still affording him the opportunity to hit the open market in his prime. Of course, in signing the deal he also forgoes the opportunity to hit free agency in his mid-20s, a route which has led other players such as Bryce Harper and Manny Machado to massive paydays worth $300MM or more. On the other hand, Tovar would surely have to break out and become at least an above-average hitter in the majors to command a deal of that sort of caliber. While such an improvement with the bat can’t be ruled out, it’s certainly understandable for the 22-year-old to prioritize financial security, particularly on a deal that will still offer him a second bite of the apple following his age-29 season.

With Tovar now locked up for at least the next seven seasons, the Rockies have now set into place a clear building block for the club’s future. On the heels of the first 100-loss season in franchise history, the club spent cautiously in free agency with short-term agreements for players such as Daniel Hudson, Cal Quantrill, and Charlie Blackmon. That approach leaves little optimism for a 2024 club that appears to be buried behind four highly competitive teams in the NL West. Even so, with Tovar and another emerging youngster in Nolan Jones under long-term team control and a farm system rife with exciting prospects like Amael Amador and Chase Dollander, it’s certainly possible that brighter days lie ahead for the Rockies. With the club’s longest extension since the one afforded to Nolan Arenado prior to the 2019 season now in place, Tovar is now all but certain to be a major part of that future.

Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extrabase. first reported the extension, the seven-year term, and the total value of the contract if the club option is exercised. MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. reported the extension’s $63.5MM value over the seven guaranteed years.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Rockies To Select Alan Trejo

By Steve Adams | March 26, 2024 at 11:43am CDT

Utility infielder Alan Trejo has made the Rockies’ Opening Day roster, manager Bud Black announced this morning (X link via Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post). He’s a non-roster invitee in camp and will thus need to be selected to the 40-man roster. Colorado has a full 40-man at the moment. Left-hander Lucas Gilbreath is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed in March of 2023 and could be a 60-day IL candidate. Otherwise, the Rox will likely need to free up a spot by way of a DFA.

Black also announced that first baseman/outfielder Michael Toglia has made Colorado’s roster. Outfielder Sean Bouchard has been optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque to begin the season. Toglia figures to step in as the team’s primary right fielder, as first base will be occupied by Kris Bryant in 2024.

Trejo, 27, has appeared in the majors with the Rockies in each of the past three seasons. He’s logged 402 plate appearances and put together a .243/.292/.367 slash (65 wRC+) with nine homers, 19 doubles, six steals (in nine tries), a 6% walk rate and a 24.1% strikeout rate. He’s been far better in Triple-A, evidenced by a .292/.338/.261 slash in 710 plate appearances there, and he’s had a decent performance this spring: .244/.327/.488, three homers in 49 trips to the plate.

Defensively, Trejo has played each of second base, shortstop and third base. Both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average grade him as a sharp defender at second base and third base but a sub-par option at shortstop. Trejo should serve as a backup for second baseman Brendan Rodgers, shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and third baseman Ryan McMahon. He’s a right-handed hitter who’s been far better against fellow righties than against lefties to this point in his still fairly young career.

Trejo is out of minor league options, so if the Rockies wish to make a change at any point, they’ll need to designate him for assignment. He can’t be sent down to the minors without first clearing waivers. That’s true of Colorado’s entire bench, in fact. Backup catcher Jacob Stallings has enough service time that he can’t be optioned without his consent, and none of Trejo, corner infielder/DH Elehuris Montero, or newly acquired outfielder/first baseman Jake Cave have minor league options remaining.

As for Toglia, he turned in a hefty .259/.333/.593 slash and clubbed five homers in 60 spring plate appearances. That performance came with at least one notable red flag, as he also went down on strikes in 31.7% of his plate appearances, but it was enough to beat out the 27-year-old Bouchard, who hit just .205/.308/.341 in a similar amount of playing time this spring. Toglia will join center fielder Brenton Doyle and left fielder Nolan Jones in the Rockies outfield most days.

The 25-year-old Toglia was the No. 23 overall pick by the Rockies back in 2019. He’s never drawn the sort of top-100 fanfare many other first-round picks garner but has long ranked as one of the better prospects in a thin Rockies system — climbing as high as No. 2 on Baseball America’s rankings two offseasons ago. Toglia hasn’t hit well in the majors in either 2022 or 2023, with just a .187/.246/.325 slash and 34.6% strikeout rate through 272 plate appearances. He’s been a fine hitter in the upper minors, but scouts have questioned his hit tool throughout his pro career, even as his plus raw power has been on display (e.g. a 32-homer season in 2022).

NL West Notes: McCarthy, Barnhart, Molina, Slater

By Mark Polishuk | March 24, 2024 at 5:43pm CDT

The Diamondbacks have gotten a lot of trade interest in outfielder Jake McCarthy but Arizona isn’t yet interested in dealing the 26-year-old, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes. This isn’t the first time McCarthy’s name has surfaced in trade rumors, though the buzz quieted after McCarthy turned in a lackluster 2023 season. The outfielder finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2022, but followed up that breakout campaign by hitting only .243/.318/.326 over 312 plate appearances last season. McCarthy’s struggles resulted in a loss of playing time and even a demotion to Triple-A, plus an oblique injury kept him from being a part of Arizona’s postseason rosters during the team’s run to the World Series.

Randal Grichuk is expected to begin the season on the injured list, so McCarthy should probably land a job as the Diamondbacks’ fourth outfielder for at least the start of the year. He also has a minor league option remaining, so the D’Backs could stash him back at Triple-A if necessary. It is worth noting that the D’Backs were reportedly open to moving either McCarthy or Dominic Fletcher in February’s trade with the White Sox that sent Fletcher to Chicago, though in the wake of that deal, Arizona might not be willing to further deplete their stock of young outfielders by also moving McCarthy in another trade. Nightengale feels McCarthy might be more of a trade chip later in the season, if the Diamondbacks are having trouble finding playing time or a roster spot available for him.

Rockies Release Bradley Zimmer

By Mark Polishuk | March 24, 2024 at 4:06pm CDT

The Rockies have released outfielder Bradley Zimmer, the Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders reports (X link). Zimmer was in camp on a minor league deal, but became expendable when the Rox acquired another left-handed outfield option in Jake Cave via a trade with the Phillies earlier today.

While Cave’s numbers have been shaky at best over the last four seasons, Cave still bring more offensive upside than Zimmer, who has hit .213/.298/.333 over 975 career plate appearances in the bigs from 2017-22. Zimmer was a top-100 prospect during his time in Cleveland’s farm system, but his bat simply hasn’t translated against Major League pitching. Now entering his age-32 season, Zimmer has still carved out a niche for himself as a backup outfielder and pinch-runner due to his excellent speed (42 steals in 50 career chances) and all-fields defense.

This skillset gives Zimmer a pretty decent chance of catching on with another team in need of extra defensive help, whether as upper minors depth or on the bench of a big league roster. Zimmer last appeared in the majors in 2022 as a member of the Blue Jays, and he spent last season playing with the Triple-A affiliates of the Dodgers and Red Sox.

Rockies To Acquire Jake Cave

By Nick Deeds | March 24, 2024 at 10:07am CDT

The Rockies are set to acquire first baseman/outfielder Jake Cave from the Phillies, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports that the Rockies will be sending cash to Philadelphia in exchange for Cave’s services. Both clubs have since announced the move, and the Rockies have placed right-hander German Marquez, who is rehabbing from Tommy John surgery and isn’t expected back until midseason at the earliest.

Cave, 31, was a sixth-round pick by the Yankees in the 2011 draft and made his big league debut with the Twins back in 2018. He spent five seasons in Minnesota as a reserve outfielder, slashing a collective .235/.297/.441 (92 wRC+) during that time while splitting time between all three outfield spots. Cave’s tenure with the Twins came to an end in October 2022, when he was claimed off waivers from the club by the Orioles. While he went on to sign a contract with Baltimore to avoid arbitration, he did not enter the season with the club as he was once again claimed off waivers that December, this time by the Phillies.

Cave entered the Phillies organization shortly after star right fielder Bryce Harper underwent Tommy John surgery, leaving the the club with a somewhat uncertain outfield mix. That made Cave a valuable depth option as a left-handed bat capable of playing all three outfield spots, though he faced stiff competition from the likes of Kody Clemens and Darick Hall for a spot on the club’s bench entering the 2023 season. Things changed for Cave, however, when first baseman Rhys Hoskins suffered a torn ACL that would cause him to miss the entire campaign. With a sudden hole at first base, the Phillies decided to roster Cave as an option both in the outfield corners as well as at first base, a position he had not yet played at the major league level.

The experiment did not go particularly well. While Cave performed solidly at first base with the glove, he fell well below expectations with the bat as he slashed just .212/.272/.348 (66 wRC+) in 203 trips to the plate with the club despite posting a career-best 27.1% strikeout rate. That performance wasn’t enough to deter the Phillies from offering Cave a contract this winter, as the sides successfully avoided arbitration back in November. Since then, however, it has become increasingly clear that there wasn’t a roster spot available to Cave in Philadelphia as the club instead committed bench spots to the likes of Whit Merrifield. Given the fact that Cave is out of options, the Phillies would have needed to pass him through waivers to keep him in the organization.

That provided the Rockies with the opportunity to acquire Cave for nothing but cash. The 31-year-old veteran figures to slot into a bench role with Colorado entering the season, offering a left-handed complement to the club’s righty outfielders Brenton Doyle and Sean Bouchard while also providing an alternative to Kris Bryant and Elehuris Montero at first base. While Cave’s 2023 numbers certainly leave something to be desired, the Rockies will count on the veteran bouncing back to the form he showed during his time in Minnesota. If he can do so, his career .240/.309/.421 slash line against right-handed pitching should allow him to contribute in a bench role. Should Cave struggle to open the season, other options at the Rockies’ disposal include Greg Jones, Sam Hilliard, and Bradley Zimmer.

Rockies Outright Sam Hilliard

By Nick Deeds | March 23, 2024 at 7:08pm CDT

The Rockies announced earlier this afternoon that outfielder Sam Hilliard has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Albuquerque.

Hilliard, 30, began his big league career in the Rockies organization as a 15th-round pick in the 2015 draft. The outfielder rose through the system to debut with the Rockies in 2019 and spent parts of four seasons with the club, slashing .212/.294/.423 in 214 games in a part-time role. Shortly after the 2022 campaign came to a close, the Rockies dealt Hilliard to the Braves in a deal that brought back minor league right-hander Dylan Spain.

Hilliard spent the 2023 season in Atlanta and performed decently in his familiar role as a fourth outfielder and lefty bench bat, slashing .236/.295/.431 in 40 games with the club as the Braves stormed to an MLB-best 104 wins. With that being said, Hilliard’s time with the Braves saw him strike out at an enormous 42.3% clip while battling a heel injury that cost him much of the 2023 campaign. That combination of injury concerns and a propensity for strikeouts seemingly cut his time with the club short as the Orioles claimed the outfielder off waivers from Atlanta in early November.

Baltimore and Hilliard avoided arbitration later that month by agreeing to an $800k salary for the 2024 season, and he remained with the organization throughout the offseason until he was once again exposed to waivers shortly after Spring Training opened in February. This time, he was claimed by the club that drafted him. The move set up a reunion in Colorado and ended the Rockies’ search for a left-handed back capable of playing center field. Non-roster invitee Bradley Zimmer enjoyed an excellent season in that same role, however, and that left Hilliard expendable as the Rockies decided to designate him for assignment to make room for outfielder Greg Jones, who could also compete for a spot on the club’s bench, after they acquired him from the Rays earlier this week.

Now that Hilliard has passed through waivers, he figures to remain with the Rockies as non-roster depth headed into the 2024 season. He’s hit well at the Triple-A level throughout his career, with a .265/.346/.570 slash in 220 games at the level, but he’s struck out at an elevated 28.5% clip during that time. Hilliard seems to be largely blocked with the Rockies at the big league level this year given the presence of Jones and Zimmer, though it’s certainly feasible that injuries throughout the season could change the equation at some point.

Rays Trade Greg Jones To Rockies

By Steve Adams | March 21, 2024 at 11:20am CDT

The Rockies announced the acquisition of infielder/outfielder Greg Jones from the Rays in exchange for minor league left-hander Joe Rock this morning. Colorado designated outfielder Sam Hilliard for assignment in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

Jones, 26, was the Rays’ first-round pick back in 2019 — the 22nd overall selection that year. He climbed as high as sixth on the team’s top 30 prospects at Baseball America, heading into the 2022 season, but he’s seen his stock dip since that time. Jones hit just .238/.318/.392 in Double-A that season and followed with a 2023 campaign that saw him bat .244/.318/.432 between Double-A and Triple-A. He’s touted as an 80-grade runner (on the 20-80 scale) and excellent athlete with a plus arm but has defensive concerns at shortstop. Tampa Bay began getting him work in the outfield last year in order to bolster his versatility.

The switch-hitting Jones still has two minor league option years remaining but increasingly looked like he’d been pushed down the organizational depth chart — both in the infield and in the outfield. With the Rockies, he’ll have a clearer path to playing time, particularly in the outfield, where elite-fielding Brenton Doyle is ticketed for regular center field work but will need to improve upon last year’s woeful debut showing at the plate. In theory, an outfield alignment with both Doyle and Jones would give the Rox two elite runners who could cover considerable ground in Coors Field’s expansive outfield grass.

Jones could also give the Rockies some long-term cover in the infield. Touted prospect Ezequiel Tovar is slated to get a continued audition as the everyday shortstop this season but has yet to prove he can hit in the big leagues. At second base, Brendan Rodgers is looking to bounce back from a rough showing in his return from a shoulder injury. He’s only controlled for two more seasons, though, so it’s feasible that Rodgers could emerge as a trade candidate this summer if he’s able to recapture something closer to his 2021-22 form. That’d open further opportunities for Jones.

For the time being, Jones will have an outside chance at cracking the Rockies’ roster. Manager Bud Black told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post (X link) that he couldn’t rule out an Opening Day nod for his team’s newest acquisition but also acknowledged that the window to take a look at the speedster is quite short.

In exchange for their 2019 first-rounder, the Rays will receive the Rockies’ 2021 Competitive Balance Round B pick. Rock, 23, was the No. 68 overall pick that summer and climbed as high as the Triple-A level last year — just for a couple innings late in the season.

Heading into the 2024 season, Rock ranked 26th among Colorado farmhands at Baseball America. He spent the bulk of the 2023 season in Double-A Hartford, where he logged 90 innings with a 4.50 ERA, an impressive 27.3% strikeout rate, a solid 8.1% walk rate and a 44.4% grounder rate that’s a couple ticks better than average. Rock was plagued by a .343 BABIP and proved slightly homer-prone (1.30 HR/9), but it was a generally encouraging season for the Ohio product, who’ll give the Rays some upper-level pitching depth and could make his way to the majors at some point in 2024.

MLB.com’s already-updated prospect rankings slot Rock into the No. 19 in Tampa Bay’s system. Scouting reports from BA, MLB and FanGraphs all give Rock the chance for three average or better pitches — two-seamer, slider, changeup — but note that his arsenal is undercut by below-average command. That hasn’t been apparent yet through Rock’s minor league walk rates, but there’s an important distinction between “control” (consistently throwing strikes) and “command” (precisely locating the ball within the zone).

If Rock has more of the former than the latter, that could be exploited by more advanced hitters who take advantage of mistakes within the zone. Then again, the Rays have a reputation for maximizing pitcher performance, so it’s always possible he’ll find another gear following a change of environs and exceed the modest back-of-the-rotation projection he draws on most scouting reports.

For the Rays, adding an upper-minors, close-to-MLB-ready arm like Rock is plenty sensible. Tampa Bay just lost Taj Bradley for a yet-to-be-determined stretch as the promising young righty deals with a pectoral strain. They’ll also be without Drew Rasmussen, Jeffrey Springs and Shane McClanahan to begin the season — and likely for the entire season in McClanahan’s case. Rasmussen had an internal brace procedure last July. Springs had Tommy John surgery last May. McClanahan had Tommy John in August. Touted young right-hander Shane Baz is also still working his way back from late-2022 Tommy John surgery.

Tampa Bay signed old friend Jake Odorizzi to a minor league deal earlier this month after the Bradley injury. He could be the favorite to take the fifth spot in the rotation early in the season, but he signed late enough that he might not be ready for an Opening Day roster spot. As it stands, the Rays have four pitchers locked into rotation spots: Zach Eflin, Aaron Civale, Zack Littell and Ryan Pepiot. At least early in the season, swingmen Tyler Alexander and Chris Devenski could make some spot starts. Both were stretching out to three innings in camp even before Bradley’s injury.

Hilliard only just returned to the Rockies earlier this month after the Orioles placed him on waivers. Baltimore had claimed him from Atlanta earlier in the offseason. He appeared in 40 games and hit .236/.295/.431 through 78 plate appearances with the Braves, fanning in an eye-popping 42.3% of his plate appearances. A heel injury wound up costing him the bulk of the 2023 season.

From 2019-22, Hilliard appeared in 214 games as a Rockie, playing all three outfield spots and batting a combined .212/.294/.423 with 29 homers, 15 steals, a 10% walk rate and an ugly 32.7% strikeout rate over a total of 639 plate appearances. Strikeouts have long been an issue for Hilliard, who touts an impressive .265/.346/.570 slash and 62 homers in just 942 Triple-A plate appearances but has punched out at an unsightly 28.5% clip at that level. The Rockies will have a week to trade Hilliard, attempt to pass him through outright waivers, or release him.

Robert Murray of FanSided was first to report the Rockies and Rays were swapping Rock for Jones.

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