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Rockies Select Austin Kitchen

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The Rockies announced this afternoon that they’ve selected the contract of left-hander Austin Kitchen. Right-hander Geoff Hartlieb was designated for assignment in order to make room for Kitchen on both the 40-man and active rosters in Colorado.

Kitchen, 27, will make his big league debut the first time he gets into a game with the Rockies. The southpaw went undrafted out of Coastal Carolina University back in 2019 and spent the 2020 season pitching for the independent Washington League as a member of the Steel City Slammin’ Sammies. After impressing with a 1.50 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 12 innings of work as a reliever in indy ball that year, the Rockies decided to bring Kitchen into the fold and assigned him to Single-A Fresno during the 2021 season.

Kitchen’s first season in affiliated ball left something to be desired, as he struggled to a 4.97 ERA while striking out just 16.6% of batters faced across 50 2/3 innings of work split between the rotation and bullpen. From 2022 onward, Kitchen moved into something closer to a full-time relief role and saw his results improve noticeably. That first season after moving out of the rotation saw Kitchen strike out a far more respectable 21.2% of batters faced while surrendering an ERA of just 3.32 between the High-A and Double-A levels, and the following season saw him return to Double-A with similar numbers across 59 2/3 relief frames. Kitchen got a taste of Triple-A action at the end of last year but was blown up for six runs in a single inning of work across two appearances.

This year, the southpaw has made 18 relief appearances at the Triple-A level that have gone much better. Kitchen sports a 3.00 ERA that’s all the more impressive given the fact that he plays in the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League, although his strikeout rate has dipped to a somewhat worrying 17.6% figure in 33 innings of work this year. Nonetheless, Kitchen’s performance has been enough to get him an opportunity in the majors with the Rockies, who could certainly use all the help they can get given their disastrous 5.75 ERA out of the bullpen this year, good for dead last among all big league clubs.

Making room for Kitchen on the active and 40-man rosters is Hartlieb, a 30-year-old righty who has pitched in parts of five big league seasons since making his debut with the Pirates back in 2019. Hartlieb’s big league opportunities have been relatively few and far between since the end of the 2020 season, as he’s appeared in just 14 big league games over the past four years. He’s not exactly impressed in those 22 innings of work, however, surrendering an ERA of 8.59 and striking out just 17.2% of batters faced. That includes a rough stint with Colorado this year, where he’s allowed ten runs (nine earned) on 13 hits and five walks while striking out seven in nine innings of work.

The Rockies will now have one week to either work out a trade involving Hartlieb or attempt to pass him through waivers. If Hartlieb clears waivers, the Rockies can attempt to outright him to the minor leagues, although the right-hander would have the right to reject that assignment in favor of free agency after being outrighted previously in his career.

Rockies Select Sam Hilliard

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The Rockies announced they’ve selected outfielder Sam Hilliard onto the MLB roster. Colorado also reinstated second baseman Brendan Rodgers from the 10-day injured list. The Rox placed Charlie Blackmon and Adael Amador on the 10-day IL in corresponding moves. Amador has right oblique tightness — manager Bud Black had termed it a mild strain last night — while Blackmon suffered a strained right hamstring. Blackmon’s placement is retroactive to June 19.

Hilliard joins the big league club for the first time this year. He’s in line for his second major league stint with the Rockies. Colorado initially drafted him back in 2015. Hilliard turned in a .212/.294/.424 line in parts of four seasons. The Rox traded him to the Braves within days of the 2022-23 offseason getting underway. Hilliard played in 40 games for Atlanta a year ago, running a .236/.295/.431 slash in 78 trips to the plate.

Last winter, the Wichita State product bounced from Atlanta to the Orioles and back to Colorado via waivers. The Rox designated him for assignment in Spring Training and successfully passed him through the waiver wire. Hilliard reported to Triple-A Albuquerque and has had an excellent season. He owns a .288/.374/.542 mark with 14 homers and 13 stolen bases over 65 contests. Hilliard has drawn walks at a strong 12.5% clip while striking out around a quarter of the time.

Whiffs have been the biggest problem for Hilliard at the MLB level. He has significant raw power in a 6’4″ frame but hasn’t made enough contact to tap into it on a consistent basis. The left-handed hitter has punched out in 33.8% of his 717 MLB plate appearances. Despite a decent 9.8% walk rate and 32 home runs, the strikeouts have led to a subpar .215/.294/.424 career batting line.

Blackmon’s injury will give Hilliard another opportunity to put things together offensively. Colorado’s veteran DH/right fielder has taken his customary spot atop the batting order. He’s hitting .266/.337/.410 across 246 plate appearances. Blackmon returned for his 14th season in Denver on a $13MM extension last fall. He would unlock up to $2MM in incentives by tallying 500 plate appearances ($500K apiece at 425, 450, 475 and 500 PAs).

Colorado had an open spot on their 40-man roster for Hilliard after placing reliever Gavin Hollowell on waivers earlier this week. They’ll need to create a 40-man spot on Sunday when they reinstate Kyle Freeland from the 60-day injured list. Hilliard is out of options, so the Rox can’t send him back to Albuquerque without again exposing him to waivers.

Diamondbacks Claim Gavin Hollowell From Rockies

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The Diamondbacks have claimed right-hander Gavin Hollowell off waivers from the Rockies, per announcements from both clubs. Arizona already had a 40-man vacancy after designating Logan Allen for assignment last week and have optioned Hollowell to Triple-A. There was no previous indication that Hollowell had lost his spot with the Rockies, so their 40-man count drops to 39.

Hollowell, 26, is a 2019 sixth-rounder who made his big league debut with the Rox in 2023. He’s pitched 40 2/3 innings in the majors across the past two seasons but been hit hard, yielding a 6.20 ERA with a below-average 21.5% strikeout rate and a hefty 11.8% walk rate. He’s also been quite homer-prone, serving up an average of 1.99 round-trippers for every nine innings pitched.

It’s not a strong big league track record, but Hollowell has punched out 32.8% of his opponents in the minors, including a 34% strikeout rate in 48 2/3 Double-A frames and a 26% strikeout rate in 27 1/3 Triple-A innings. Hollowell has averaged a fairly unremarkable 94 mph on his sinker and 93.4 mph on his four-seamer, but the velocity of both pitches plays up because of his enormous 6’7″ frame. He’s also shown solid command throughout his time in professional ball, walking only 8.2% of his opponents in the minors.

Hollowell is in the second of three option years, so Arizona will be able to freely shuttle him between Triple-A Reno and the majors both this season and next. Scouting reports at FanGraphs, Baseball America and MLB.com have tabbed Hollowell as a future reliever with solid command and the potential for an above-average four-seamer (with plus spin) and slider. The Snakes will hope that the change in scenery can not only bolster their own relief corps but also take a potential future contributor away from a division rival.

Kris Bryant Diagnosed With Internal Oblique Strain

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The Rockies received some unfortunate news regarding Kris Bryant today, as Bryant himself told reporters (including MLB.com’s Thomas Harding). Bryant was initially placed on the injured list earlier this month with a left rib contusion in what he had expected to be a fairly short stint on the shelf. Since, then, however, Bryant underwent an MRI after his soreness showed no improvement, and that testing revealed that the veteran was also dealing with an internal oblique strain. Bryant added that he has “no idea” when he’ll be able to return to action following the new diagnosis.

It’s the latest devastating setback in what has been an unbelievably difficult Rockies tenure for Bryant. The 32-year-old was selected second overall by the Cubs in the 2013 draft and rose to stardom almost immediately, capturing the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year award before winning the NL MVP award (and a drought-ending World Series championship) the following season. Over the course of six and a half seasons in Chicago, Bryant made four trips to the All Star game and slashed an excellent .279/.378/.508 in 833 games and helped lead the Cubs to five postseason appearances, including three trips to the NLCS and the aforementioned championship run.

After a brief stint in San Francisco after the 2021 trade deadline, Bryant found himself on the open market for the first time in his career and managed to secure a seven-year, $182MM deal with Colorado prior to the 2022 season. Unfortunately, that deal hasn’t panned out how either side was surely hoping it would. While Bryant’s first season in Colorado saw him hit a strong .306/.376/.475 with a 125 wRC+, he was limited to just 42 games that year by injuries.

Things have taken a turn for the worse since then, as Bryant has remained unable to stay on the field while also seeing his production suffer when he is healthy enough to play. Bryant has appeared in 104 games with the Rockies since the start of the 2023 campaign, and in his 436 trips to the plate with the club during that time he’s hit a paltry .223/.312/.347 that’s 30% worse than league average by measure of wRC+. That’s a slash line that would be difficult to stomach for any player, much less a $182MM corner bat who hasn’t made an appearance at his previous home of third base since joining the Rockies.

Now, Bryant appears to be facing yet another lengthy absence after already making one trip to the injured list earlier this year due to a low back strain. It’s become increasingly clear throughout his Rockies tenure that injury woes appear likely to plague Bryant throughout the remainder of his playing career; as he told Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post last month, he has dealt with disc problems in his back and “severe” arthritis that will continue to impact him throughout the remainder of his playing career in addition to his current oblique and rib issues.

Both the Rockies and Bryant are surely hoping he can not only rediscover the talent that made him one of the league’s best hitters during his time in Chicago, but also that he’ll be able to stay on the field often enough to showcase that talent. In the meantime, the Rockies figure to continue relying on Michael Toglia and Elehuris Montero to handle first base in Bryant’s absence while Toglia, Jake Cave, and Greg Jones mix and match in right field.

Rockies Place Elias Diaz On Injured List

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The Rockies announced they’ve placed catcher Elias Díaz on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to June 11, due to a strained left calf. Colorado reinstated Nolan Jones from the IL in a corresponding transaction.

It’s not clear how long Díaz is expected to be out of action. His injury won’t have much of an effect on the standings with Colorado sitting at the bottom of the NL West. An extended absence could have some implications for the trade deadline, though. Díaz has played well enough to be a rather straightforward deadline trade candidate. Last year’s All-Star Game MVP is hitting .303/.352/.439 across 216 plate appearances.

Díaz is not likely to maintain a .350 batting average on balls in play. Yet he doesn’t need to hit .300 to be a capable hitter for teams looking to upgrade behind the plate. He’s performing well both at and away from Coors Field and has a modest 17.6% strikeout rate. Díaz has also fared well on the other side of the ball, throwing out 11 of 37 (29.7%) attempted basestealers. While pitch framing metrics have been down on his receiving skills for most of his career, Díaz has gotten plus grades in that regard in 2024.

The Rockies are paying Díaz a $6MM salary in the final season of a three-year extension. Unless Colorado extends him again in the next couple months, he’ll hit free agency next winter. Teams like the Cubs, Rays and Guardians could look for catching help around the deadline. The Phillies lost J.T. Realmuto for a month after he underwent meniscus surgery. Philadelphia doesn’t need to make a significant catching acquisition at the moment, but any kind of delay in Realmuto’s rehab process could change that calculus. The Rox wouldn’t get a huge trade return, but a healthy Díaz would be the best rental backstop available if the Blue Jays hold Danny Jansen.

Jacob Stallings, himself a possible deadline candidate for a contender that needs a backup catcher, will get the majority of the playing time with Díaz out. Colorado plans to use Hunter Goodman as their #2 option, tweets Patrick Lyons. Goodman only has one major league start behind the dish. He was a catcher at the University of Memphis and has started 73 games there in parts of four minor league campaigns. Questions about his glove have pushed him primarily to first base or the corner outfield.

MLBTR Podcast: Injured Astros, The Chances Of Bad Teams Rebounding In 2025 And More

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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 Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

  • The Astros have lost several players to injury but general manager Dana Brown insists they will be deadline buyers (0:45)
  • With so few teams clearly out of contention, signs are pointing towards a seller’s market at the deadline (7:20)

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Out of the five worst teams right now (Athletics, Angels, White Sox, Marlins and Rockies), who most needs to replenish their farm system and who could possibly turn things around by 2025? (11:20)
  • The Guardians need a right-handed right fielder with power. Who is a viable target? (20:40)
  • Will the Marlins to try trade Jesús Luzardo and Jazz Chisholm Jr.? (24:30)
  • Could you see Alex Anthopoulos of the Braves trying to get Kevin Gausman from the Blue Jays? (28:35)
  • How active will the Reds be at the deadline? (32:15)
  • Should the Dodgers acquire Javier Báez from the Tigers and move Mookie Betts back to the outfield and/or option Gavin Lux? (35:40)

Check out our past episodes!

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

Matt Carasiti Elects Free Agency

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

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

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

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

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

Yankees Notes: Bullpen Trade Targets, McMahon, Cole

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rockies To Promote Adael Amador

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rockies Designate Matt Carasiti, Select Geoff Hartlieb

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

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

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

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

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

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

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