Headlines

  • Ben Joyce Undergoes Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery
  • Dodgers Promote Dalton Rushing, Designate Austin Barnes For Assignment
  • Major League Baseball Rules That Permanent Ineligibility Ends At Death
  • Rangers Place Corey Seager On Injured List
  • Cubs Promote Moises Ballesteros
  • Evan Longoria To Sign One-Day Contract, Retire As Member Of Rays
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2024-25 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2024-25 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
    • Projected Arbitration Salaries For 2025
    • Free Agent Contest Leaderboard
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Justin Lawrence

Black: Rockies Could Be “More Active” On Summer Trade Market

By Steve Adams | July 18, 2023 at 12:56pm CDT

At 36-58, the Rockies sit at the bottom of the National League and have MLB’s third-worst record overall, leading only the A’s and Royals. While Colorado has developed a reputation for hanging onto potential trade candidates at the deadline instead of moving them at peak value, manager Bud Black said in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM today that the Rox will likely be more active in 2023 (audio link).

“I think there’s probably more potential this year,” Black told Power Alley hosts Jim Duquette and Mike Ferrin. “…This year is the year where, possibly, you could see more movement out of us. With the players that we have, and what we have going on in the second half of this year, and going into next year and the years beyond, it could make more sense to be a little bit more active.”

Unfortunately for the Rockies, a number of their would-be trade chips are on the injured list — many with serious injuries. German Marquez won’t pitch again this year after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He has a club option for next season, but that’ll likely be declined, as his recovery will span into next summer. Righty Antonio Senzatela is also set for Tommy John surgery, and lefty Kyle Freeland is on the IL with a subluxation in his non-throwing shoulder. Lefty reliever Brent Suter is a rental in the midst of a strong season, but he’s been out since late June with an oblique strain.

Others on the roster are sensible trade candidates from a contractual standpoint but aren’t performing well enough to maximize their value. Reliever Pierce Johnson is on a one-year, $5MM deal and is a natural candidate to change teams, but he’s also toting a grim 6.14 ERA and 13.2% walk rate. Daniel Bard, whom the Rockies extended in lieu of a trade last summer, has spent time on the injured list with anxiety issues. He’s seen a three mile per hour drop in velocity and has nearly as many walks as strikeouts in 32 2/3 innings. C.J. Cron and Jurickson Profar are both free agents at season’s end, but both have played below replacement level in 2023.

The Rox do have a handful of interesting names to peddle. Veterans Randal Grichuk and Brad Hand are both impending free agents at season’s end and could draw interest. Hand was enjoying a strong rebound season before being tagged for seven runs across three recent appearances, sending his ERA ballooning up to 4.99. He’s still an affordable lefty with a 26.1% strikeout rate. If the Rockies aren’t afraid of dealing controllable relievers — particularly a pair who are of the late-blooming variety — both Justin Lawrence and Jake Bird should generate interest.

Catcher Elias Diaz, a first-time All-Star in 2023, is perhaps the team’s most appealing trade candidate, as I explored at greater length last week. Diaz is signed affordably through next season, and it’s unlikely Colorado will be in contention by the time his three-year, $14.5MM deal expires at the end of the 2024 campaign. There’s been no indication the Rockies would entertain offers on third baseman Ryan McMahon — at least not yet — but he’s signed through the 2027 season and is again playing superlative hot corner defense with solid offensive contributions as well (albeit in spite of a career-worst 31% strikeout rate that is an obvious red flag).

There’s sure to be some degree of frustration among Rockies fans to hear these types of comments in 2023 — when the Rockies have their worst roster in years — rather than in recent non-contending seasons. The Rockies, for instance, declined to trade either Trevor Story or Jon Gray when both were in their final seasons of club control. They received a compensatory draft pick when Story declined a qualifying offer but chose not to even make a QO to Gray, losing him with no compensation. GM Bill Schmidt recently suggested to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post that he simply didn’t receive “legitimate” offers.

It was a similar story last summer with Bard, who was in the middle of a dominant season and viewed as one of the top trade candidates on the market. Rather than trade the 37-year-old flamethrower a couple months ahead of him reaching the open market, Colorado inked him to a two-year, $19MM extension that has quickly gone south. The Rockies also held onto Cron at the ’21 deadline and later extended him on a two-year deal that looked good this time last summer. Again, however, they hung onto Cron and, as with Bard, have seen his trade value plummet.

Time will tell how aggressive the Rockies will be and how much interest the healthy players on their roster will draw. But it’s abundantly clear the team is in need of some changes. Colorado is 19th in the Majors with 411 runs scored and 24th with 89 total home runs. The Rockies rank 13th in MLB with a .253 batting average but are 22nd with a .313 OBP and 18th with a .403 slugging percentage.

The pitching has been even worse. Injuries have surely contributed, but the Rockies’ staff looked highly questionable even coming into the season. To this point, Colorado starters have baseball’s worst combined ERA (6.44), and their bullpen ranks 27th with a 4.81 mark. Colorado pitchers have MLB’s worst strikeout rate (18.3%) and fifth-highest walk rate (9.7%). Their 1.51 HR/9 mark is the worst in baseball as well.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Colorado Rockies Brad Hand Brent Suter Bud Black C.J. Cron Daniel Bard Elias Diaz Jake Bird Jurickson Profar Justin Lawrence Pierce Johnson Randal Grichuk

88 comments

Rockies Remove Pierce Johnson From Closer Role

By Anthony Franco | June 9, 2023 at 5:23pm CDT

The Rockies will no longer use right-hander Pierce Johnson as the closer, manager Bud Black told the team’s beat (relayed by Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post). Black didn’t declare a definitive replacement but pointed to Justin Lawrence and Jake Bird as candidates to step into the role.

Johnson signed a one-year, $5MM free agent deal with his hometown club last offseason. It was a roll of the dice from the Colorado front office considering he’d been limited by injury to 14 1/3 innings during his final season as a Padre. Johnson has been healthy in 2023 but hasn’t performed at the level the organization had envisioned.

Over 24 innings, the veteran hurler has been tagged for a 7.50 ERA. He hasn’t had any trouble missing bats, as he’s punching out 27.7% of opponents while picking up swinging strikes at a solid 11.9% clip. Yet his control has been far too inconsistent. Johnson has walked over 14% of batters faced. He’s also surrendered plenty of loud contact, and while it’s unlikely that nearly 40% of balls in play will continue to fall for hits, the combination of free passes and barrels has led to disappointing results.

Johnson’s raw save rate (11 of 13) isn’t bad. Each of his blown saves have come in his last two opportunities, though. A three-run ninth inning to turn a 4-3 lead into a 6-4 loss to the Giants yesterday will lead the club in another direction. Johnson could still play an important role in the Colorado bullpen, but it’ll come in middle to late innings work for the moment.

Lawrence and Bird have each performed much better through the season’s first couple months. The former carries a 3.41 ERA across 34 1/3 innings. A lower-slot righty, Lawrence presents a particularly tough look for same-handed hitters. He’s striking out almost 27% of opponents and generating grounders on over half the batted balls he allows. Lawrence has had scattershot control in years past, but this season’s 9.4% walk rate is tolerable.

Bird, 27, leads Colorado relievers with 41 1/3 innings pitched. He’s sitting on a 3.05 ERA and, like Lawrence, is keeping the ball on the ground at a high level. While a modest 9% swinging strike rate might make it hard for him to continue punching out a quarter of opposing hitters, that shouldn’t be an issue so long as he’s picking up grounders at a near-57% clip.

Share 0 Retweet 1 Send via email0

Colorado Rockies Jake Bird Justin Lawrence Pierce Johnson

15 comments

Each MLB Team’s Players On WBC Rosters

By Darragh McDonald | February 9, 2023 at 7:30pm CDT

The World Baseball Classic is returning this year, the first time since 2017. The quadrennial event was supposed to take place in 2021 but was scuttled by the pandemic, now returning after a six-year absence. Rosters for the tournament were announced today and those can be found at this link. Here is a breakdown of which players from each MLB team are set to take participate. Quick caveat that this list is fluid and might be changed as more information becomes available.

Without further ado…

Angels

  • Glenn Albanese Jr.
  • Jaime Barria
  • Gustavo Campero
  • Alan Carter
  • Jhonathan Diaz
  • Carlos Estevez
  • David Fletcher
  • Jake Kalish
  • D’Shawn Knowles
  • Shohei Ohtani
  • Jose Quijada
  • Luis Rengifo
  • Gerardo Reyes
  • Patrick Sandoval
  • Mike Trout
  • Gio Urshela
  • Cesar Valdez
  • Zack Weiss
  • Aaron Whitefield

Astros

  • Bryan Abreu
  • Jose Altuve
  • Ronel Blanco
  • Luis Garcia
  • Colton Gordon
  • Cristian Javier
  • Martin Maldonado
  • Rafael Montero
  • Hector Neris
  • Jeremy Pena
  • Ryan Pressly
  • Andre Scrubb
  • Kyle Tucker
  • Jose Urquidy
  • Derek West

Athletics

  • Denzel Clarke
  • Jordan Diaz
  • Jake Fishman
  • Zack Gelof
  • James Gonzalez
  • Adrian Martinez
  • Joshwan Wright

Blue Jays

  • Jose Berrios
  • Jiorgeny Casimiri
  • Yimi Garcia
  • Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
  • Spencer Horwitz
  • Alejandro Kirk
  • Otto Lopez
  • Damiano Palmegiani

Braves

  • Ronald Acuna Jr.
  • Luis De Avila
  • Roel Ramirez
  • Alan Rangel
  • Eddie Rosario
  • Chadwick Tromp

Brewers

  • Willy Adames
  • Sal Frelick
  • Alex Hall
  • Matt Hardy
  • Joel Payamps
  • Rowdy Tellez
  • Abraham Toro
  • Luis Urias
  • Michele Vassalotti
  • Devin Williams

Cardinals

  • Nolan Arenado
  • Genesis Cabrera
  • Tommy Edman
  • Giovanny Gallegos
  • Paul Goldschmidt
  • Ivan Herrera
  • Matt Koperniak
  • Noah Mendlinger
  • Oscar Mercado
  • Miles Mikolas
  • Lars Nootbaar
  • Tyler O’Neill
  • JoJo Romero
  • Adam Wainwright
  • Guillermo Zuniga

Cubs

  • Javier Assad
  • Owen Caissie
  • Danis Correa
  • Ben DeLuzio
  • Roenis Elias
  • Miles Mastrobuoni
  • Matt Mervis
  • B.J. Murray Jr.
  • Vinny Nittoli
  • Fabian Pertuz
  • Liam Spence
  • Seiya Suzuki
  • Marcus Stroman
  • Pedro Strop
  • Nelson Velazquez
  • Jared Young

Diamondbacks

  • Dominic Fletcher
  • Jakob Goldfarb
  • Gunnar Groen
  • Merrill Kelly
  • Ketel Marte
  • Eric Mendez
  • Dominic Miroglio
  • Emmanuel Rivera
  • Jacob Steinmetz
  • Mitchell Stumpo
  • Alek Thomas

Dodgers

  • Austin Barnes
  • Mookie Betts
  • Freddie Freeman
  • Clayton Kershaw
  • Adam Kolarek
  • Miguel Rojas
  • Will Smith
  • Trayce Thompson
  • Julio Urias

Giants

  • Jonathan Bermudez
  • Camilo Doval
  • Joey Marciano
  • Joc Pederson

Guardians

  • Enyel De Los Santos
  • Dayan Frias
  • Andres Gimenez
  • Bo Naylor
  • Richie Palacios
  • Cal Quantrill
  • Cade Smith
  • Meibrys Viloria
  • Josh Wolf

Marlins

  • Sandy Alcantara
  • Luis Arraez
  • Johnny Cueto
  • Jesus Luzardo
  • Anthony Maldonado
  • Jean Segura

Mariners

  • Matt Brash
  • Diego Castillo
  • Matt Festa
  • Harry Ford
  • Teoscar Hernandez
  • Milkar Perez
  • Julio Rodriguez
  • Eugenio Suarez
  • Blake Townsend

Mets

  • Pete Alonso
  • Jonathan Arauz
  • Edwin Diaz
  • Eduardo Escobar
  • Dominic Hamel
  • Elieser Hernandez
  • Francisco Lindor
  • Jeff McNeil
  • Omar Narvaez
  • Cam Opp
  • Adam Ottavino
  • Jose Quintana
  • Brooks Raley
  • Claudio Scotti

Nationals

  • Alberto Baldonado
  • Paolo Espino
  • Lucius Fox
  • Alberto Guerrero
  • Joey Meneses
  • Erasmo Ramirez

Orioles

  • Daniel Federman
  • Darwinzon Hernandez
  • Dean Kremer
  • Cedric Mullins
  • Anthony Santander
  • Rodney Theophile

Padres

  • Xander Bogaerts
  • Nabil Crismatt
  • Nelson Cruz
  • Jarryd Dale
  • Yu Darvish
  • Jose Espada
  • Ruben Galindo
  • Luis Garcia
  • Ha-Seong Kim
  • Manny Machado
  • Nick Martinez
  • Evan Mendoza
  • Juan Soto
  • Brett Sullivan
  • Julio Teheran

Phillies

  • Jose Alvarado
  • Erubiel Armenta
  • Malik Binns
  • Jaydenn Estanista
  • Vito Friscia
  • Brian Marconi
  • J.T. Realmuto
  • Kyle Schwarber
  • Noah Skirrow
  • Gregory Soto
  • Garrett Stubbs
  • Ranger Suarez
  • Trea Turner
  • Taijuan Walker
  • Rixon Wingrove

Pirates

  • David Bednar
  • Tsung-Che Cheng
  • Roansy Contreras
  • Alessandro Ercolani
  • Santiago Florez
  • Jarlin Garcia
  • Antwone Kelly
  • Josh Palacios
  • Jeffrey Passantino
  • Tahnaj Thomas
  • Duane Underwood Jr.
  • Chavez Young
  • Rob Zastryzny

Rangers

  • Mitch Bratt
  • Jose Leclerc
  • Martin Perez

Rays

  • Jason Adam
  • Jonathan Aranda
  • Randy Arozarena
  • Christian Bethancourt
  • Trevor Brigden
  • Wander Franco
  • Andrew Gross
  • Joe LaSorsa
  • Francisco Mejia
  • Isaac Paredes
  • Harold Ramirez
  • Graham Spraker

Red Sox

  • Jorge Alfaro
  • Richard Bleier
  • Rafael Devers
  • Jarren Duran
  • Ian Gibaut
  • Rio Gomez
  • Norwith Gudino
  • Enrique Hernandez
  • Nick Pivetta
  • Henry Ramos
  • Alex Verdugo
  • Masataka Yoshida

Reds

  • Donovan Benoit
  • Silvino Bracho
  • Luis Cessa
  • Fernando Cruz
  • Alexis Diaz
  • Arij Fransen
  • Kyle Glogoski
  • Tayron Guerrero
  • Evan Kravetz
  • Nicolo Pinazzi
  • Reiver Sanmartin
  • Vin Timpanelli

Rockies

  • Daniel Bard
  • Jake Bird
  • Yonathan Daza
  • Elias Diaz
  • Kyle Freeland
  • Justin Lawrence
  • German Marquez
  • Michael Petersen
  • Alan Trejo

Royals

  • Max Castillo
  • Robbie Glendinning
  • Carlos Hernandez
  • Nicky Lopez
  • MJ Melendez
  • Vinnie Pasquantino
  • Salvador Perez
  • Brady Singer
  • Bobby Witt Jr.
  • Angel Zerpa

Tigers

  • Javier Baez
  • Miguel Cabrera
  • Chavez Fernander
  • Andy Ibanez
  • Jack O’Loughlin
  • Jacob Robson
  • Eduardo Rodriguez
  • Jonathan Schoop
  • John Valente

Twins

  • Jose De Leon
  • Edouard Julien
  • Jorge Lopez
  • Pablo Lopez
  • Carlos Luna
  • Jose Miranda
  • Jovani Moran
  • Emilio Pagan
  • Christian Vazquez

White Sox

  • Tim Anderson
  • Kendall Graveman
  • Eloy Jimenez
  • Lance Lynn
  • Yoan Moncada
  • Nicholas Padilla
  • Luis Robert
  • Jose Ruiz

Yankees

  • Indigo Diaz
  • Kyle Higashioka
  • Jonathan Loaisiga
  • Gleyber Torres
Share 0 Retweet 14 Send via email0

Arizona Diamondbacks Atlanta Braves Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Chicago Cubs Chicago White Sox Cincinnati Reds Cleveland Guardians Colorado Rockies Detroit Tigers Houston Astros Kansas City Royals Los Angeles Angels Los Angeles Dodgers Miami Marlins Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins New York Mets New York Yankees Oakland Athletics Philadelphia Phillies Pittsburgh Pirates San Diego Padres San Francisco Giants Seattle Mariners St. Louis Cardinals Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Washington Nationals Aaron Whitefield Abraham Toro Adam Kolarek Adam Ottavino Adam Wainwright Adrian Martinez Alan Rangel Alan Trejo Alberto Baldonado Alejandro Kirk Alek Thomas Alex Hall Alex Verdugo Alexis Diaz Andre Scrubb Andres Gimenez Andy Ibanez Angel Zerpa Anthony Santander Austin Barnes Ben DeLuzio Bo Naylor Brady Singer Brett Sullivan Brooks Raley Bryan Abreu Cal Quantrill Camilo Doval Carlos Estevez Carlos Hernandez Cedric Mullins Cesar Valdez Chadwick Tromp Chavez Young Christian Bethancourt Christian Vazquez Clayton Kershaw Cristian Javier Daniel Bard Darwinzon Hernandez David Bednar David Fletcher Dean Kremer Devin Williams Diego Castillo Dominic Fletcher Duane Underwood Eddie Rosario Edouard Julien Eduardo Escobar Eduardo Rodriguez Edwin Diaz Elias Diaz Elieser Hernandez Eloy Jimenez Emilio Pagan Emmanuel Rivera Enrique Hernandez Enyel De Los Santos Erasmo Ramirez Eugenio Suarez Evan Mendoza Fernando Cruz Francisco Lindor Francisco Mejia Freddie Freeman Garrett Stubbs Genesis Cabrera Gerardo Reyes German Marquez Giovanny Gallegos Gleyber Torres Gregory Soto Guillermo Zuniga Harold Ramirez Harry Ford Hector Neris Henry Ramos Ian Gibaut Isaac Paredes Ivan Herrera J.T. Realmuto Jacob Robson Jaime Barria Jake Bird Jake Fishman Jared Young Jarlin Garcia Jarren Duran Jason Adam Javier Assad Javier Baez Jean Segura Jeff McNeil Jeremy Pena Jesus Luzardo Jhonathan Diaz JoJo Romero Joc Pederson Joel Payamps Joey Meneses Johnny Cueto Jonathan Aranda Jonathan Arauz Jonathan Bermudez Jonathan Loaisiga Jonathan Schoop Jordan Diaz Jorge Alfaro Jorge Lopez Jose Altuve Jose Alvarado Jose Berrios Jose De Leon Jose Leclerc Jose Miranda Jose Quijada Jose Quintana Jose Ruiz Jose Urquidy Josh Palacios Josh Wolf Jovani Moran Juan Soto Julio Rodriguez Julio Teheran Julio Urias Justin Lawrence Kendall Graveman Ketel Marte Kyle Freeland Kyle Higashioka Kyle Schwarber Kyle Tucker Lance Lynn Lucius Fox Luis Arraez Luis Cessa Luis Garcia Luis Rengifo Luis Robert Luis Urias MJ Melendez Manny Machado Marcus Stroman Martin Maldonado Martin Perez Masataka Yoshida Matt Brash Matt Festa Matt Mervis Max Castillo Meibrys Viloria Merrill Kelly Miguel Cabrera Miguel Rojas Mike Trout Miles Mastrobuoni Miles Mikolas Mookie Betts Nabil Crismatt Nelson Cruz Nelson Velazquez Nicholas Padilla Nick Martinez Nick Pivetta Nicky Lopez Nolan Arenado Omar Narvaez Oscar Hernandez Oscar Mercado Otto Lopez Owen Caissie Pablo Lopez Paolo Espino Patrick Sandoval Paul Goldschmidt Pedro Strop Pete Alonso Rafael Devers Rafael Montero Randy Arozarena Ranger Suarez Red Sox Reiver Sanmartin Richard Bleier Richie Palacios Roansy Contreras Rob Zastryzny Roel Ramirez Roenis Elias Ronald Acuna Ronel Blanco Rowdy Tellez Ryan Pressly Sal Frelick Salvador Perez Sandy Alcantara Seiya Suzuki Shohei Ohtani Silvino Bracho Spencer Horwitz Tahnaj Thomas Taijuan Walker Tayron Guerrero Teoscar Hernandez Tim Anderson Tommy Edman Trayce Thompson Trea Turner Vinnie Pasquantino Vinny Nittoli Vladimir Guerrero Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Wander Franco Will Smith Willy Adames Xander Bogaerts Yimi Garcia Yoan Moncada Yonathan Daza Yu Darvish Zack Weiss

112 comments

Injury Notes: Padres, Rangers, Rockies

By TC Zencka | June 11, 2022 at 2:22pm CDT

The Padres placed Mike Clevinger and Adrian Morejon on the COVID injured list, recalling Ray Kerr and Reiss Knehr from Triple-A, per the team. Kerr, 27, will give the Friars a third southpaw out of the bullpen behind closer Taylor Rogers and Tim Hill. Though Clevinger has been starting, Knehr, 25 will probably pitch in relief for now. Knehr has been tagged with a 5.84 ERA across 51 2/3 innings in Triple-A so far this season while making 10 starts and appearing twice in relief. The Padres rotation currently goes six deep, even with Clevinger out. Brent Rooker was also added to the active roster to serve as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader.

  • Rangers outfielder Steele Walker was placed on the COVID injured list, per the team. Zach Reks has been placed on the active roster to take his place. This will be Reks’ third go-round with the Rangers already this summer, though he’s been limited to just 22 plate appearances over nine games. Reks has torn it up for Round Rock, however, slashing .340/.433/.631 in 120 Triple-A plate appearances. Walker was only recently recalled for his big league debut. He’s gone just 1-for-14 at the plate with a pair of walks over five games. His lone hit was a solo shot. Walker, 25, was a former second-round pick of the White Sox, acquired straight-up in the deal for Nomar Mazara in December of 2019.
  • The Rockies have placed southpaw Ty Blach on the 15-day injured list with a left wrist sprain, per the team. Ryan Feltner was recalled from Triple-A to take his roster spot. Justin Lawrence was also added to the active roster to serve as the 27th man for today’s twin bill. Blach, 31, has made 15 appearances on the year (one start) with a 6.61 ERA over 31 1/3 innings.

 

Share 0 Retweet 3 Send via email0

Colorado Rockies Notes San Diego Padres Texas Rangers Transactions Adrian Morejon Brent Rooker Justin Lawrence Mike Clevinger Nomar Mazara Ray Kerr Reiss Knehr Ryan Feltner Steele Walker Taylor Rogers Tim Hill Ty Blach Zach Reks

41 comments

Rockies Designate Chi Chi Gonzalez For Assignment

By Darragh McDonald | October 3, 2021 at 2:11pm CDT

The Rockies announced a few roster moves today, recalling right-handed pitchers Justin Lawrence and Antonio Santos, while optioning infielder Rio Ruiz and designating right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez for assignment.

The Rockies non-tendered Gonzalez in the offseason and then re-signed him on a minor league deal just over a week later. He had his contract at the end of spring training and stayed a part of the staff until the last day of the season. In 24 games this season, 18 of them starts, he has logged 101 2/3 innings with an ERA of 6.46. That may be somewhat inflated by Gonzalez playing his home games in the most hitter-friendly park in the league, but his underlying metrics aren’t much better. His 12.5% strikeout rate is just barely half of the MLB average, which is 23.2%. His 6.3% walk rate is pretty solid though, considering the league average of 8.7%.

Based on that middling production and the fact that he had already been non-tendered by the club once, they were probably heading down the same path this winter. For the club, they decided to just move on now and use the last day of the season to give another look to some younger arms. Lawrence, 26, and Santos, 24, have each logged their fair share of miles shuttling between MLB and Triple-A this season, each one having been optioned six times. Lawrence has a bloated 8.64 ERA over 16 2/3 MLB innings this season, but a much more palatable 4.73 ERA in 32 1/3 Triple-A innings. Santos is somehow the reverse, with an MLB ERA of 4.76 in 11 1.3 innings but a Triple-A ERA of 7.94 in 45 1/3 innings.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Colorado Rockies Transactions Antonio Santos Chi Chi Gonzalez Justin Lawrence Rio Ruiz

9 comments

Rockies Place Jon Gray On Injured List, Select Julian Fernandez

By Steve Adams | September 1, 2021 at 1:01pm CDT

The Rockies announced Wednesday that they’ve placed right-hander Jon Gray on the 10-day injured list due to tightness in his right forearm. Colorado also selected the contract of right-hander Julian Fernandez and recalled righties Antonio Santos and Justin Lawrence from Triple-A Albuquerque as rosters expand to 28 players.

Forearm tightness is ominous for any pitcher and is particularly alarming given the manner in which Gray’s performance has dropped in recent weeks. A bright spot in the Rockies’ rotation for much of the season, Gray has compiled just 22 innings in his past five appearances and been rocked for a 6.55 earned run average in that time. There’s been no drop in his velocity, but the results alone are enough for concern when combined with an injury.

Gray is a free agent at season’s end, which prompted broad-reaching expectations that the Rockies would move him at the trade deadline. That didn’t happen, however, and the Rockies have voiced hope that they can keep Gray beyond the current season. The interest is mutual, as Gray has said he enjoys playing in Denver and would welcome a contract extension. The Rockies are currently expected to issue Gray a qualifying offer, which would be for one year in the $18-19MM range, but any arm injury of note could impact both the potential for a QO and the potential for a long-term deal.

Fernandez, 25, will be making his Major League debut when he first pitches in a game. The righty was originally signed by the Rockies out of the Dominican Republic and has had a rather unusual journey to the big leagues. The Rockies lost Fernandez to the division-rival Giants in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft, but he suffered a ligament injury in his pitching elbow that spring and required Tommy John surgery. The Giants carried him all through that 2018 season but removed him from the roster in November 2018 — at which point the Marlins claimed Fernandez. He spent much of the 2019 season continuing his rehab before suffering a setback that shut him down. Miami returned him to the Rockies in October 2019, nearly two years after he’d been selected in the Rule 5 Draft.

Because of those injuries and the lack of a minor league season in 2020, the 2021 campaign marks the first time since 2017 that Fernandez has pitched in an actual game. Finally healthy, the right-hander had a nice showing in Double-A before an even more impressive run in a hitter-friendly Triple-A setting. He’s pitched to a combined 2.53 ERA in 42 2/3 innings this season, including a sterling 0.64 mark in Triple-A, where he’s fanned a third of his opponents against just a 7.4 percent walk rate.

Share 0 Retweet 4 Send via email0

Colorado Rockies Transactions Antonio Santos Jon Gray Julian Fernandez Justin Lawrence

10 comments

Rockies Place Mychal Givens On 10-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | June 17, 2021 at 7:06pm CDT

The Rockies placed right-hander Mychal Givens on the 10-day injured list due to a strain in his left lower back, the team announced.  Right-hander Justin Lawrence was called up from Triple-A to take Givens’ spot on the active roster.

Givens has a 2.78 ERA/3.98 SIERA over 22 2/3 innings for Colorado this season, with an above-average 26.6% strikeout rate but an 11.7% walk rate that sits only in the 19th percentile of all pitchers.  In short, it isn’t much different from Givens’ usual performance over his seven MLB seasons, as he has missed his share of bats while running into control issues through 368 career innings for the Orioles and Rockies.

One notable difference is that Givens is making his changeup a far bigger part of his arsenal this season — after a 69.6%/9.8% split between his fastball and change prior to 2021, Givens has thrown his heater only 45.2% of the time this season, and increased his changeup usage to 39.9%.  While Givens hasn’t gotten great results from his changeup specifically, his four-seamer has become a more effective pitch, after it had been getting hit increasingly harder over the last few years.

Baltimore sent Givens to Colorado in a deadline deal last August, and the righty again seemed like an obvious trade candidate on a Rockies team that will almost surely be selling by July 30.  Givens is scheduled for free agency after the season, and on a salary of slightly more than $4MM, he’d be an inexpensive add for a team in need of bullpen help.  (Givens would only have about $1.38MM remaining in owed salary if dealt on July 30.)  However, an injury could certainly throw a wrench into those plans, especially considering the vague nature of some back injuries.

Share 0 Retweet 4 Send via email0

Colorado Rockies Transactions Justin Lawrence Mychal Givens

9 comments

Rockies’ Justin Lawrence Suspended For PED Use

By Anthony Franco | January 17, 2020 at 4:31pm CDT

Rockies’ reliever Justin Lawrence has been suspended without pay for 80 games, MLB announced today. He tested positive for dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, a performance-enhancing substance.

Lawrence, 25, was selected to the Rockies’ 40-man roster last offseason, although he has yet to make his MLB debut. After breaking out with a strong season in High-A and in the Arizona Fall League in 2018, Lawrence regressed last season. In 37 innings between Triple-A Albuquerque and Double-A Hartford, he managed just an 8.76 ERA with 29 walks and 32 strikeouts. In their postseason write-up of the Rockies’ farm system, Fangraphs’ Kiley McDaniel and Eric Longenhagen called Lawrence “an upper-90’s siderarmer with very poor pitch execution.”

Share 0 Retweet 4 Send via email0

Colorado Rockies Justin Lawrence

91 comments

Players Added To The 40-Man Roster

By Steve Adams | November 20, 2018 at 6:15pm CDT

Tonight marks the deadline for players to be added to their respective organizations’ 40-man rosters. Over the nine hours, there’ll be a flurry of moves, ranging from minor trades (like the one the Indians and Rays made yesterday), waiver claims and players being designated for assignment or outrighted. Each will be made to clear room for players who need protection from this year’s Rule 5 Draft. As a reminder, players who signed at 18 years of age or younger and have five professional seasons are eligible, as are players who signed at 19 or older and have four professional seasons under their belts.

Here’s a rundown of players who’ve been added to their respective 40-man rosters (which will be updated throughout the day)…

  • There are three additions for the Twins: outfielder LaMonte Wade and infielders Nick Gordon and Luis Arraez.
  • The Giants announced that they have added a trio of righties: Melvin Adon, Sam Coonrod, and Logan Webb.
  • Lefty Justin Steele is now a member of the Cubs’ 40-man, per an announcement.
  • The Rangers announced that they are protecting veteran hurler Edinson Volquez, who’s returning from Tommy John surgery, along with outfielder Scott Heineman, righty Wei-Chieh Huang, and lefty Taylor Hearn.
  • Righties Mitch Keller and JT Brubaker, infielder Cole Tucker, and outfielder Jason Martin are all joining the Pirates’ 40-man, per Tim Williams of Pirates Prospects (via Twitter).
  • The Blue Jays will add righty Patrick Murphy to their 40-man, per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca (via Twitter). Toronto has announced his addition, along with those of fellow righties Trent Thornton, Yennsy Diaz, Hector Perez, and Jacob Waguespack.
  • Three Indians players have been boosted up to the 40-man, the club announced: first baseman Bobby Bradley, southpaw Sam Hentges, and righty Jean Carlos Mejίa.
  • Righty Joe Harvey is joining the Yankees’ MLB roster, the club announced.
  • The Phillies have added shortstop Arquimedes Gamboa along with righties Edgar Garcia and Adonis Medina to the 40-man, per a club announcement.
  • Former first-round draft pick Dillon Tate, a right-handed pitcher, was selected to the Orioles’ 40-man.

Read more

Earlier Additions

  • The Marlins and Padres each made numerous additions. We covered the Angels and Athletics elsewhere as well.
  • The Red Sox have bumped several players onto the MLB roster: infielder Michael Chavis, righties Colten Brewer, Travis Lakins and Denyi Reyes, lefties Josh Taylor and Darwinzon Hernandez. Brewer was just picked up via trade.
  • Righty Jimmy Herget is the only player added to the Reds’ 40-man today, per a club announcement.
  • Per a Diamondbacks announcement, they’ve selected the contracts of first baseman Kevin Cron and four right-handed pitchers: Taylor Clarke, Joel Payamps, Bo Takahashi and Emilio Vargas.
  • There are three new additions to the Astros roster, per a club announcement. Righties Bryan Abreu and Rogelio Armenteros have had their contracts selected along with catcher Garrett Stubbs.
  • The White Sox announced that they’ve selected the contracts of right-handers Dylan Cease and Jordan Stephens, left-hander Kodi Medeiros and catcher Seby Zavala. Cease, one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, joined the Sox in the Jose Quintana trade two years ago. Chicago added Medeiros this summer in the trade that sent Joakim Soria to the Brewers.
  • Right-hander Justin Lawrence is being added to the Rockies’ roster, reports Fancred’s Jon Heyman (on Twitter). The 2015 12th-rounder posted a 2.65 ERA with better than 10 punchouts per nine innings in Class-A Advanced this season — a fine followup to a 1.65 ERA at Class-A in 2017. The club has announced that move, along with the additinos of righty Ryan Castellani infielder Josh Fuentes and outfielder Sam Hilliard.
  • The Brewers have selected the contracts of outfielder Troy Stokes Jr. and right-hander Trey Supak, reports Robert Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link). Stokes hit .233/.343/.430 in 551 PAs as a 22-year-old in Double-A this past season. Supak, acquired from the Pirates three years ago, logged a tidy 2.48 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 2.9 BB/9 in 137 2/3 innings between Class-A Advanced and Double-A in 2018.
  • The Royals selected the contracts of right-handers Josh Staumont, Scott Blewett and Arnaldo Hernandez, per a team announcement. Staumont is among the team’s most promising arms but has plenty of control issues to accompany big strikeout numbers out of the ’pen. The other two have worked as starters in Double-A.
  • The Mariners selected the contract of righty Erik Swanson, whom they acquired from the Yankees as part of last night’s James Paxton trade. The 25-year-old righty posted a 2.66 ERA with a 139-to-29 K/BB ratio across multiple minor league levels in ’18 and could surface as a rotation option for Seattle in 2019.
  • The Tigers selected the contract of right-hander Franklin Perez, the team announced. Perez, the top prospect acquired in the Justin Verlander blockbuster, was an easy call to add to the 40-man even after slogging through an injury-ruined season. As Anthony Fenech of the Detroit Free Press wrote in August, Perez missed two-plus months with a lat strain and pitched just 19 1/3 innings before going down for the season with a shoulder injury. Perez is still widely considered to be a premium pitching prospect even after the 2018 injury woes.
  • The Nationals announced that righty James Bourque has been added to the 40-man roster. A 14th-round pick in 2014, Bourque moved from the rotation to the ’pen in 2018 and broke out with a 1.70 ERA, 12.9 K/9 and 4.4 BB/9 in 53 innings between Class-A Advanced and Double-A.
  • The Braves announced that they’ve selected the contracts of catcher Alex Jackson and right-handers Patrick Weigel, Jacob Webb and Huascar Ynoa. Jackson, the No. 6 pick in the 2014 draft, struggled through a miserable 2018 season, but the organization clearly didn’t want to risk losing him. Webb turned in a big season out of the bullpen across two levels, while Weigel, one of the organization’s top arms, should be back from Tommy John in 2019. The 20-year-old Ynoa didn’t post great numbers but was up to 100 mph in velocity this year, per Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs (Twitter link).
Share 0 Retweet 2 Send via email0

Arizona Diamondbacks Atlanta Braves Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Chicago Cubs Chicago White Sox Cincinnati Reds Cleveland Guardians Colorado Rockies Detroit Tigers Houston Astros Kansas City Royals Los Angeles Angels Miami Marlins Milwaukee Brewers Minnesota Twins New York Yankees Oakland Athletics Philadelphia Phillies Pittsburgh Pirates San Diego Padres San Francisco Giants Seattle Mariners Tampa Bay Rays Texas Rangers Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Washington Nationals Alex Jackson Arnaldo Hernandez Colten Brewer Dillon Tate Dylan Cease Edinson Volquez Erik Swanson Franklin Perez Huascar Ynoa Isan Diaz Jacob Webb James Bourque Jordan Stephens Jordan Yamamoto Jorge Guzman Jose Quijada Jose Quintana Josh Staumont Josh Taylor Justin Lawrence Kodi Medeiros Kyle Keller Michael Chavis Mitch Keller Nick Gordon Patrick Weigel Scott Blewett Seby Zavala Trey Supak Troy Stokes

59 comments
« Previous Page

ad: 300x250_1_MLB

  • Top Stories
  • Recent

Ben Joyce Undergoes Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

Dodgers Promote Dalton Rushing, Designate Austin Barnes For Assignment

Major League Baseball Rules That Permanent Ineligibility Ends At Death

Rangers Place Corey Seager On Injured List

Cubs Promote Moises Ballesteros

Evan Longoria To Sign One-Day Contract, Retire As Member Of Rays

Diamondbacks To Promote Jordan Lawlar

Rockies Fire Bud Black

Cubs Promote Cade Horton

Rafael Devers Unwilling To Play First Base

Pirates Fire Manager Derek Shelton

Mariners Claim Leody Taveras

Rangers Hire Bret Boone As Hitting Coach

A.J. Minter To Undergo Season-Ending Lat Surgery

Blue Jays Sign Spencer Turnbull

Blue Jays Sign José Ureña

Ross Stripling Retires

Rangers Place Leody Taveras On Outright Waivers

Triston Casas Likely To Miss Entire 2025 Season Due To Knee Surgery

Orioles Recall Coby Mayo

MLB Mailbag: Cubs, Astros, Yankees, Mets

MLBTR Podcast: Devers Drama, Managerial Firings, And Jordan Lawlar

The Marlins Could Face Another Rotation Dilemma

Giants, Drew Ellis Agree To Minor League Contract

Rich Rollins Passes Away

Guardians Hire Corey Kluber As Special Assistant

Brewers Sign Eddie Rosario To Minor League Deal

White Sox Return Rule 5 Pick Gage Workman To Tigers

Red Sox Place Tanner Houck On Injured List With Flexor Pronator Strain

Ben Joyce Undergoes Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

ad: 300x250_5_side_mlb

MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

Latest Rumors & News

Latest Rumors & News

  • 2024-25 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions
  • Nolan Arenado Rumors
  • Dylan Cease Rumors
  • Luis Robert Rumors
  • Marcus Stroman Rumors

 

Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android

MLBTR Features

MLBTR Features

  • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
  • Front Office Originals
  • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
  • MLBTR Podcast
  • 2024-25 Offseason Outlook Series
  • 2025 Arbitration Projections
  • 2024-25 MLB Free Agent List
  • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
  • Contract Tracker
  • Transaction Tracker
  • Extension Tracker
  • Agency Database
  • MLBTR On Twitter
  • MLBTR On Facebook
  • Team Facebook Pages
  • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

Rumors By Team

  • Angels Rumors
  • Astros Rumors
  • Athletics Rumors
  • Blue Jays Rumors
  • Braves Rumors
  • Brewers Rumors
  • Cardinals Rumors
  • Cubs Rumors
  • Diamondbacks Rumors
  • Dodgers Rumors
  • Giants Rumors
  • Guardians Rumors
  • Mariners Rumors
  • Marlins Rumors
  • Mets Rumors
  • Nationals Rumors
  • Orioles Rumors
  • Padres Rumors
  • Phillies Rumors
  • Pirates Rumors
  • Rangers Rumors
  • Rays Rumors
  • Red Sox Rumors
  • Reds Rumors
  • Rockies Rumors
  • Royals Rumors
  • Tigers Rumors
  • Twins Rumors
  • White Sox Rumors
  • Yankees Rumors

ad: 160x600_MLB

Navigation

  • Sitemap
  • Archives
  • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

MLBTR INFO

  • Advertise
  • About
  • Commenting Policy
  • Privacy Policy

Connect

  • Contact Us
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • RSS Feed

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top

Register

Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version