It’s a start.
For a team that has been notoriously inactive at this time of year on the Major League Baseball calendar, the Colorado Rockies have been down right busy over the last few weeks.
First, there was the hiring of new President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta back on November 7th .The organization brought in their new baseball boss just in time to take part in the annual General Managers meetings. After an introductory news conference – and while still lacking a GM and field manager – the team has already begun making roster moves. One in particular sends a signal that it won’t be business as usual at 20th and Blake.
Team Acquires a Big League Lefthander
Typically adverse to making trades that involve acquiring legitimate Major League players, the Rockies made a deal to bring in left-handed pitcher Brennan Bernadino from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for minor leaguer Braiden Ward. In previous years, the Rockies would have sent a big leaguer somewhere and received a minor prospect or two in return.
A good sign for more things to come?
Bernadino won 10 games over the past four seasons as a part-time starter with Seattle and Boston. This past season, he was 4-3 with a respectable 3.14 ERA with a save for the Red Sox. Opposing left handed hitters could muster just a .211 batting average against him.
The Rockies made a couple of other more predictable moves, including designating first baseman Michael Toglia and left-hander Ryan Rolison for assignment. Noteworthy here is that both players were first round draft picks, back in 2018 and 2019 under old management. Toglia, a switch hitter with great power and a tremendous glove, had his good moments in purple pinstripes, but in the end, his penchant for striking out – he has done so at a 35% clip during his big league career – had him shuttling back and forth between Denver and Triple A Albuquerque. Rolison – who was also up and down I-25 several times this past season, battled injuries after being drafted first and this year was used in relief with so-so results. Rolison was traded to the Atlanta Braves, while Toglia is still eligible to be resigned to a minor league deal if he isn’t traded.
Both are eligible to be traded or resigned to minor league deals.
Three Minor Leaguers Added to 40-man Roster
Three players were added to Colorado’s 40-man roster as well, including former top draft pick Gabriel Hughes, a right handed pitcher who underwent Tommy John surgery during his first full season with the organization in 2023. His numbers haven’t been sterling thus far, but he has a high ceiling and Colorado can ill afford to lose legit pitching prospects.
Two other minor league prospects, lefthander Welinton Herrera and outfielder Sterlin Thompson were also added as well
The fact that the Rockies new management is willing to make trades at all is news. In his early “Moneyball” days with the (then) Oakland Athletics, DePodesta was part of an analytics staff that made dozens of what appeared to be small trades that brought solid results. Rockies fans are hoping he can recreate that magic for a Colorado franchise that remains handicapped by one of the smallest local media rights revenue streams in MLB (although that could potentially improve under a new deal with ESPN.) While they “have resources” according to Vice President Walker Monfort, coming off a 119-loss season, they won’t be a big spender in free agency. In order to make any substantial roster improvements before next season, DePodesta will need to further bolster the team’s pitching staff via more trades like this one.
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