Colorado Rockies sign workhorse reliever

The Colorado Rockies have signed workhorse right-handed reliever Bryan Shaw, as first reported by Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports. Shaw (30) spent the first two seasons of his MLB career with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the next five with the Cleveland Indians, serving an important role in their resurgence to a World Series appearance in 2016.

He led the American League in appearances in 2014, 2016, and 2017. He has pitched at least 64 innings in each of the past five seasons posting a career 3.13 ERA. He has never put up an ERA worse than 3.52 in his career.

He isn’t known for overpowering stuff, with a fastball that averages 93 mph, but still strikes out batters at a rate of 8.03 per nine innings. He posted a career-high of 9.32 in 2016. His walk rate was also a career-high that year at 3.78/9 but he was under 3.00/9 in 2014, 2015, and 2017.

These numbers amount to a potentially excellent addition to the Rockies bullpen but don’t quite reach the threshold of what would be ideal for a closer on a team still at the beginning of their contention window, trying to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Shaw has recorded 11 saves in his seven-year career. But he also sits at an impressive 134 career ERA+ suggesting the Rockies are gaining a pitcher who is about 34 percent better than league average.

We do not know the details of the deal at this time, the report saying that the acquisition is still pending a physical. Whatever the years and cost, the Rockies have made their first offseason move toward addressing their biggest area of need.

*UPDATE 6:45 p.m.*

Buster Olney reports the deal at three years for $ 27 million.