Grading Jeff Bridich's 2016 offseason moves

 

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Now that the Colorado Rockies season is over, we can now finally examine and grade the moves Jeff Bridich made prior to the 2016 campaign.

Here’s a brief walk-through of the transactions Colorado made this past offseason.

Signings:

RP: Chad Qualls
RP: Jason Motte

Colorado, after seeing their bullpen finish dead last in the entire league in terms of earned run average in 2015, inked these two veterans to stop the bleeding late in games. That … didn’t work. Motte finished the season posting a 4.94 ERA, yielding 13 runs in 23.2 innings pitched — his worst ERA posted in his entire Major League career. However, one thing that stood out was his strikeout ratio, posting a 9.1 SO/9.

Grade: D+

As for Qualls on the other hand, he just couldn’t limit the damage. In 32.2 innings pitched, Qualls posted a 5.23 ERA while opponents hit a whopping .305 off him. A main reason for that was he wasn’t getting enough swings and misses, striking out just 22 batters — career worst. Both Qualls and Motte will have one more season to prove themselves, being that they both signed a two-year deal last offseason.

Grade: D-

OF: Gerardo Parra

Parra put forth a dreaded 2015 campaign, yet there is still optimism he can bounce back next season. Parra slashed at a line of .253/.271/.399 with 27 doubles, three triples, seven home runs, and 39 RBI. However, that slash line could’ve seen more improvement if his walk rate were, you know, higher. Gerardo walked just nine times this past season — 2.4% walk rate. There is still some question regarding what his role will entail in 2017 due to the crowded outfield Colorado will possess.

Grade: C-

1B: Mark Reynolds

This was perhaps the best offseason signing for the Rockies, considering they didn’t really have a first baseman in the system. When Reynolds went down with his hand injury, Colorado had no other option (well they did with Jordan Patterson) but putting Gerardo Parra at first. In 118 games, Reynolds hit .282/.356/.450 with 24 doubles, 14 home runs, and 53 RBI. Reynolds was also very reliable with the glove, posting a modest .993% fielding percentage.

Grade: B+

Trades:

Colorado trades OF Corey Dickerson, 3B Kevin Padlo to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for LHP Jake McGee and RHP German Marquez.

This was a conflicting trade, mainly due to the fact that I didn’t want to see Corey Dickerson’s offensive production go but completely understood he’s more suited for the American League due to his defense. Colorado received a bullpen arm that they desperately needed in McGee, who didn’t quite perform up to expectations in 2016 but landed a gem in Marquez who was named Eastern League Pitcher of the Year. He also became the second youngest Rockie to ever win a game by a matter of just a few days. It looks like he has a very bright future.

Grade: B+

Colorado trades RHP Tommy Kahnle to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for RHP Yency Almonte.

This was a great deal on for Jeff Bridich. Colorado traded Kahnle, a reliever who is a work in progress, for a pitcher with some pretty good upside in Almonte. Almonte impressed in his first full season in Colorado’s system, going 11-10 with an ERA of 3.58 split between Modesto (Single-A) and Hartford (Double-A). One thing Almonte will have to limit is his walks. After his promotion to Hartford, Almonte walked 16 batters over 30.0 innings pitched — 4.8 BB/9.

Grade: A+

Colorado trades LHP Rex Brothers to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for LHP Wander Cabrera.

This is a soft trade to diagnose right now simply due to the fact Colorado received Wander Cabrera, an 18-year-old prospect. However, the youngster looked solid in his second full-year in the Dominican Summer League, posting an unbeaten record of 6-0 to go along with an ERA of 2.63. His strikeout ratio was appealing, striking out 54 over 51.1 innings — 9.5 SO/9.

Grade: B-

Waivers:

Colorado claims INF/C Tony Wolters from the Cleveland Indians.

This was a fantastic waiver claim that the Rockies placed on Wolters who was an infielder converted to catcher. Wolters, who primarily served as Colorado’s backup catcher, slashed at a line of .259/.327/.395 with 15 doubles, two triples, three home runs, and 30 RBI. The slash line might not look that good but as the season progressed, so did Wolters. After the All-Star Break, Wolters hit .321/.374/.488 opposed to his first half numbers of .215/.296/.331.

Grade: A