Mike Dunn doesn't appear intimidated by large contact

This past off season, Colorado Rockies GM Jeff Bridich inked left-handed reliever Mike Dunn to a three-year, $19 million contract, making him the highest-paid free agent relief pitcher in franchise history.

It’s way too early to tell if that was a good investment or not for what many, present company included, believed was a Boone Logan replacement. But one thing is clear through a little over a month of spring training and the first two games in Milwaukee; Dunn is not rattled, or seemingly in any way affected, by the size of his contract.

Over 9.2 innings this spring, Dunn allowed just one hit, zero runs, and struck out 12. He has carried that momentum into the regular season, issuing just one walk — the only baserunner he’s allowed so far — while striking out five Brewers over two innings in his first two games.

Now, The Brew Crew are known to be free swingers … but of course the odd thing is the way Dunn struck out the side in last night’s affair, all on pitches that were taken. The movement on his pitches was just nasty, and it was clear that nobody was seeing the ball out of Dunn’s hand.

He has shown no signs of relaxing now that he got his big pay day. No signs he feels the pressure of what that money might mean to his teammates or the media or even the fans. If it is getting to him in any way that some even in the local media lambasted the Rockies decision to sign him — or at least the dollar amount it required — Mike Dunn is hiding it well.

The larger story about the ‘pen is a discussion that will go on well into June and July, but so far Dunn has been a big part of why Rockies fans are feeling confident that the new and improved bullpen is indeed improved and not just new.