The Colorado Rockies and All-Star second baseman DJ LeMahieu avoided arbitration and signed a two-year, $7.8 million deal. Also in the news, the club put closer Adam Ottavino on the 60-day DL as was expected. He is still recovering from Tommy John Surgery. The move opened up a 40-man roster spot which the Rockies used to pick up catcher Tony Wolters off of waivers from Cleveland. Ottavino went down with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow in spring of 2015.
Ottavino went down with a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow in spring of 2015. The injury takes a year to a year-and-a-half to get back to 100 percent and it is expected that the right-hander will be available in mid-to-late-May. In just ten games in 2015, he had 13 strikeouts, three Saves and zero earned runs.
LeMahieu was entering his first arbitration year and will get a pay raise of $2.5 million this season. For 2017, the Gold Glove second baseman will make $4.8 million. The 2015 All-Star starter is under the Rockies control until 2019. Last season, he improved big time at the plate hitting .301/.358/.388 with 6 home runs, 61 runs batted in and 23 stolen bases.
The roster spot opened up by Ottavino’s injury will be taken by Wolters. The left-handed batting, right-handed throwing backstop bolsters the crowded position. With Nick Hundley, Dustin Garneau and Tom Murphy already on the roster Wolters adds the platoon option unlike any of the others who are all righties. Wolters is a 23-year-old drafted in the third round of the 2010 First-Year Player Draft out of Rancho Buena Vista (Calif.) High School. During the 2011 season, he led the New York-Penn League (Short-A) in runs scored (50), tied for fifth in hits (78) and ranked 10th in stolen bases (19) he also played shortstop and second base in addition to catcher. During the 2014 season, he reached the Double-A level where he played 94 games, in 2015 he repeated the Double-A level playing 65 games for Akron.
Links:
FoxSports.com / Ken Rosenthal // Waiting on Reyes suspension shouldn’t stop Rockies from pursuing Desmond
Rosenthal argues that the Rockies are not rebuilding and sites the moves they’ve made this offseason including recent reports that the club is interested in signing shortstop Ian Desmond. Of note for any potential signing is that Desmond received a qualifying offer so the Rockies would lose their No. 38 overall pick in the 2016 First-Year Player Draft if they do indeed sign him.
MLB.com / Uncertainty surrounds Rockies rotation
” The uncertainty of the starting rotation was a source of angst during the Rockies’ offseason, but it will be cause for intrigue once formal Spring Training workouts begin Friday at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick,” writes Harding.
Jorge De La Rosa, Chad Bettis and Jon Gray are almost locks to be starters in 2016, but who does Harding handicap for the other spots?
MLB.com / Gray, Adames top Rockies prospects to watch
Jon Gray was just the first of what will be a plethora of prospects who are projected to join the big league club soon.
TodaysKnuckleball.com / Nick Stephens // Uncertainty surrounds Rockies rotation
With David Dahl and Raimel Tapia likely to be knocking on the doorstep of the major leagues by the end of this season, what happens to Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon and Gerardo Parra?
Twitter’s top Five:
Hayes helped model this year's Bark at the Park leashes. Follow us on Snapchat for more: https://t.co/idWszhS37F pic.twitter.com/4WN9l3EFQb
— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) February 18, 2016
It's Fireworks Night at Mile High Stadium! (July 3, 1982) pic.twitter.com/JjUNPqahIC
— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) February 17, 2016
From Ryan Bonneau with @VisitTelluride. Breaking waves over the San Juans! @Telluride @TellurideTom pic.twitter.com/PQ1fEAVshJ
— Justin McHeffey (@McHeffeyMedia) February 18, 2016
"Big hitter, the Lama" pic.twitter.com/MGN3SPGqoa
— J.A. Adande (@jadande) February 15, 2016
Top Tweet:
I'm afraid to start reading Rockies stuff cuz I've been riding so high on sports lately, I know if I start I'll just come crashing back down
— Abbey Shea (@abbeyshea) February 15, 2016
Finally reading #Rockies articles like pic.twitter.com/WibqymcWjq
— Abbey Shea (@abbeyshea) February 18, 2016
Music for the weekend:
I had been busy so I’m sorry for posting it late, but here are my top tracks of last year. There is about 70 songs, everything from hits to deep cuts, mostly indie, some lo-fi, pop and hip hop are in there as well. (Best to listen on shuffle)
