The Colorado Rockies offseason got off to a rough start as they lost Tyler Chatwood to the Chicago Cubs. However, the team has made some solid moves to bounce back and are getting ready to be better in 2018 with the help of their new additions. Carlos Gonzalez is still one of the players that they are still waiting to hear about and multiple teams are in on signing him so it is unsure whether or not the Rockies have a chance or are pushing hard to re-sign him. The other player the Rockies are waiting on still and would really like to resign is Greg Holland. Holland and the Rockies have been in talks and he definitely has not taken coming back to Coors out of the equation. It will be a battle to see which team can sign him, but the Rockies don’t want to give Holland.
The Rockies made it a priority of theirs to obtain bullpen upgrades. The loss of Pat Neshek signified the Rockies had to sign another reliever at the Winter Meetings. One of the most notable signings they made was obtaining Bryan Shaw for a three year, $28 million deal. Shaw was a part of the great Cleveland Indians bullpen who strikes out a ton of guys and induces groundballs. While his ERA was 3.52, higher than his 2016 ERA of 3.24, his FIP was actually lower, going from 3.94 in 2016 to 2.96 in 2017. With the Rockies talented defense behind him, his ERA could actually be lower than years past and his ability to keep the ball on the ground is a tremendous trait for a pitcher, especially in Coors field.
The Rockies were also able to negotiate a deal to bring back Jake McGee. McGee had one of his better years of his career last year with a 2.93 FIP himself. He was a piece of the bullpen and it was great that the Rockies were able to bring him back, especially after losing Neshek and the uncertainty when it comes to Holland. McGee saw an increase in velocity last season compared to 2016. He’s primarily a fastball pitcher, occasionally throwing a slider or curveball. The increase in velocity, however, was the reason for his success. He’ll look to continue his time in Rockies purple in 2018 and get back in the playoffs.
Otherwise, the Rockies were fairly quiet when it came to the Winter Meetings. They didn’t make any significant trades or other moves besides their two big bullpen signings. The Rockies are still looking to add more bullpen help, either by signing Holland back or going for other guys like Wade Davis and Alex Colome. The Rockies are also looking to add offensive help at first base, either by getting back Mark Reynolds or going after someone like Logan Morrison. Either way, the Rockies are looking for an upgrade on offense as Ian Desmond and Trevor Story were overwhelming in 2017. Them performing better would be a plus, but not a guarantee, so the Rockies are still looking to sign one of the few offensive options that are left on the free agent market.
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