The Colorado Rockies have not signed a free agent to a guaranteed major league contract this offseason. Let’s take stock of the top remaining free agents (as ranked by MLB Trade Rumors) and see if there could be any realistic options remaining for the Rox.
Top Names
Josh Donaldson (#5), Nicholas Castellanos (#8) and Marcell Ozuna (#11) are decidedly the top remaining free agents. Latest reports suggest Donaldson is weighing four-year offers of over $100 million from the Washington Nationals, Minnesota Twins and Atlanta Braves, while Ozuna is reportedly receiving offers from the Cincinnati Reds, St Louis Cardinals and Texas Rangers. All three of these players are well out of the price range of the Rockies.
A Key Reliever
Relief pitcher Daniel Hudson was ranked #28. He had an excellent 2019 for the Nationals and became a story in the postseason when he had the audacity to prioritize the birth of his daughter over a baseball game. The Rockies may be wary of signing free agent relievers (and perhaps for good reason) after the contracts of Wade Davis, Jake McGee and Bryan Shaw have taken unfavorable turns.
A Right-Handed Catching Option
Catcher Robinson Chirinos (#33) comes in next on the rankings. The Rockies were connected to him earlier this offseason and he was reported to be close to a decision on Thursday. Chirinos is projected to receive a two-year, $10 million deal, which should be in the price range of the Rockies, but they are not likely to get into a bidding war over him. The Rockies have shown in the past to be content with Tony Wolters and Drew Butera as their backstop tandem, so they likely don’t feel any sort of pressure to improve their catching corps. However, Chirinos still has the potential to be a significant offensive upgrade for the Rockies in a platoon role. From 2017-2019, Chirinos produced a batting line of .280/.404/.506 against left-handed pitching.
Veteran Bullpen Arms
Craig Stammen (#35) and Steve Cishek (#36) are two relievers in their mid-30s. While they may be more likely than Hudson to be looked into by the Rockies because of their relative inexpensiveness, they still aren’t likely fits.
Remaining Possibilities
The top remaining free agents include Yasiel Puig (#37), Alex Wood (#39), Brock Holt (#41), Ivan Nova (#48), Pedro Strop (#49), Drew Smyly (#50) and honorable mentions Todd Frazier, Brandon Kintzler, Starlin Castro, Ben Zobrist, Eric Thames, Hunter Pence and Jose Iglesias.
Would you like to see any of these names put on a Rockies’ uniform in 2020? And will the Rockies sign a free agent to an MLB deal at all this offseason?
Poll
Will the Rockies sign a free agent to an MLB deal at all this offseason?
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A previous version of this post incorrectly said that the Rockies have not signed a player to a major league contract this offseason. Jose Mujica’s deal is a major league contract, but it is not guaranteed.