Rockies MLB.com reporter Thomas Harding broke the news this morning that the Colorado Rockies and RHP Jhoulys Chacín have agreed to a one year deal to keep the veteran in purple for the 2022 season. MLB insider Mark Feinsand reported that the deal is for $1.25 million, and the Rockies made it official via their social media later in the day.
.@Jhoulys45 is back in purple pic.twitter.com/oLfWRyqAFm
— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) November 13, 2021
Chacín signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees after the 2020 season, but was released by the organization after spring training. The Rockies brought Chacín in for a workout at Coors Field and signed him shortly after with the intention of him making spot starts and working long relief.
The Rockies rarely used Chacín for the first two months of the season. He would often go over a week between appearances. Then in June, the Rockies began to more regularly turn to him in the later innings and he began to settle in to his new role.
Chacín ended up being one of the Rockies’ most frequently used relievers in 2021, pitching the third most innings from the bullpen with 64 1⁄3 innings across 46 games and posting a solid ERA of 4.34. He began to flourish in his new role towards the end of June, kicking off a ten game streak of scoreless outings while not giving up a single run for the entire month of July.
Chacín began his career in the Rockies bullpen way back in his 2009 rookie season, rarely having pitched out of the bullpen since then. As recently as 2020 he was a starting pitcher. Now enjoying a second stint with the team that brought him up to the majors, Chacín is working mostly in the seventh and eighth innings while making the most of his second chance.
“It feels like home,” he told The Gazette earlier this year, and the 34-year old, ten year veteran will remain home with the Rockies for at least one more season.
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Purple Row is monitoring the situation and will update as more details become available.