Bullpen was able to finish season strong
In the upanddown year that was the Rockies’ 91win season, no facet of the team took as much heat — or rode the season’s roller coaster as hard — as the bullpen, in which the Rockies invested more than $100 million during last offseason.
Following is a breakdown of the Rockies’ relievers and their outlook for 2019, plus grades for their performances this season (contract information via Baseball Reference and Cot’s Baseball Contracts):
After a rough 2017, Ottavino dived headfirst into pitch development during the offseason. He turned in the best season of his career, setting a club record for strikeouts (112) by a relief pitcher. Ottavino displayed one of the best sliders in the game. Unfortunately, because of contracts handed out to Wade Davis, Bryan Shaw and Jake McGee, it’s unlikely the free agent will be resigned.
Oberg’s emergence as a bullpen stalwart was one of the most pleasant surprises of the Rockies’ season. He was the best arm in the ’pen during September, when he posted a 1.72 ERA in 14 games. He spent May in TripleA and then overcame a midseason back strain. Oberg is under club control until he hits free agency in 2022.
Colorado’s highly paid closer led the National League with 43 saves, but he also blew a careerhigh six saves, the secondhighest total in the league. Still, despite occasional dramatics, Davis was about as lockdown as you could ask of a reliever pitching in highleverage situations at high elevation. He’ll be around at least two more seasons, with a mutual option in 2021. In a steal at the trade deadline, the Rockies acquired Oh from Toronto in exchange for three prospects. The “Final Boss” immediately firmed up the struggling ’pen, posting a 2.53 ERA and eight holds in 25 appearances. Colorado paid Oh about $500,000 for his services, and he could be brought back for a relative bargain in 2019 via a $2.5 million club option.
Despite consistent struggles throughout the meat of the season, Rusin’s best splits came in the first and last months, when he posted a 3.48 ERA in six games in April and a 2.08 ERA in nine games in September. That final month gives hope that Rusin, Colorado’s most efficient reliever in 2017, can again be a linchpin in 2019. The southpaw is under club control for two more seasons.
The journeyman’s first bigleague opportunity was a long time coming, and the 29yearold who began his professional career as an undrafted free agent with the Rays in 2010 made the most of his September callup. Johnson gave up three runs in 6L innings with nine strikeouts and posted five consecutive scoreless appearances to begin his career.
In a bullpen short on reliable lefthanders, the rookie earned higherleverage innings throughout the season after making his debut April 23. His 3.26 ERA in 30plus innings at home were more than decent for a young reliever being thrown into the Coors Field fire. It would surprise no one if Musgrave emerged with a breakout 2019 season, much as Scott Oberg did this year.
After fingerblister issues and the emergence of Antonia Senzatela bumped Bettis to the bullpen in midAugust, the veteran posted a respectable 2.38 ERA in 11plus innings as a reliever. Bettis, the club’s highestpaid starter of 2018 at $2 million, will no doubt vie for a spot in the rotation again in 2019 — especially with the question marks surrounding Jon Gray. The righthander is set to become a free agent in 2021.
“Showtime” impressed enough in a small secondhalf sample size after his majorleague debut June 21 to earn a September callup. He allowed two runs in fiveplus innings over the final month. While there is certainly plenty of room for improvement — Almonte allowed 80.0 percent of inherited runners to score in 14plus total innings — a heater that can climb into the upper 90s and a bulldog mentality provide great promise.
Howard wasn’t on the postseason rosters and threw only four innings across four games this season. With not much of a sample size in LoDo, it’s hard to effectively grade him, as he shuttled back and forth between the Rockies and TripleA Albuquerque three times while posting a 5.06 ERA in 96 innings for the Isotopes.
Nothing went according to plan for Dunn this season. After posting a 4.47 ERA in 50plus innings of relief in 2017, Dunn’s injuryriddled 2018 left him with a 9.00 ERA over 17 innings. He first went to the disabled list in April for back spasms, and then again in early June for a left rhomboid strain, before making his final appearance of the season July 3. Dunn battled a left A/C joint issue that had been bothering him since he tweaked it last offseason, and that injury finally necessitated seasonending surgery in September. He expects to be fully healthy for 2019.
In another offseason deal that blew up in the Rockies’ face, McGee was right behind Bryan Shaw as he posted a 6.49 ERA in 51plus innings. McGee’s earlyseason struggles after signing a threeyear contract similar to Shaw’s were followed by an even worse second half, including a 7.59 ERA in a dozen August appearances. The lefthander is due at least $20 million over the next three seasons (including a $2 million buyout in 2021) as he, too, will become expensive dead weight in 2019 if he doesn’t turn things around.
After signing a threeyear, $27 million deal last offseason, Shaw became the Rockies’ biggest bullpen liability. He made the contract general manager Jeff Bridich gave him look like a mistake. Shaw had a 5.93 ERA, five blown saves and innumerable blown leads and never could get right following a midseason phantom disabled list stint for a “strained calf.” He was relegated to mopup duty in the final couple months and was left off the postseason rosters. He is due at least $19.5 million over the next three seasons (including a $2 million buyout in 2021).