Hilliard back to handle “unfinished business”
Sam Hilliard is returning to the Rockies and he’s intent on resurrecting his career, saying, “I still have unfinished business there.”
The club claimed the lefthanded hitting outfielder off waivers from the Orioles on Wednesday.
“It caught me off guard and I wasn’t expecting this,” Hilliard said in a phone interview from Sarasota, Fla. “But I’m excited to come back. A lot of my really close friends are there and I’m close with the staff. I know (manager) Buddy (Black) very well, and I loved playing in Colorado. I want to help the Rockies win.”
Hilliard, 30, said he planned to fly to Phoenix on Thursday to join the Rockies at spring training in Scottsdale.
Hilliard, who is out of options, will be fighting for a spot on the 26-man roster.
“We are looking for competition for that fifth outfielder spot,” general manager Bill Schmidt said. “Right now, Sam will be competing with (Bradley) Zimmer for that spot. At least for now. We’ll see how it works out.”
This spring, the club has been searching for a lefty hitter who can play all three outfield spots and give Gold Glove center fielder Brenton Doyle a breather. Zimmer signed a minor league deal earlier this month with an invitation to big-league camp.
“We were looking for somebody who has some speed and gives us defense,” Schmidt added. “Sammy can fill that role. We’ll see what happens, but we were looking for the best player we can to fill that role. And that has been my point all spring training, that we want to see that competition.”
To make room on the 40man roster, Colorado placed right-handed starter Antonio Senzatela on the 60-day injured list.
Senzatela is rehabbing from the Tommy John elbow surgery he underwent last July.
Hilliard said he can be more than just a fifth outfielder.
“I still have a lot to prove with the bat,” he said. “But I think I showed, in short spurts with Colorado, what
I can do. At the end of the day, I’ll do whatever is asked, but I think I’m more than a fifth outfielder. I would like to earn a more consistent spot if I can. I think I can help the team win some baseball games if I settle in and get in a groove.”
Hilliard was selected by the Rockies in the 15th round of the 2015 draft. Colorado hoped that the fast, athletic Hilliard would become an everyday player, but it didn’t work out.
He debuted in 2019 and appeared in 214 games with Colorado from 2019-22. He slashed .212/.294/.423 with 29 home runs, 15 steals and 71 RBIS. A high strikeout rate has always been a problem: Hilliard’s 33.8% career rate is well above the major league average of 22.9%.
“It’s something that I’m always trying to get better at,” he said. “It’s been my issue in the past but it’s something that I think I can be much better at. I’ve been working really hard on my swing and my approach. That was really my target during the offseason, making the right adjustments. I think I have made some real strides.”
Colorado traded Hilliard to Atlanta in exchange for minor league right-hander Dylan Spain in November 2022.
Hilliard played in 40 games with Atlanta last season, slashing .236/.295/.431 with three home runs and six RBIS before a heel injury in July landed him on the 60-day injured list and ended his season.
While Hilliard showed some promise at the plate, his strikeout rate soared to 42.3%.
Hilliard was acquired by Baltimore off waivers from Atlanta last November.