Rockies add Davis to bolster bullpen
The Colorado Rockies added a significant piece to what’s becoming a formidable and high-priced bullpen by agreeing to a three-year, $52-million contract with All-Star reliever Wade Davis.
His deal includes a fourth-year player option that would become guaranteed should Davis finish 30 games in 2020, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms of the deal have not been released. The team officially announced the deal Friday afternoon.
A 32-year-old right-hander, Davis will be in line to close out games for a Colorado team that returned to the playoffs last season for the first time since 2009. The Rockies’ relievers played a big role in 2017 by going 24-19 with a 4.40 ERA. Their 549 strikeouts over 550 relief innings were the second-most in franchise history.
General manager Jeff Bridich is sticking to his blueprint of fortifying the bullpen. A few weeks ago, the Rockies finalized $27-million, three-year contracts with right-hander Bryan Shaw and lefty Jake McGee, who has been with Colorado the last two seasons. The team also is set to return righty Adam Ottavino and lefty Mike Dunn. It has all the makings of a shut-down bullpen. “We’ll see,” Bridich said. “There’s a lot of time in between now and when that’s determined. There’s a foundation that’s been set for a deep pen as long as guys stay healthy and pitch to their capabilities.”
Davis has flourished since stepping into a fulltime reliever’s role in 2014. He leads all qualified major league relievers with a 1.45 ERA and has allowed a .169 opponent batting average. In 2015, Davis was a pivotal part of a bullpen that helped guide the Kansas City Royals to a World Series title.
Last season, Davis had a 2.30 ERA and 32 saves for the Chicago Cubs after being acquired in a trade from Kansas City.
“There’s a slow heartbeat in pressure situations,” Bridich said of Davis. “There’s that inner belief in himself in those situations. Just a competitor. A very good competitor — a guy who I think is taken very seriously when he comes into the game.”