Colorado Rockies: Review of the Regular Season and Rocktober
By Paul Ashley
After a disappointing ending to the 2017 season, the Colorado Rockies front office made aggressive moves with hopes of winning the division in order to avoid the entire season coming down to another one game Wild Card playoff.
Despite a .310 average and a .429 on-base percentage from Lucroy through 46 games with the Rockies in 2017, the organization went another way at catcher. Also, despite a .352 on-base percentage and a .487 slugging percentage from Reynolds through 148 games, the team chose to use the high-priced Desmond at first base in 2018.
Even though Holland was able to compile 41 saves to tie the Rockies franchise saves record in 2017, the organization chose to look elsewhere for a closer after he put up a 6.38 ERA in the second half of the season. After the bullpen as a whole compiled to finish 20th in the MLB with a 4.40 ERA, the Rockies chose to spend quite a bit of money on the bullpen ahead of 2018.
For example, prior to the 2018 season, the Rockies added Wade Davis (three years, $52 million), Jake McGee (three years, $27 million), Bryan Shaw (three years, $27 million), Chris Iannetta (two years, $8.5 million), and Carlos Gonzalez (one-year, $5 million). Tyler Chatwood, Holland, Lucroy, Reynolds, and Neshek all departed in free agency.
After an 8-15 win-loss record in 2017 with a 4.69 ERA, Chatwood was able to secure a three-year, $38 million contract with the Cubs. After Holland declined his one-year, $15 million vested player option with the Rockies for 2018 in search of a larger payday, he was only able to secure a one-year, $14 million contract with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Lucroy ended up signing a one-year, $6.5 million contract with the Oakland Athletics. Reynolds ultimately went through free agency without a contract before agreeing to a minor league contract with the Washington Nationals midway through the month of April. Neshek returned to the Philadelphia Phillies on a two-year, $16.25 million contract.