Colorado Rockies take surprising gamble on Antonio Senzatela
At least the Colorado Rockies are finally doing something.
After essentially sitting out free agency and ignoring the trade deadline, the Rockies are showing signs of life. Of course, as is the case with this organization, even that sign of life is not exactly understandable as they have signed Antonio Senzatela to a five year extension worth $50.5 million.
Right-hander Antonio Senzatela and the Colorado Rockies are in agreement on a five-year, $50.5 million contract extension, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 5, 2021
News at ESPN: https://t.co/g037RU6Jtv
Colorado Rockies sign Antonio Senzatela to confusing deal
The Rockies certainly need to do what they can in order to keep any pitcher who has success at Coors Field. Senzatela is exactly that as he has posted a career 4.65 ERA and a 1.355 WHiP over his 311.1 innings in Colorado, marks that are better than his performance on the road. Armed with a power sinker that helps him rack up ground balls but does not miss many bats, he is the type of pitcher that the Rockies need.
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However, $50.5 million is a lot of money for someone who is generally mediocre. Senzatela has posted a lifetime 4.84 ERA and a 1.408 WHiP over his 579.2 innings, striking out 393 batters with just 184 walks. Likewise, as he made just $3 million in 2021, and was still eligible for arbitration, he was not likely to receive anything close to that much of a raise.
There is some reason for the Rockies to hope that he can be worth that paycheck. Senzatela has posted a more than respectable 4.11 ERA and a 1.300 WHiP over his 230 innings over the previous two seasons. He could be a solid enough middle of the rotation arm in Colorado, and at 26 years old, still has plenty of room to get even better.
But his is a risk that the Rockies did not need to take. Chances are, they could have landed Senzatela for less. Quite frankly, there would not be many teams lining up to sign someone who would be a back of the rotation arm elsewhere to that type of contract. But this is the Rockies after all – at least they are showing that they are awake heading into the offseason. That’s a step in the right direction.
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The Colorado Rockies have signed Antonio Senzatela to a five year extension. It is a financial outlay that they did not need to make.