Colorado Rockies pull a move around MLB trade deadline after all
By Kevin Henry
The Colorado Rockies were the butt of many jokes as the MLB trade deadline concluded, being the only team to not make any kind of trade. However, the Rockies did eventually make a move after the deadline expired, and it had a connection to one of the more interesting trades of the deadline period.
Colorado Rockies acquire Dinelson Lamet, who had been traded by the San Diego Padres to the Milwaukee Brewers
When the Brewers and Padres worked out a deal that would send All-Star closer Josh Hader to San Diego in exchange for closer Taylor Rogers, right-handed pitcher Dinelson Lamet, and prospects Robert Gasser and Esteury Ruiz, there was just one problem. The Brewers didn’t exactly have room on their roster for Lamet, and the 30-year-old was designated for assignment by Milwaukee.
The Colorado Rockies took advantage of that DFA, picking up Lamet and putting him on their 40-man roster. Ashton Goudeau was designated for assignment by Colorado to make room for Lamet, who finished fourth in the National League Cy Young voting in the pandemic-shortened season of 2020 with a 2.09 ERA/2.48 FIP/0.855 WHIP in 12 starts covering 69.0 innings.
Since then, however, Lamet has been a work in progress, moving into the bullpen and watching his numbers climb, with a 5.46 ERA/4.17 FIP/1.601 WHIP in his last 35 games covering 59.1 innings.
The Rockies have had decent luck this season in pitchers Chad Kuhl and Jose Ureña, both players turned away by other franchises but have found some success in Colorado (Kuhl has, however, struggled mightily in the month of July after a solid first three months in Denver). No doubt the Rockies are hoping for the same kind of lightning in a bottle with Lamet.
As a former Padre, Lamet has started three times at Coors Field in his career, posting a 6.30 ERA/1.600 WHIP in 10 innings. He gave up nine hits in those 10 innings, and four went for extra bases.
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With Colorado always needing pitching depth, the acquisition of Lamet is a low-risk, high-reward move. It also puts a bit of an uptick on a week where Colorado general manager Bill Schmidt was heavily questioned about the lack of movement by his franchise, which currently sits in the basement of the National League West.