The Colorado Rockies optioned five players on Friday to begin the shaping of the 2024 active roster. This is expected, but howwill these choices help the Rockies make improvements on last year’s roster?
Starting with the bullpen, Juan Mejia was optioned to the Hartford Yard Goats after appearing in three games and giving up two runs resulting in a 6.75 ERA. While Mejia’s performance did seem to highlight some possible control problems, his development as a right-handed reliever will keep him on the 40-man with little possibility of making his majors debut this season.
Angel Chivilli, another right-handed pitcher, will be joining Mejia in Hartford for the time being after accomplishing 1 strikeout and giving up no runs in three appearances. Chivilli’s2023 Hartford performance ended with a 1.43 WHIP after 61 IP, so he will probably remain with the Yard Goats to continue his development for most of 2024.
Optioning Noah Davis back to the Albuquerque Isotopes is a disappointing confirmation that he is not going to be part of the Rockie’s starting rotation in 2024. Davis’s 2023 debut in the majors showed potential, but it really failed to deliver anything of note after an 0 – 4 record from 30 innings pitched that delivered 26 strikeouts and an 8.75 ERA. It was hopeful to see Davis at the start of Spring Training, but even his appearance on February 24 against the Diamondbacks gave some less than exciting results. Yes, he recorded three strike outs but one was on Jacob Stalling’s catch of a foul-tip and one was off a batter penalty for a second timeout. To return to the starting rotation, Davis will need to do better than he did against the Dodgers when he allowed four runs off seven hits and two walks in just over four innings of work.
The two right-handed pitchers were not the only ones to be optioned to the double-A Yard Goats on Friday. Adael Amador, the shortstop from the Dominican Republic was optioned back to Hartford to keep developing. After 14 plate appearances this Spring, Amador delivered a .214 AVG and a .654 OPS. However, the Rockies are still deep at shortstop with Exequiel Tovar and Julio Carreras. This 20-year-old is currently considered the Rockies’ No. 1 prospect, but Amador has also been putting in work at second base that may prove to be the path to his regular season debut with the Rockies if Brendan Rodgers moves on this season.
Yanquiel Fernandez was also to be optioned to the Yard Goats on Wednesday. Fernandez got 1 homerun and 1 RBI after 13 plate appearances to produce a .231 AVG this Spring, but a right fielder is not something the Rockies are hurting for right now. There is currently a bit of a log jam in rightfield now with veterans Kris Bryant, Sean Bouchard, and even Charlie Blackmon, blocking the chance for any new blood to see time in the rightfield this season.
All five of these players will remain on the 40-man roster as Colorado heads toward Opening Day, but fans may still see any of these players in the long season ahead because situations likeNolan Jones’s lower back tightness that brought him out the March 6th game against the Texas Rangers after the first inningare a reminder that the Rockies are no stranger to active line-up changes brought on by Spring Training injuries.
