Colorado Rockies in need of experienced pitchers - MLB Update
The Colorado Rockies are looking for some good pitchers this winter. The team struggled in the pitching department in 2012 and had a 29-68 losing record with a 5.81 ERA which was just too high. They were last in ERA, quality starts, WHIP and Batting Average
Against (BAA) in all of Major League.
The team will be looking to change the situation and for the turnaround, they will hope to uplift their resources in that department. This will certainly be in the top of the agenda of the Rockies in Nashville this week in the Winter Meetings.
The Rockies are looking for good quality pitchers with specific skills because of the conditions at the Coors Field due to the high altitude. Bill Geivett, the vice president of Major League Baseball operations for the Rockies stated that the club wants
pitchers that rely more on strike-outs and ground balls rather then fly balls.
"I think it depends on the individual some, but certainly we'll look for somebody who is able to put the ball on the ground and throw strikes," Geivett said. "Those are going to be two things that we would heavily weigh into the equation."
Last year the Rockies made a trade with the Baltimore Orioles and acquired Jeremy Guthrie for Jason Hamel and Matt Lindstrom. Guthrie’s time at Coors Field was forgettable at best and he was traded to the Kansas City Royals where the pitcher shined, landing
a $25 million three-year deal.
The Colorado ball club will be waiting on the fitness of its pitchers, Jhoulys Chacin, Jorge De La Rosa and Juan Nicasio. They want to add an experienced pitcher to the line-up who can guide the youngster in the team.
According to reports, the Rockies have an interest in Jeff Francis as well as Kevin Correia. Francis has been previously associated with the Rockies and played with them for seven out of his eight seasons in the Major League. Kevin also has a 10-year-long
experience in the Majors.
Bill Geivett is comfortable with the talent they have in hand and expects them to improve upon it in due course.
Geivett said, "I think we are comfortable with the flashes of talent they have shown, but I don't know about true consistency at this point. But I do think we are comfortable with their talent level."
Colorado Rockies certainly will be looking to add at least one good quality pitcher to their starting rotation for the next season. They will have a good chance to meet a number of free agents as well as look into trade options during the Winter Meetings.
By adding a good pitcher and making sure that the pitchers in the team stay healthy, the Rockies can give a much improved performance in 2013 season.
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