Colorado Rockies sign Mike McClendon for Minor League, invite to spring training- MLB News
The Colorado Rockies continue to add pitchers, both starters and relievers this off-season. They already have signed Jeff Francis and have acquired experienced closing pitcher Wilton Lopez from the Houston Astros in trade.
The emphasis is not without reason as the team ended up with the worst numbers in almost all pitching related statistics in all of Major League Baseball in 2012. This was partly because of injuries to the main experienced pitchers and inexperience of the
ones who had to take centre stage earlier than they would have liked.
They have recently added Mike McClendon to the list of the pitchers they have recently signed, for a Minor League deal. He has also been invited to the spring training.
Mike has played in the Majors for three seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers with reasonable success and was recently non-tendered by them, becoming a free agent.
His numbers in 2010, his rookie year, are the best that he has so far posted. He had a 2-0 winning record with three holds and posted an ERA of even 3.00 and a low WHIP of 1.05. In 17 relief appearances, he pitched in a total of 21 innings.
He did well in the limited opportunity in 2011, posting a 3-0 winning record with a 2.63 ERA. However, his numbers dwindled in 2012 when he was unable to post a win in his nine relief appearances and posted a very high 6.43 ERA.
The 6ft 5in tall pitcher was originally drafted by the Brewers in the 10th round of the 2006 Amateur Draft. Hailing from Arlington, Texas, he graduated from the Bishop Moore High School in Orlando, Florida. He attended college at the Seminole
Community College in Sanford, Florida.
His professional career kicked off in 2006 with the rookie class affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, the Helena Brewers in the Pioneer League. He posted good results and started moving up through the ranks, playing for the Class A West Virginia Power and
the high Class A Brevard County Manatees.
He eventually broke into the Triple-A level in 2010, the same year he had his first opportunity in the Majors. While playing in the Majors in the last three years, he has continued to play in the Minor League as well. He has so far only gotten limited opportunities
in the MLB, but he has done reasonably well.
In his Minor League career, he has a 38-32 winning record with a 3.56 ERA in 235 games. As a Triple-A pitcher, he has a 13-12 winning record with a 3.32 ERA in 96 games.
Mike McClendon has plenty of experience in the Minors and has also played at the Majors for some time. His experience will not only help him but also other players that will be playing with him in the Minors. It would be no surprise if Mike gets a call from
the Rockies at some point in time during the 2013 season for a Major League stint.
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