November 20th 2024.
On Tuesday, the Rockies made a significant move by selecting the contract of Zac Veen, a promising outfielder, and adding him to their 40-man roster. This is a big step for Veen in his journey to the big leagues, but it's not quite the final step yet. While he has the potential to make his major league debut in the near future, it's more likely to happen in 2025. Of course, that's if he has a stellar performance during training camp and impresses the Rockies enough to earn a spot on the team's roster for the upcoming season.
At just 22 years old, Veen is highly regarded as the Rockies' No. 3 prospect and is ranked 83rd overall by MLB Pipeline. However, his development has been slowed down by injuries. He was drafted ninth overall in 2020 from Spruce Creek High School and has played four seasons in the minor leagues, with a solid record of .260/.355/.424 and an impressive 134 stolen bases.
Unfortunately, Veen's progress has been hindered by various injuries, limiting him to only 46 games in 2023 and 65 games in 2024. His hand, back, and hamstring injuries have caused setbacks, but he managed to finish the 2024 season playing for Triple-A Albuquerque. In just 21 games, Veen had six homers, two doubles, and six stolen bases, with a slash line of .220/.281/.476. Prior to that, he also had a successful stint at Double-A Hartford, where he hit .268/.359/.457 with five homers, two triples, five doubles, and 10 stolen bases in 36 games.
The addition of Veen to the roster means that the Rockies now have 39 players on their 40-man roster. This move was made just in time, as it was the deadline for teams to set their 40-man rosters. Any player who is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft and not added to their team's roster is now open to being selected by another organization. The Rule 5 Draft will take place on December 11 at the winter meetings in Dallas.
According to the Rule 5 Draft rules, players who were first signed at 18 years old or younger must be added to their team's 40-man roster within five seasons, or they become eligible to be selected in the draft. For players signed at 19 years or older, they must be protected within four seasons.
In related news, the Rockies' Kris Bryant had his Lamborghini Huracan stolen and was later retrieved by the police. The team's fans also have some burning questions, such as whether they should consider moving the fences at Coors Field and if catcher Drew Romo is the answer to their needs. On a more positive note, Rockies' center fielder Brenton Doyle won his second National League Rawlings Gold Glove Award, while shortstop Ezequiel Tovar won his first.
Back to the Rule 5 Draft, teams have to pay $100,000 to select a player in the major league phase. However, if that player doesn't stay on the 26-man roster for the entire season, they must be offered back to their former team for $50,000. In the Rockies' case, they left two of their top 30 prospects unprotected: third baseman Warming Bernabel and right-hander Yujanyer Herrera.
Herrera, 21, joined the Rockies in 2024 as part of the Nick Mears trade and had a successful season, pitching over 100 innings for the first time in his minor league career. He mostly played for High-A Spokane and had an impressive 3.04 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP. On the other hand, Bernabel, 22, played 120 games at Double-A and had a slash line of .263/.296/.359, with nine homers, one triple, 17 doubles, and 12 stolen bases.
For more Rockies news and updates, be sure to sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all the latest MLB analysis. The Rockies are constantly making moves and have some exciting prospects to watch out for, so stay tuned!
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