November 23rd 2024.
The Rockies made some surprising changes to their roster on Friday, as they aimed to shake things up and continue their focus on young talent. They decided to non-tender their Gold Glove second baseman, Brendan Rodgers, and their right-handed starter, Cal Quantrill. This move was made in order to reduce the club's payroll for the upcoming 2025 season, and to create opportunities for promising prospects like Adael Amador and a group of young pitchers who may make their debut in the majors this year.
Both Rodgers and Quantrill were in their final year of arbitration, with Rodgers potentially earning $6 million and Quantrill expected to make around $9 million. The Rockies did attempt to trade both players, but unfortunately, no suitable deals were found. In addition to these moves, the Rockies also made two other roster changes by signing one-year deals with left-handed reliever Lucas Gilbreath and outfielder Sam Hilliard. This brings their 40-man roster down to 38 players.
The decision to release 28-year-old Rodgers came as a surprise, especially since he has been the subject of trade rumors for the past two years. He was even awarded a Gold Glove in 2022, and had a solid season in 2024, playing in a career-high 132 games and hitting .267/.314/.407 with 13 home runs. However, it seems that Rodgers never quite lived up to the expectations the Rockies had for him when they drafted him third overall in 2015 from Lake Mary High School in Florida. Injuries have plagued his career and prevented him from reaching his full potential.
In contrast, 21-year-old Adael Amador is seen as the future replacement for Rodgers at second base, but his brief stint in the majors in 2024 showed that he may not be quite ready for the big leagues just yet. In 10 games with the Rockies, he struggled at the plate, hitting just .171/.194/.200 with only one double in 36 plate appearances. He also had some issues adjusting to playing second base, as he had previously been a shortstop. Overall, it was clear that Amador still has some growing pains to work through, and he may not be ready to take over at second base in 2025.
Meanwhile, Quantrill, who was acquired by the Rockies in a trade with Cleveland last November, had a decent first season with the team. He made 29 starts, going 8-11 with a 4.98 ERA. He got off to a strong start by effectively using his split-finger fastball, and in May, he went 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA in five starts. However, he struggled in the second half of the season, with a 6.88 ERA and 15 home runs allowed over his final 15 starts.
As the Rockies continue to make changes to their roster, fans can expect more updates and news as the season progresses. In the meantime, be sure to sign up for the Rockies Insider to stay informed on all the latest MLB analysis and updates.
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