The Rockies have a popularity for hanging onto — and at occasions extending — veterans who can be doubtless commerce candidates with different organizations. Lately, they’ve declined to commerce Trevor Story, Jon Grey, Daniel Bard, C.J. Cron, Brent Suter and others regardless of sitting close to the underside of the standings within the Nationwide League. (Bard and Cron have been signed to ill-fated extensions.) Varied studies have already indicated that the Rockies have zero inclination to hearken to commerce eventualities involving third baseman Ryan McMahon, however Will Sammon, Katie Woo and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic report that Colorado decision-makers “plan to think about” presents for some gamers who’re managed past the present season.
Proper-hander Cal Quantrill and lefty Austin Gomber are the 2 most evident commerce candidates on the employees, and the group will certainly contemplate presents on every, per the report. Each are of their second season of arbitration eligibility, with Quantrill incomes a $6.55MM wage and Gomber being paid simply shy of half that at $3.15MM. Each are managed by means of the 2025 season and are slated to grow to be free brokers within the 2025-26 offseason.
Of the 2, the 29-year-old Quantrill doubtless has extra worth regardless of being the pricier arm. He’s posted a team-high 95 1/3 innings in 2024 and recorded a 3.78 ERA on the again of an 18% strikeout fee, 8.5% stroll fee, 46.9% grounder fee and 1.13 HR/9. It’s been a pleasant rebound effort for Quantrill in a troublesome setting for any pitcher. The previous No. 8 general draft choose was torched for a 5.24 ERA final season in an injury-shortened yr with the Guardians however is now within the midst of his third season of strong ends in an enormous league rotation. Quantrill additionally pitched to a mixed 3.16 ERA in 336 innings with Cleveland in 2021-22, displaying the identical mix of sub-par strikeout charges with an aversion to exhausting contact.
Quantrill isn’t with out his flaws. His 18% strikeout fee is worse than the league-average, however proper in keeping with his profession 17.8% mark. He’s by no means missed bats at a excessive degree, and his command is extra good than nice. Equally, whereas he makes use of a sinker as his main providing, his ground-ball charges are sometimes a bit above common however removed from elite. Quantrill has up to now featured a changeup — he’s largely moved away from the pitch this season — but it surely hasn’t stored lefties in examine as a lot as hoped when the pitch obtained plus grades again to his prospect days. Lefties have a profession .241/.318/.404 slash towards him, whereas righties are at a comparable .266/.313/.400. He’s been hittable by all opponents but additionally not overexposed in platoon settings.
Gomber, 30, has pitched 87 2/3 innings this season and turned in a 4.72 ERA. That quantity has climbed by almost two runs for the reason that calendar turned to June. On the finish of Could, Gomber was sporting a tidy 2.76 earned run common, however he’s been blasted for 28 earned runs with an 18-to-7 Ok/BB ratio over his previous 29 frames, courting again to June 2.
Tough patches of this kind are all too acquainted for the Rockies and Gomber, who got here to Denver as a part of the regrettable Nolan Arenado commerce with St. Louis. The previous fourth-round choose is second (to Kyle Freeland) on the Rockies in innings pitched courting again to his acquisition, having piled up 466 2/3 frames over 99 appearances (83 begins). He’s posted a tepid 5.13 ERA in that point and truly generated barely higher outcomes at Coors Subject (4.96 ERA) than on the street (5.31 ERA). Look again by means of Gomber’s month-to-month splits in any given season, and there’s sometimes a month or two like his April/Could run in 2024, however they’re largely offset by pronounced struggles that mirror his present droop.
Gomber punched out a strong 23.2% of his opponents in his first season with the Rox, however he’s at 16.1% this yr and has seen the typical velocity on his fastball drop from 91.6 mph in ’21 to 90.3 mph this season, per Statcast. He’s additionally scaled again the utilization of his slider in favor of extra curveballs and changeups. Again in 2021, Statcast credited his slider with a hearty 35% whiff fee, however the pitch is all the way down to 17.7% this season and has been hit more and more exhausting over the previous couple seasons, so it’s not an enormous shock to see him shifting away from it.
Whereas neither Quantrill nor Gomber would fetch the kind of haul that will seismically enhance the Colorado farm system, each ought to generate curiosity. That’s true not solely resulting from their comparatively reasonably priced salaries and additional yr of membership management, but additionally as a result of easy lack of alternate options available on the market for groups in search of rotation assist. Quantrill is a borderline playoff starter at finest, and Gomber is probably going seen as extra of a fifth starter who may also help eat innings earlier than sliding right into a bullpen position within the playoffs. For some golf equipment, that kind of stability is all they’re in search of.
It’s removed from a provided that the Rockies will finally transfer both pitcher. Quantrill has spoken positively concerning the expertise of pitching in Colorado and at Coors Subject particularly. He’s exceeded expectations since being acquired from Cleveland and, traditionally talking, is the kind of veteran the Rockies have regarded to signal for a number of years relatively than commerce. Their ostensible willingness to hearken to presents on him can be one thing of a change of tempo however arguably a welcome one for a membership that has at a number of occasions handed on commerce alternatives that will’ve bolstered their minor league system solely to ultimately lose mentioned gamers for no return in any respect once they grow to be free brokers. Whether or not both pitcher drums up sufficient curiosity to warrant a proposal that convinces the Rockies to maneuver stays an open query, although.
Colorado does produce other arms which might be managed/signed past the present season, although most are performing poorly. Dakota Hudson has an ERA simply shy of 6.00 with almost as many walks as strikeouts. He’s arbitration-eligible this winter. Kyle Freeland is signed by means of 2026 and can earn $16MM in every of the subsequent two seasons. In a wholesome season, he would possibly’ve drawn curiosity, however he solely returned from the 60-day IL a pair weeks again after a prolonged stint resulting from an elbow pressure. He’s regarded sharp since returning (two runs in 12 2/3 innings) however was clobbered for a 13.21 ERA in 4 begins previous to his IL journey.
The Athletic additionally cites righty Ryan Feltner as a reputation who may draw curiosity regardless of an unpleasant 5.60 ERA of his personal. There’s some sense to that as a possible buy-low candidate. Feltner averages 95 mph on his heater and has turned in a career-low 6.2% stroll fee on this yr’s 91 2/3 innings. His 19.3% strikeout fee is under common by a pair proportion factors, however his 10.5% swinging-strike fee isn’t removed from par and he has strong spin charges on his breaking pitches.
Feltner, 27, will probably be arb-eligible as a Tremendous Two participant this offseason. He’s controllable for 4 extra seasons and has a pair of minor league choices remaining. A contending membership may not wish to plug him instantly into their rotation — notably if mentioned group is in a tightly contested division/Wild Card race. Different golf equipment seeking to 2025 and past — or maybe these with comfy division leads however nonetheless needing some rotation depth — may view him as a longer-term mission with good uncooked stuff who may gain advantage from a change of surroundings.
