Cameron MacLennan | November 25, 2024
The Rockies continue to change things up with their roster and focus on the future with their youth. To drill down that point, they non-tendered former Gold Glove second baseman Brendan Rodgers and starter Cal Quantrill on Friday.
Both moves come as somewhat of a surprise as the Rockies neglected to trade both players at the trade deadline in July. That being said, according to MLB sources, the Rockies tried to trade both but received very little or no interest for either.
Goodbye Mr. Rodgers
The longer tenured of the two in Colorado is 28-year-old Brendan Rodgers. A former 3rd overall pick, Rodgers came into the Rockies system with a lot of hype. It’s fair to say he never quite lived up to that hype. The Florida native has been hindered by injuries a lot of his professional career which has damaged his ability to reach what once seemed like sky-high potential.
After reaching the big leagues in 2019, Rodgers has only played more than 110 games twice. He was able to stay healthy this year, playing in 135 games. Rodgers was able to put together a decent year, hitting .267 and posting an OPS+ of 94 (MLB average is 100).
The non-tendering of Rodgers came as a bit of a surprise as he has been the subject of trade talks over the last 2 seasons but has been held onto by the Rockies, with a confirmed report of Rockies and Marlins trade talks in 2022. Rodgers was entering his final year of arbitration and was projected to make $6 million this coming year, though now any team can sign him to any contract.
With 2nd base now being vacant with the Rockies, the question is now who will replace Rodgers this year?
On Saturday, it was announced that the Rockies signed utility infielder Kyle Farmer, from the Minnesota Twins. He was signed to a one-year deal with a mutual option for a 2nd year. The Rockies will likely use him as place holder until some of their local talent arrives. We discussed other potential options at 2nd base over the weekend, here.
Rocky Departure for Quantrill
For Cal Quantrill, 2024 was interesting, to say the least. To begin the year, he looked really solid. Through 14 starts, Quantrill possessed a 3.30 ERA and looked especially comfortable pitching at Coors Field. However, after that, it was a slippery slope for Quantrill the rest of the season. He posted a 6.88 ERA the rest of the way while walking a wild 39 batters at an 11.8% rate, the 3rd highest rate in MLB after June 11th (> 50 IP).
Like Rodgers, Quantrill was also entering his last year of arbitration eligibility and was in line to make about $9 million, though he’ll likely sign for much less than that on the open market.
Quantrill’s replacement options are more open-ended. As we all know how difficult it is to get notable free-agent pitchers to sign in Colorado, the Rockies options will mostly be internal products.
The Rockies’ starting rotation was bit by injuries in 2024, but it looks like reinforcements are on the way. With a (hopefully) healthy German Marquez and Antonio Senzatela back in the mix, that will help minimize the effects of Quantrill being gone.
Of young players who have already pitched with Colorado, Bradley Blalock and Tanner Gordon could offer short-term answers while the Rockies wait for their prospects to arrive.
Most notable of prospects nearing the big leagues is the Rockies’ top pitching prospect, Chase Dollander. The 9th pick in the 2023 MLB Draft, Dollander appears to have the makings of a potential ace, posting 2.25 ERA in 9 starts with Hartford and only being 23 years old. Dollander is expected to be with the Rockies at some point during the 2025 season.
In terms of other names, the Rockies have a pair of lefties that are running through the minor leagues. Sean Sullivan, the Rockies No. 10 prospect, had a very impressive 2024 season in High-A Spokane and Double-A Hartford. The 22-year-old offered just a 2.11 ERA over a combined 21 starts. While he may not appear in 2025, Sullivan looks to have the stuff to be an effective starter in the near future.
Closer to the majors is fellow lefty Carson Palmquist. A 3rd-round pick in 2022, Palmquist split time between Hartford and Albuquerque in 2024. He was very good in Hartford, posting a 3.17 ERA in over 80 innings. As he likely continues gathering innings in Albuquerque to begin 2025, it would not be a surprise to see him in the big leagues early this season.
While it is still hard to swallow the fact that Rodgers and Quantrill were let go for nothing, the Rockies are committed to a new direction. As Bill Schmidt continues to shake up this roster going into 2025, these moves have sent the message that Colorado is betting on their youth to spark a return to relevance.
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