Colorado Rockies re-sign right-hander, add depth to staff
Nov 11, 2022, 2:20 PM | Updated: 2:51 pm
The Colorado Rockies will play about 1,500 innings and 2023, meaning they’ll need somebody on their pitching staff to eat some of those.
The fighting Rockos have their man, re-signing Jose Ureña to a one-year, $3 million deal that includes a club option at $4 million for 2024. The signing was first reported by FanSided, with MLB Network confirming the details.
RHP Jose Ureña has a one-year, $3 million deal with the Rockies, per source. The deal also includes a $4 million club option for 2024. @ByRobertMurray was first with Ureña to Colorado.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) November 11, 2022
A six-year veteran, Ureña became a free agent at the season’s end. He was signed by the Rockies originally this past May after being released by the Brewers. The 31-year-old spent 2021 with Detroit but had been a Marlin for his whole career before that.
Ureña has only had one standout season, coming in 2017 when he had a 3.82 ERA and a 14-7 record in 34 games. He has mainly been used as a starter, which is what he did for the Rockies this past year.
In 17 games for the Rockies, Ureña threw to a 5.14 ERA and a 3-8 record. It was one of the better seasons of his below-average career.
Ureña is acceptable for the Rockies as a longman or spot starter; anything more is putting too much on the right-hander’s plate.
Ureña had the 10th lowest strikeout rate among starters, with more than 70 innings pitched last season, setting down just over 15% of batters faced. Of 149 pitchers who threw 90+ innings last season, Ureña was 148th in strikeout rate minus walk rate. His fastball is still pretty speedy, but it doesn’t fool anyone.
The Rockies really need pitching help, adding back a guy with a 5+ ERA won’t really solve the issue.
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