The Rockies have a fame for hanging onto — and at instances extending — veterans who could be seemingly commerce candidates with different organizations. In recent times, 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 had been signed to ill-fated extensions.) Varied experiences 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” gives 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 workers, and the workforce will certainly contemplate gives 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 via 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 seemingly 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 tricky setting for any pitcher. The previous No. 8 general draft choose was torched for a 5.24 ERA final season in an injury-shortened 12 months with the Guardians however is now within the midst of his third season of stable ends in a giant league rotation. Quantrill additionally pitched to a mixed 3.16 ERA in 336 innings with Cleveland in 2021-22, exhibiting the identical mix of sub-par strikeout charges with an aversion to onerous contact.
Quantrill isn’t with out his flaws. His 18% strikeout fee is worse than the league-average, however proper consistent with his profession 17.8% mark. He’s by no means missed bats at a excessive stage, and his command is extra good than nice. Equally, whereas he makes use of a sinker as his major providing, his ground-ball charges are sometimes a bit above common however removed from elite. Quantrill has previously featured a changeup — he’s largely moved away from the pitch this season — nevertheless it hasn’t saved lefties in examine as a lot as hoped when the pitch acquired plus grades again to his prospect days. Lefties have a profession .241/.318/.404 slash in opposition to 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 practically two runs because the 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 Okay/BB ratio over his previous 29 frames, courting again to June 2.
Tough patches of this type 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 really generated barely higher outcomes at Coors Area (4.96 ERA) than on the street (5.31 ERA). Look again via 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 stoop.
Gomber punched out a stable 23.2% of his opponents in his first season with the Rox, however he’s at 16.1% this 12 months and has seen the common 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 onerous over the previous couple seasons, so it’s not an enormous shock to see him transferring away from it.
Whereas neither Quantrill nor Gomber would fetch the kind of haul that might seismically enhance the Colorado farm system, each ought to generate curiosity. That’s true not solely as a consequence of their comparatively reasonably priced salaries and further 12 months of membership management, but additionally as a result of easy lack of alternate options in the marketplace for groups searching for rotation assist. Quantrill is a borderline playoff starter at finest, and Gomber is probably going seen as extra of a fifth starter who will 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 searching for.
It’s removed from a on condition that the Rockies will in the end transfer both pitcher. Quantrill has spoken positively in regards to the expertise of pitching in Colorado and at Coors Area particularly. He’s exceeded expectations since being acquired from Cleveland and, traditionally talking, is the kind of veteran the Rockies have seemed to signal for a number of years moderately than commerce. Their ostensible willingness to hearken to gives on him could be one thing of a change of tempo however arguably a welcome one for a membership that has at a number of instances handed on commerce alternatives that might’ve bolstered their minor league system solely to ultimately lose stated 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 are managed/signed past the present season, although most are performing poorly. Dakota Hudson has an ERA simply shy of 6.00 with practically as many walks as strikeouts. He’s arbitration-eligible this winter. Kyle Freeland is signed via 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 as a consequence of an elbow pressure. He’s seemed 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 unsightly 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 12 months’s 91 2/3 innings. His 19.3% strikeout fee is beneath common by a pair share factors, however his 10.5% swinging-strike fee isn’t removed from par and he has stable spin charges on his breaking pitches.
Feltner, 27, will likely 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 need to plug him instantly into their rotation — significantly if stated workforce 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 venture with good uncooked stuff who may gain advantage from a change of surroundings.
