The Rockies introduced in the present day that they’ve re-signed catcher Jacob Stallings to a one-year take care of a mutual possibility for 2026. Per Mark Feinsand of MLB.com (X hyperlink) and Jon Heyman of The New York Put up (X hyperlink), it’s a $2.5MM deal together with a $2MM wage in 2025 and a $500K buyout on a $2MM mutual possibility for 2026. Heyman says Stallings has an opportunity to earn $3MM, so there are presumably some incentives or bonuses for the Bo McKinnis consumer. Colorado’s 40-man roster is now full.
It’s not a shock to see the 2 sides reunite. The Rockies signed Stallings a yr in the past and he went on to have a stable season. It appears he loved his time at altitude, because it was reported in September that the 2 sides had mutual curiosity in a reunion. Although he wished to return again, he turned down a $1.5MM mutual possibility for 2025 in favor of a $500K buyout. He was presumably hoping to safe a assure bigger than the $1MM distinction between these two numbers and has certainly achieved so.
Stallings received into 82 video games for the Rox in 2024, stepping to the plate 281 instances. He hit 9 dwelling runs and drew walks at a stable 9.6% clip. His .263/.357/.453 batting line translated to a 114 wRC+, his greatest offensive displaying in any season wherein he took at the least 20 plate appearances.
The defensive evaluations have been a bit extra combined. He had racked up 42 Defensive Runs Saved from 2019 to 2021, the very best of any catcher within the majors for that timeframe. However that metric has soured on him, giving him a grade of -15 over the previous three seasons, together with a -6 grade in 2024. Retailers like Baseball Prospectus and Statcast have thought of him to be a superb blocker in recent times however not so nice when it comes to framing or controlling the operating recreation.
Whereas Stallings will not be an ideal participant, maybe he’s the appropriate man for the Rockies and their present circumstances. Drew Romo could also be seen because the membership’s long-term answer behind the plate however he’s not fairly there but. Chosen thirty fifth total within the 2020 draft, he’s simply 23 years previous and remains to be a piece in progress. He has made his main league debut however hit poorly in simply 16 video games.
Maybe Romo will get a lengthier massive league audition in 2025, with the 35-year-old Stallings round as a veteran mentor/backup. Or if Romo is getting extra seasoning in Triple-A, a stage at which he has lower than 100 video games of expertise, then maybe Stallings will get extra massive league enjoying time. Utility participant Hunter Goodman is the third catcher on the roster and he could possibly be an element if Romo is down on the farm, or maybe the Rockies might herald one other veteran.
Both manner, the membership must be enjoying the lengthy recreation. They simply wrapped up their sixth straight dropping season, with greater than 100 losses in every of the previous two campaigns. There are some optimistic developments on the roster however they will afford to offer Romo a while to get his ft moist and get accustomed to the large leagues. Since participant growth doesn’t all the time go in a straight line, it is sensible to have a vet like Stallings round to assist the method or just step in at any time when Romo may be extra centered on issues like coaching, growing relationships with pitchers or any of the opposite sides of being a giant league catcher.
