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Rockies expected to sign right-hander Jhoulys Chacín to a major league contract, reports Thomas Harding of MLB.com (Twitter link). He will be on the opening day list. Athletic’s Nick Groke Noted earlier in the evening, Chacín was throwing past the Rocky Mountain brass.
Chacín returns to where his career began. The right-hander signed with the Rockies as an international amateur in 2004 and made his MLB debut with Colorado five years later. Chacín continued to perform as a lasting and effective spinning piece for a few seasons in Denver. Between 2010-14, he pitched 661 innings of 3.76 ERA / 4.01 FIP ball, no small feat in the batting friendly limits of Coors Field. He was sort of a nomad in the years that followed, appearing in the majors for the Diamondbacks, Braves (two separate stays), Angels, Padres, Brewers and Red Sox.
As recently as 2018, Chacín was arguably the Brewers’ most productive starter. Relying on his cursor almost half the time, he pitched 192.2 innings of 3.50 ERA / 4.59 SIERA ball. His 2019 season was a disaster, as he dropped to 6.01 ERA / 4.94 SIERA. Chacín pitched just five innings last season.
Chacín spent the last spring training at camp with the Yankees on a minor league contract. He pitched well but couldn’t carve out a role for himself in a high-level rotation in New York. The Yankees granted Chacín his release earlier this week and he quickly found secure employment in Colorado.
The Rockies’ rotation seems to be the strength of the list, although not completely without opportunity. German Marquez will take the ball on opening day, and it will likely be followed by Antonio Senzatela, Jon gray and Austin gomber. Fellow projected starter Kyle Freeland will start the year on the injured list with shoulder fatigue. Chi Chi González had looked like the favorite to open the year in fifth place in the rotation, but it looks like that role will go to Chacín.
The signing of Chacín is also the Rockies’ first major league free agent contract of the offseason. Colorado had been the only team in the league not to hand out a guaranteed deal this winter, but they will enter the set the day before the season opener.
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