The Rockies have agreed with right-hander Jake Woodford on a minor league deal, in accordance with a report from Thomas Harding of MLB.com. The deal presumably consists of an invitation to large league Spring Coaching, as Harding says he’ll be capable of compete for a spot within the rotation or bullpen when camp opens subsequent month.
Woodford, 28, was a first-round choose by the Cardinals again in 2015. The best-hander labored his means up the minor league ladder with the membership to make his large league debut throughout the shortened 2020 season. That debut wasn’t a lot to write down residence about, as he posted a lackluster 5.57 ERA in 21 innings of labor. Woodford continued to pitch for St. Louis in an up-and-down position over the following few seasons, and really loved usually strong ends in 2021 and ’22 with a 3.26 ERA (121 ERA+) and a 3.93 FIP in a mixed 116 innings of labor unfold between 9 begins and 42 reduction appearances. Even throughout these years, nonetheless, his 15.4% strikeout charge was effectively below-average and a transparent trigger for concern.
Woodford’s lack of strikeouts got here again to chunk him throughout the 2023 season, when he pitched to a 6.23 ERA over 47 2/3 innings of labor with the Cardinals. He not solely continued to battle with placing opponents out (13.1%) but additionally started having issues together with his management to the purpose the place his stroll charge (9.1%) began to method his strikeout charge. That’s practically all the time a recipe for catastrophe, and whereas Woodford’s 51.2% groundball charge was strong, opposing hitters have been crushing the ball once they did handle to raise as evidenced by an 11.3% barrel charge. Considerably unsurprisingly, Woodford’s brutal outcomes led the Cardinals to non-tender him that November.
Forward of the 2024 season, Woodford signed with the White Sox on a minor league deal. He finally was added to the roster in late Might to interchange injured right-hander Mike Clevinger and made two begins for Chicago. Neither of these begins went effectively, and he wound up surrendering ten runs on 15 hits (two homers) and 5 walks whereas placing out seven in 8 1/3 innings of labor for the White Sox earlier than he was designated for task in early June. He elected free company and was signed to a minor league deal by the Pirates shortly thereafter.
Pittsburgh chosen him to the roster shortly after the commerce deadline final July, however his tenure with the Pirates solely went barely higher than his time on the south aspect of Chicago had. In all, Woodford made seven appearances for the membership: 5 begins and two reduction outings. He surrendered an unpleasant 7.09 ERA throughout that point, and whereas a 4.07 FIP means that the righty might have been the sufferer of unhealthy luck throughout his stint with the Pirates, his strikeout woes continued as he punched out simply 15.7% of opponents throughout his time with the membership.
Woodford was ultimately outrighted off the Pirates’ roster close to the tip of final season and headed again into minor league free company as soon as the common season got here to an in depth. Now, the right-hander will get his newest alternative with the Rockies. Colorado has famously struggled to discipline an efficient pitching employees through the years due largely to the difficulties related to pitching at elevation. That’s led the Rockies to prioritize including groundballers to their pitching employees, so it’s hardly a shock that they’d have curiosity in including Woodford provided that his profession groundball charge on the large league stage is a strong 45.1%.
After all, Woodford’s lackluster outcomes weren’t sufficient to earn him a serious league deal, and he’ll must earn a roster spot throughout Spring Coaching or anticipate a chance to current itself later within the yr as a non-roster depth choice. As issues stand, the Rockies seem like roughly set within the rotation with Germán Márquez, Kyle Freeland, Austin Gomber, Ryan Feltner, and Antonio Senzatela all seemingly ticketed for the Opening Day roster. There’s a bit extra room for flexibility within the bullpen, nonetheless, and it’s not unattainable to think about Woodford beating a participant like Angel Chivilli or Tanner Gordon out for a roster spot with a robust exhibiting in Spring Coaching.
