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The Rockies introduced the acquisition of infielder/outfielder Greg Jones from the Rays in alternate for minor league left-hander Joe Rock this morning. Colorado designated outfielder Sam Hilliard for task to be able to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Jones, 26, was the Rays’ first-round choose again in 2019 — the twenty second general choice that 12 months. He climbed as excessive as sixth on the workforce’s high 30 prospects at Baseball America, heading into the 2022 season, however he’s seen his inventory dip since that point. Jones hit simply .238/.318/.392 in Double-A that season and adopted with a 2023 marketing campaign that noticed him bat .244/.318/.432 between Double-A and Triple-A. He’s touted as an 80-grade runner (on the 20-80 scale) and wonderful athlete with a plus arm however has defensive issues at shortstop. Tampa Bay started getting him work within the outfield final 12 months to be able to bolster his versatility.
The switch-hitting Jones nonetheless has two minor league possibility years remaining however more and more regarded like he’d been pushed down the organizational depth chart — each within the infield and within the outfield. With the Rockies, he’ll have a clearer path to taking part in time, significantly within the outfield, the place elite-fielding Brenton Doyle is ticketed for normal middle subject work however might want to enhance upon final 12 months’s woeful debut displaying on the plate. In idea, an outfield alignment with each Doyle and Jones would give the Rox two elite runners who may cowl appreciable floor in Coors Subject’s expansive outfield grass.
Jones may additionally give the Rockies some long-term cowl within the infield. Touted prospect Ezequiel Tovar is slated to get a continued audition because the on a regular basis shortstop this season however has but to show he can hit within the huge leagues. At second base, Brendan Rodgers is seeking to bounce again from a tough displaying in his return from a shoulder harm. He’s solely managed for 2 extra seasons, although, so it’s possible that Rodgers may emerge as a commerce candidate this summer season if he’s in a position to recapture one thing nearer to his 2021-22 type. That’d open additional alternatives for Jones.
In the intervening time, Jones could have an out of doors probability at cracking the Rockies’ roster. Supervisor Bud Black advised Patrick Saunders of the Denver Put up (X link) that he couldn’t rule out an Opening Day nod for his workforce’s latest acquisition but in addition acknowledged that the window to check out the speedster is sort of quick.
In alternate for his or her 2019 first-rounder, the Rays will obtain the Rockies’ 2021 Aggressive Steadiness Spherical B choose. Rock, 23, was the No. 68 general choose that summer season and climbed as excessive because the Triple-A stage final 12 months — only for a pair innings late within the season.
Heading into the 2024 season, Rock ranked twenty sixth amongst Colorado farmhands at Baseball America. He spent the majority of the 2023 season in Double-A Hartford, the place he logged 90 innings with a 4.50 ERA, a powerful 27.3% strikeout fee, a strong 8.1% stroll fee and a 44.4% grounder fee that’s a pair ticks higher than common. Rock was tormented by a .343 BABIP and proved barely homer-prone (1.30 HR/9), but it surely was a usually encouraging season for the Ohio product, who’ll give the Rays some upper-level pitching depth and will make his method to the majors sooner or later in 2024.
MLB.com’s already-updated prospect rankings slot Rock into the No. 19 in Tampa Bay’s system. Scouting reviews from BA, MLB and FanGraphs all give Rock the possibility for 3 common or higher pitches — two-seamer, slider, changeup — however observe that his arsenal is undercut by below-average command. That hasn’t been obvious but by means of Rock’s minor league stroll charges, however there’s an necessary distinction between “management” (persistently throwing strikes) and “command” (exactly finding the ball inside the zone).
If Rock has extra of the previous than the latter, that may very well be exploited by extra superior hitters who benefit from errors inside the zone. Then once more, the Rays have a popularity for maximizing pitcher efficiency, so it’s at all times doable he’ll discover one other gear following a change of environs and exceed the modest back-of-the-rotation projection he attracts on most scouting reviews.
For the Rays, including an upper-minors, close-to-MLB-ready arm like Rock is a lot wise. Tampa Bay simply misplaced Taj Bradley for a yet-to-be-determined stretch because the promising younger righty offers with a pectoral pressure. They’ll even be with out Drew Rasmussen, Jeffrey Springs and Shane McClanahan to start the season — and certain for your entire season in McClanahan’s case. Rasmussen had an inside brace process final July. Springs had Tommy John surgical procedure final Might. McClanahan had Tommy John in August. Touted younger right-hander Shane Baz can be nonetheless working his manner again from late-2022 Tommy John surgical procedure.
Tampa Bay signed previous buddy Jake Odorizzi to a minor league deal earlier this month after the Bradley harm. He may very well be the favourite to take the fifth spot within the rotation early within the season, however he signed late sufficient that he may not be prepared for an Opening Day roster spot. Because it stands, the Rays have 4 pitchers locked into rotation spots: Zach Eflin, Aaron Civale, Zack Littell and Ryan Pepiot. A minimum of early within the season, swingmen Tyler Alexander and Chris Devenski may make some spot begins. Each had been stretching out to 3 innings in camp even earlier than Bradley’s harm.
Hilliard solely simply returned to the Rockies earlier this month after the Orioles positioned him on waivers. Baltimore had claimed him from Atlanta earlier within the offseason. He appeared in 40 video games and hit .236/.295/.431 by means of 78 plate appearances with the Braves, fanning in an eye-popping 42.3% of his plate appearances. A heel harm wound up costing him the majority of the 2023 season.
From 2019-22, Hilliard appeared in 214 video games as a Rockie, taking part in all three outfield spots and batting a mixed .212/.294/.423 with 29 homers, 15 steals, a ten% stroll fee and an unpleasant 32.7% strikeout fee over a complete of 639 plate appearances. Strikeouts have lengthy been a difficulty for Hilliard, who touts a powerful .265/.346/.570 slash and 62 homers in simply 942 Triple-A plate appearances however has punched out at an ugly 28.5% clip at that stage. The Rockies could have per week to commerce Hilliard, try to cross him by means of outright waivers, or launch him.
Robert Murray of FanSided was first to report the Rockies and Rays had been swapping Rock for Jones.
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