Rockies cut Speier, officially add Chacin, Betancourt
| July 24, 2009 | 4:16 PM
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The Colorado Rockies on Friday designated Ryan Speier for assignment and placed Manny Corpas on the disabled list to make room for Jhoulys Chacin, who was called up from Double-A, and Rafael Betancourt, who was acquired from the Cleveland Indians in a trade Thursday.
Speier, who has spent most of the season on the disabled list, could be sent to Triple-A if he clears waivers. Read more about it here.
The Rockies unveil the two new members of their bullpen in what is likely their biggest series of the season Friday, a three-game set against the San Francisco Giants, who the Rockies passed to take over the National League wild card lead earlier this week.
Here’s how the bullpen stacks up entering Friday’s game:
Huston Street: The Rockies’ closer has been nearly untouchable after briefly losing his job in April. He has 16 consecutive saves dating back to June 8 and is 24-for-25 in save opportunities overall this season. The problem recently has been getting a Rockies lead to him in one piece.
Rafael Betancourt: While not the pitcher he was in 2007 when he went 5-1 with a 1.47 ERA for the Indians, Betancourt is an experienced setup man who is used to pitching under pressure. He last appeared in a game for the Indians July 19 when he allowed one run in an inning pitched and is 1-2 with a 3.52 ERA. Betancourt has spent much of the season on the disabled list with a groin injury and returned to the Indians two weeks ago. He’s made four appearances since then. The time off could mean he’s fresh or it could mean he’s rusty. Only time will tell.
Franklin Morales: The only lefty in the pen, Moralas has been wild but effective since being called up and moved to the bullpen for the first time his career. He’s consistently gone into deep counts, but until his last outing Tuesday against the Diamondbacks, has been able to battle back. On Tuesday, Morales walked the first two batters he faced then gave up the game-tying run on a single. Overall, he’s 1-0 with a 2.03 ERA in nine appearances, including two starts earlier in the season. He might have the best stuff in the bullpen, but the Rockies need Morales to understand that himself.
Juan Rincon: The loser in Tuesday’s game against the Diamondbacks when he gave up a two-run home run in the eighth inning, Rincon has pitched in 13 games for the Rockies since joining the team in June. He’s allowed runs in three of those game and been nearly perfect in all the others. Walks have been his primary problem — seven in 11 innings for the Rockies. Rincon’s experience is valuable for a somewhat inexperienced bullpen, but he’s a better fit for the middle innings than the eighth inning, where he’s found himself in recent days as Joel Peralta and Manny Corpas struggled before being sent out.
Matt Daley: The Rockies rookie, who made his major league debut this season at 27 years old, has been a pleasant surprise for the Rockies and may be the primary reason Ryan Speier lost his job Friday. Both Daley and Speier are tall, lanky righties who use a deceptive motion to keep hitters off balance. One of those pitchers might be enough for the Rockies. Daley, who spent a couple weeks on the disabled list earlier this season after injuring his ankle on a freak play , has a 2.61 ERA in eight appearances in July and has pitched six consecutive scoreless appearances.
Josh Fogg: The surprise for anyone who has noticed that Fogg has pitched sparingly — he went nearly two weeks without appearing in a game at the end June — is that his numbers are great: 0-1, 1.77 ERA, 10 hits and six walks in 20 1/3 innings. Chances are if Fogg were being used more frequently, the numbers wouldn’t be as impressive, but he’s been solid in his limited use and his veteran presence in the bullpen could have an effect similar to Matt Herges’ in 2007. The question: Does Fogg stay in the background or does Jhoulys Chacin take over the long relief role while Fogg moves into more pressure situtations.
Jhoulys Chacin: The Rockies took a chance bringing up one of their top pitching prospects from Double-A without letting him get his feet wet at Triple-A first. Chacin has a major-league ready fastball and changeup and has been working on a breaking pitch this season. Long-term, Chacin’s role is likely in the starting rotation, but the move gives him a chance to learn on the job and gives the Rockies a reliever who might just turn out to be one of their best before the end of the season.
Journals, Sports, Steve Foster
colorado rockies, franklin morales, huston street, jhoulys chacin, josh fogg, juan rincon, manny corpas, matt daley, rafael betancourt, ryan speier
