By Jordan Long
The Colorado Rockies have been relatively quiet during MLB free agency. They finally made a move that they hope will upgrade the bullpen, agreeing to a 1-year deal with pitcher Pierce Johnson.
The Rockies’ bullpen struggled last season. The ERA for the relievers was a disappointing 4.85, last in Major League Baseball. When Rockies’ Manager Bud Black went to the bullpen, he anticipated those pitchers would stop opponents from scoring. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. They gave up walks which equaled traffic on the base paths. A hitter would also smack a base hit or a home run which helped a team come back or extend their lead over the Colorado Rockies. It was part of the reason Colorado finished at 68-94.
Johnson has pitched in the majors since 2017. His stops include the Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, and San Diego Padres. During the regular season last year, Johnson pitched in 14.1 innings for the Padres. In those appearances, Johnson struggled to keep the Padres in the lead. His record ended at 1-2 with an ERA of 5.02. Despite those numbers, the Padres finished at 89-73, earning a playoff spot as 1 of the 3 Wild Card teams in the National League.
The Padres went all the way to the National League Championship Series. Their postseason run ended there. They were knocked off by Philadelphia in 5 games. In the playoffs, Johnson pitched 4.1 innings. He was a different pitcher, giving up just 2 hits. Hitters didn’t score on him. When the last out was recorded in game 5, he was officially a free agent.
The Rockies knew they wanted to improve the bullpen. Johnson comes back to his hometown. Johnson attended Faith Christian Academy located in Arvada, Colorado for his high school career before he went to Missouri State for the 2011 and 2012 college season.
The Rockies anticipate he will be the answer as a late reliever and even a setup pitcher for the bullpen. It is a low-risk, high-reward type of contract. If he pitches well, that could mean a contract extension in Colorado or a big deal in free agency in 2023. A poor season and Colorado may look to trade him during the season. For now, it seems like a minor deal for the Rockies with the possibility of a bigger move to come.
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