On Friday, the Colorado Rockies re-signed four key players, successfully avoiding arbitration with them ahead of the 2019 season.
The first was pitcher Chad Bettis, who will be paid $3.325 million for the 2019 season, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
Chad Bettis will earn $3.325 million from #Rockies
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 11, 2019
Bettis has been a member of the Rockies organization since 2013, serving as a featured arm in the starting rotation. Bettis was up and down in 2018 but was able to establish a level of consistency once he was moved to the bullpen. He went 5-2 last season and posted an ERA of 2.38 out of the pen.
He will have an improved pitch mix, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com citing the 29 year old has altered his cut-fast ball. If the new pitch is successful, Bettis could earn a spot in Colorado’s starting rotation for 2019.
Bettis will be an essential member of the Rockies pitching corps this season and brings experience to a relatively young staff. He can serve as a back-end of the rotation piece or a long reliever out of the bullpen; his versatility will be valuable for manager Bud Black throughout the long season.
The Rockies also agreed to a $2.625 million deal with pitcher Tyler Anderson, according to Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. Anderson has battled injuries throughout his entire career, but when he is able to stay healthy he’s been effective for Colorado.
Anderson’s shining moment came last postseason when he dealt six innings of one-run baseball against the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS. Barring health, the 29-year-old southpaw can be a highlight of the Rockies rotation.
Catcher Tony Wolters avoided arbitration as well, signing a one-year, $960,000 contract, according to Harding. Wolters will likely share playing time with Chris Iannetta behind the plate for Colorado. Wolters woefully hit only .170 last season in 216 plate appearances.
Finally, Trevor Story settled on a $5 million deal after the deadline, avoiding a hearing before the 2019 season. Story is coming off of a career year in which he career-high totals for runs (88), hits (174), extra-base hits (85), RBI (108) and stolen bases (27).
