Fans hoping for a splashy trade to help bolster Colorado’s struggling bullpen will have to settle for a ripple for now.
On Monday the Rockies exchanged a pair of minor league pitchers with the Cubs, sending right-hander Matt Carasiti to Chicago and acquiring left-hander Zac Rosscup.
Rosscup is a left-on-left specialist who has made one appearance for the Cubs this season, pitching 0.2 innings of hitless, scoreless relief on May 22 vs. San Francisco.
In his career with Chicago, he went 3-1 with a 5.32 ERA (47.1 IP, 28 ER), 32 walks and 57 strikeouts in 62 relief appearances across parts of four seasons. He has a lifetime .162 batting average against versus left-handed hitters.
Rosscup spent the entire 2016 season on the 60-day disabled list with left shoulder inflammation. He made 17 appearances with one start for Triple-A Iowa this season, and went 2-2 with a 2.60 ERA (27.2 IP, 8 ER), 39 strikeouts and eight walks. In his Minor League career, he is 18-12 with a 2.64 ERA (290.0 IP, 85 ER), 107 walks and 355 strikeouts.
Rosscup will be added to the Club’s 40-man roster and optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque.
Carasiti made 19 appearances for Colorado in 2016, his only stint with the Major League club, going 1-0 with a 9.19 ERA (15.2 IP, 16 ER), 11 walks and 17 strikeouts. This season, he was 1-1 with a 2.37 ERA (30.1 IP, 8 ER), 13 walks and 43 strikeouts in 27 appearances for Triple-A Albuquerque.