The Colorado Rockies are trying out a lot of new things this season. It’s a year of experimentation as the new front office works to determine what exactly they already have before they know exactly what they still need in their quest to become a contender.
One question that may have already been answered is that the Rockies don’t have a closer. The bullpen remains a problem.
Obviously, only a few positions on a last-place team would be considered stable. All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman looks to be. Young Gold Glove-winning shortstop Ezequiel Tovar is – and maybe Gold Glove-winning center fielder Brenton Doyle is, but it’s worth noting that he’s struggled mightily at the plate this season. The Rockies have some keepers, but plenty of work still remains.
Maybe something radical could send a positive jolt through the club – something like moving a struggling starting pitcher to the bullpen to help bolster the relief corps.
Kyle Freeland has been a stalwart in the Rockies’ starting rotation for a decade now. He’s had plenty of highs, a handful of injuries, and a good number of lows, especially over the past two seasons. Even when he pitches well, something always seems to go amiss… a lack of run support, untimely mistakes and the like. Freeland’s struggles have mirrored Colorado’s. He hasn’t had a winning record since going 17-7 in 2018, and last season’s 5-17 mark hid the fact that he still threw 162 innings – and somehow produced a positive WAR (wins above replacement). He remains a quality arm.
Remember, Freeland wasn’t the only Rockies veteran starter to struggle a year ago. Right hander Antonio Senzatela had what might be the worst season of any starting pitcher in 2025. He was 4-15, had a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of over 1.8 (that means he averaged almost two base runners per inning) and an ERA of 6.65 over 130 innings. Senzatela’s WAR was -0.5; an awful year by every possible measurement.
He remained a Rockie for this season primarily due to the money that he was still owed for the final year of his contract, but someone on the baseball side came up with the brilliant idea of making him into a relief pitcher. The results have been remarkable. Through his first 30+ innings, Senzatela numbers are sensational: he’s 4-0, has three saves with an ERA of 1.13, and a WHIP of 0.78. Those are “Comeback Player of the Year” kinds of numbers.
Perhaps Freeland would benefit from a similar move to the ‘pen? Perhaps the Rockies could, as well?
Freeland’s most recent home start against the Texas Rangers might provide a clue. He cruised through the first three innings before running into trouble – again – in the fourth, when he allowed a pair of home runs. He finished an out short of the requisite five innings pitched needed to record a win as a starter, but the Rockies did take a lead into the ninth inning – due in part to scoreless seventh and eighth innings from Senzatela. If manager Warren Schafer and his staff hadn’t outsmarted themselves and just left the big right-hander in the game to pitch the ninth, ‘Senza’ would have likely finished off the win and picked up his fourth save. Alas, the Rangers rallied against others from the team’s beleaguered bullpen, and another Freeland start ended up in the loss column. While he didn’t take the “L,” his ERA remained over 7.00 and his record sat at 1-5.
Clearly what he and the team are currently doing isn’t working for either side.
What if the Thomas Jefferson High School product was moved to the bullpen and asked to provide two or three quality innings of middle or late relief the same way Senzatela is doing? Like Senza, the veteran lefty has also proven he can give a team high-quality work over a shorter number of innings.
Since Freeland has been so steadfastly against being traded, a conversation about how he can better help the current Rockies would seem to be a fair one to ask for at this point. There’s no shame, nor is it a demotion, to move to a different role – if that’s the role that best suits a player’s current ability. Just ask Senzatela. Position players become designated hitters every year, and aging standouts become pinch-hitters and even part-timers. That’s baseball.
After a decade of being a reliable, if not always impactful, starting pitcher, perhaps Kyle Freeland’s best way to continue to contribute to the team he loves is something different than what he’s currently doing?
