Nick Hundley signs two-year deal with Rockies

The Colorado Rockies officially have a new catcher on the roster, as they have agreed to terms on a two-year deal with free agent Nick Hundley.

We used to frequently see Nick Hundley during his San Diego Padres’ days. If you would have told me, at that time, someday the Rockies would sign Hundley and I would actually be pretty happy about the move, well, you would have made me sad.

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And yet here we are, the Rockies have signed Hundley to a two-year, $6 million deal, and I am convinced that it’s a good move.

Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reported the signing. As part of his reporting, Connolly noted that the Baltimore Orioles expressed an interest in retaining Hundley but were outbid by the Rockies.

Yes, that means that the Rockies outbid somebody for a player they wanted in free agency. Granted, the winning bid was $6 million over two years, but still, this is a noteworthy event.

Orioles ultimately made a 2yr offer to Nick Hundley, sources said. But couldnt guarantee as much playing time and $ was lower
— Dan Connolly (@danconnolly2016) December 31, 2014

Hundley batted .243/.273/.358 and was a 0.1 WAR player in 2014. As we have noted previously here on Rox Pile, he is nothing spectacular defensively but still stands to be a significant upgrade over the struggles of Wilin Rosario the last two seasons.

I look at this move a couple ways. First, signing Nick Hundley should be considered in the context of this particular free agent market. There are few quality position players available and even fewer catchers. Once Russell Martin signed with the Toronto Blue Jays for too much money, the Rockies would be left to fend with the field for the services of guys like Hundley and Geovany Soto.

To emerge from that free agency context with a competent big league catcher is a win, especially considering how desperate the Rockies were for stability behind the plate.

Secondly, it has become clear that Buck Showalter and company wanted Hundley back on the Orioles. Granted, they wanted him as insurance to back up Matt Wieters as opposed to viewing him as a potential starter, but that has to count for something, right? That is a quality organization that has consistently made smart moves over the last few seasons, and they were interested in signing Nick Hundley.

I will take comfort in that, and I will hope that Hundley can be part of a quality pair of catchers for the Rockies in 2015.

Next: Rockies Year In Review: Pitcher of the Year 2014

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