Are The Colorado Rockies Making The Right Call With Eddie Butler?

By Andrew Dill |

In case you aren’t aware of the news this afternoon, the Colorado Rockies announced that right-hander Eddie Butler will get the start Sunday afternoon against the San Diego Padres. Butler struggled with the Rockies to start the 2015 campaign and hasn’t fared too well with the Albuquerque Isotopes. Are the Rockies’ making the right move with the 24-year-old?

Personally, I would have loved to see top prospect Jon Gray get the call, but Colorado seems hesitant on doing so, especially with a team that is 11 games below .500. Gray struggled in his most recent outing (July 12), giving up four runs on six hits over just three innings of work. Gray needed 82 pitches to close out the third, something that probably caught the Rockies eye.

The Butler call-up caught me by surprise if you will, basically due to the fact he hasn’t pitched well at all. In six starts down at Triple-A, Butler has logged a record of 2-2 with a balmy ERA of 6.27. Butler has surrendered 37 hits in 33 innings pitched, yielding 23 earned runs while walking 16 and striking out 22.

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What if Butler continues to struggle at the Major League level and the call-up does nothing but set him back even more? In 11 starts earlier this season with the Colorado Rockies, Butler went 3-6 with an ERA of 4.80. His first two starts were encouraging, giving up just two runs over 10.1 innings of work, yet his final start against Miami was the deciding factor to demote the youngster.

Butler yielded 11 hits while giving up six runs in just 5.1 innings. Over his last seven starts in a Rockies uniform, Butler went 1-5 and was looking for answers. Unfortunately for him, his struggles continued in Albuquerque as noted above.

One player, not named Jon Gray, who should have gotten the call is veteran John Lannan. Lannan spent six seasons with the Washington Nationals, one with the Philadelphia Phillies and one with the New York Mets. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff but could serve as a stop-gap for Gray if need be.

In 16 starts this season with the Isotopes, Lannan is 5-4 with an ERA of 4.57. The earned run average isn’t too pretty, but it’s certainly better than Butler’s. So far, Lannan has logged 100.1 innings, giving up 137 hits and 62 runs — 51 of which are earned. He doesn’t walk too many people, considering he has only given up 21 free bases. Why not give the veteran the chance over the struggling prospect?

All-in-all, I’m rooting for Eddie Butler, yet the move as of right now doesn’t make too much sense to me. One thing the Colorado Rockies must do now is make sure Butler stays in the rotation for the rest of the season or a quick demotion could hurt his psyche.

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