Colorado Rockies Down On The Farm: The Three New Guys

Apr 12, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; General view of Coors Field during the fourth inning of the game between the Chicago Cubs against the Colorado Rockies. The Cubs defeated the Rockies 6-5. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Jeff Hoffman

After the trade, Hoffman — who is probably the prized piece of the entire deal, from a prospect standpoint — was assigned to AA New Britain. He didn’t have to go far to get there; he had been in the Eastern League at AA New Hampshire in the Jays’ organization prior to the move.

He’s throwing on Friday night in New Britain, as we are writing this post (!), but in his first and only start before Friday, he tossed 4.2 innings against the Erie Sea Wolves, allowing six hits and three runs, but no walks, while striking out six batters in a no decision.

In his minor league career — which has come entirely this season, after he recovered from Tommy John surgery in 2014 — Hoffman is 3-3, 3.11 in 14 starts with 52 strikeouts against just 17 walks and a 1.26 WHIP in 72.1 innings pitched.

Here’s Hoffman in a video — the first half of which is taken from his time in Dunedin (Class-A Advanced) in the Blue Jays’ organization earlier this summer, with the second half taken from before he had elbow surgery when he was at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina:

Not everybody thinks it’s good that there are mechanical differences in the two halves of the video, though some of that may be attributed to the Blue Jays trying to lessen the risk of injury on a kid who came back very quickly from elbow reconstruction surgery.

Next: Miguel Castro