Colorado Rockies Non-Tender Matt Carasiti, Stephen Cardullo

Like every Major League Baseball team, the Colorado Rockies were forced to make some tough decisions on Friday. While the Rockies did come to terms with relief pitcher Jake McGee and avoid arbitration, they also said goodbye to a pair of players who made their Colorado debuts in 2016.

Relief pitcher Matt Carasiti and infielder/outfielder Stephen Cardullo were non-tendered on Friday, dropping the number of Rockies on the team’s 40-man roster to 37.

The 25-year-old Carasiti made his Major League debut against Philadelphia on August 12. It capped a meteoric rise that saw the right-hander tally a 1.96 ERA between Double-A and Triple-A. However, Carasiti could never find his rhythm with the Rockies, going 1-0 with a 9.19 ERA with 11 walks and 17 strikeouts over 19 relief appearances.

Carasiti, who was selected by Colorado in the sixth round of the 2012 First-Year Player Draft, earned his first Major League win on August 19 against the Chicago Cubs.

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The 29-year-old Cardullo was one of the feel-good stories of the season for the Rockies. After playing four seasons in independent baseball, Cardullo finally reached the Majors in late August after having his contract selected by the Rockies. In recognition of him reaching the Majors, the Rockland Boulders (Cardullo’s independent team) renamed the left field bleachers “Cardullo’s Corner” in his honor.

Cardullo played first base, left field and right field for the Rockies during his tenure with the team. He batted .214 with three doubles, one triple, two homers and six RBI in 27 games.

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Additionally, former Rockies pitcher Christian Bergman has reportedly landed in the Seattle Mariners organization. Bergman was outrighted to Triple-A after the 2016 season ended. However, he elected to pursue free agency rather than be a part of Colorado’s plans in Albuquerque.