Colorado Rockies History: Bruce Ruffin or Jason Hammel at Pitcher?

Call to the Pen’s pick: Jason Hammel

Hammel signed with the Rockies in one of the best trades the club has ever made. In 2009, he was traded from Tampa Bay for prospect Aneury Rodriguez, who never pitched for the Rays. Hammel didn’t seem valuable to the Rays in 2008, pitching only 78.1 innings in the year the Rays reached the World Series. He did not pitch in the postseason that year.

The next year was a completely different story for Hammel. He pitched almost 100 more innings than the year before and spotted a 4.33 ERA, a 10-8 record and a chance to pitch in the first home game of the NLDS in 2009 against the Phillies with Ubaldo Jimenez and Aaron Cook drawing the starting assignments in Philadelphia.

Hammel started that game three well but ultimately gave up four runs in a one-run loss. He might have not been the best pitcher the Rockies ever had, but he gave a semblance and a hope that he could round out the rotation and make the pitching a positive rather than a detrimental piece of the team.

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In all, Hammel pieced together a 27-30 mark during his three seasons in Denver with a 4.63 ERA. He started 87 of the 96 games in which he appeared for the Rockies.