Colorado Rockies: 3 Non-Roster Invitees Who Could Make An Impact

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Mar 20, 2016; Salt River Pima-Maricopa, AZ, USA; General view of the game between the Colorado Rockies and the San Francisco Giants at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports /

With the start of spring training for the Colorado Rockies just days away, there is plenty of reason for excitement with this year’s squad. A young, talented rotation and a star-studded offensive lineup have the Rockies thinking they could reach the postseason for the first time since 2009.

Of course, the postseason is still a long ways away from right now. Camp hasn’t officially opened in Arizona so the chill of October is still months in the future. However, for the Rockies to get there, they’ll not only have to have their bullpen discover its swagger but also show that they have the depth to get through a full season without missing a beat.

Colorado Rockies

Last year, as August dawned, the Rockies were in discussion for a Wild Card spot. However, a hot start to the second half of the 2016 season was quickly derailed by a season-ending injury to Trevor Story as well as Carlos Gonzalez and Mark Reynolds both missing time with injuries. The depth wasn’t there to overcome the injuries.

This season, the Rockies have added more versatile pieces in Ian Desmond and Alexi Amarista on offense. Those signings could prove enormous as the season goes along as both players have the ability to play numerous positions if needed.

However, depth also might come from hidden gems the Rockies discover during spring training. Last season, no one would’ve guessed Tony Wolters would have made the impact he did, yet he showed in spring in Arizona why he belonged in Denver.

This season, we’ve identified three non-roster invitees to spring training who could well find themselves with 40-man roster spots before spring ends. One or more could even find themselves on the Opening Day roster.

Want to see the non-roster players invited to Colorado’s spring training this season? Check it out here.

Who are the three players we’ve picked out? Let’s take a look. We’ll rank the three players in the order of most likely to have a 40-man roster spot by the end of spring.

Mark Reynolds

It’s hard to believe that someone who had 393 at-bats with the Rockies last season was just recently re-signed to a minor league contract this season, but that’s the situation Reynolds finds himself in. It’s part of an offseason that saw Reynolds competing with Mike Napoli, Chris Carter and Mark Trumbo, among others, to find a new home. It’s also part of an offseason that saw the Rockies surprise many by signing Desmond to be their first baseman.

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As we’ve said in past articles, we believe Reynolds coming back to the Rockies is a very good thing for the team. Without him, the Rockies don’t have a solid backup at first base. With him, Reynolds not only provides a player who has proven his defensive abilities but also someone who can man the position if Desmond needs to move to shortstop or the outfield.

Reynolds also gives the Rockies a right-handed bat, a luxury we discussed in this article when we looked at how Colorado would line up against left-handed and right-handed pitchers.

The 33-year-old veteran hit just 14 homers last season but his .282 average was a career-high. He ended the season strong despite breaking the hamate bone in his left hand, hitting .395 in August and .300 in September.

If new manager Bud Black feels Reynolds can give the Rockies dependable (while not eye-popping) production like last year, he has a great chance of being with the team Opening Day in Milwaukee.

Chris Denorfia

Much like Reynolds, Denorfia gives the Rockies a right-handed bat option in a crowded left-handed outfield that includes Carlos Gonzalez, David Dahl, Charlie Blackmon and Gerardo Parra.

Denorfia didn’t see any time in the Majors last season, playing 42 minor league games in the San Francisco Giants organization. However, he has plenty of experience from 2010-15 with the San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs.

An interesting paragraph on Denorfia from this article on MLBTradeRumors.com…

From 2010-15, Denorfia enjoyed a part-time role with the Padres, Mariners and Cubs, averaging 118 games and 358 plate appearances per season while hitting a combined .271/.327/.393. He’s at his best when facing left-handed pitching, as evidenced by the .285/.353/.424 batting line he compiled against them in that time (compared to a .261/.308/.371 slash against righties). Denorfia has more than 1000 Major League innings at all three outfield positions, although he’s worked much more in the corners than in center field. He’s drawn consistently above-average marks in right and left field from both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating.

Denorfia comes to spring training healthy, which is something that he hasn’t been able to say for some time as he battled a bulging disk. He talked to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding about how gymnastics has helped him regain his flexibility and ability to play the game he loves.

Also, don’t forget that Denorfia played five seasons for Black while in San Diego, so the new Colorado skipper knows him well.

All of this adds up to Denorfia very much being in the mix for a roster spot. Despite youngsters like Raimel Tapia and Jordan Patterson getting Major League experience last season, Black could opt to bring Denorfia, who has much more experience, along for the ride. We think it’s a very real possibility.

Kyle Freeland

He’s a candidate to be Colorado’s fifth starter at some point this season. We talked about him in our five predictions for spring training in this article. We think solid things are ahead for the 23-year-old southpaw this season.

Here’s what our own Nolan Lees said about him in his Rox Pile article earlier this year…

Freeland will likely start the 2017 season in Triple-A, but it doesn’t seem like there’s much left for him to learn there. His minor league track record, particularly the way he pitched last season, shows a guy who attacks the strike zone while also managing to keep the ball in the park. That’s an effective combination for a guy looking to make Coors Field his home stadium.

Of course, nearly every prospect has some flaws, and Freeland is no exception. One of the largest concerns is longevity. Some scouts are less than enamored of Freeland’s mechanics, and the fact that he’s already experienced discomfort in both his elbow and his shoulder (maybe the two worst spots possible for a pitcher) is something the Rockies will have to monitor closely.

Freeland also doesn’t exactly have the explosive repertoire of a future MLB ace. Freeland is a four pitch guy (fastball, slider, curveball, change-up), and while they’re all decent offerings, none of them really stand out either.

So why could Freeland make an impact this season? Raw talent, which is one of the reasons why the Rockies took him with the number 8 overall pick in the 2014 draft.

Colorado has had success in recent months with young pitchers like Jon Gray and Tyler Anderson. It’s also witnessed some of the struggles of Jeff Hoffman when so much was expected of him late last season. Young pitchers are never a sure lock to be in the Majors by a certain date. That’s a point to remember with a lot of Colorado’s prospects on the mound.

Next: 5 Must-Read Articles Before Spring Training Begins

If Freeland makes a big impact in spring, his road to Denver could be completed sooner than later. He may not start the year with the Rockies, but we believe he’ll make an impact by the end of the season.

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Colorado Rockies: 3 Non-Roster Players Who Could Make An Impact