Colorado Rockies: Who Takes The Rotation Spot of Chad Bettis?

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Sep 24, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Chad Bettis (35) in the first inning of the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /

When Chad Bettis made the announcement on Friday that his cancer had returned and he would need to pursue chemotherapy, thoughts and prayers immediately started for the Colorado Rockies starting pitcher.

However, not long after that, thoughts also turned to the business of baseball and who would be taking the 27-year-old right-hander’s place in the Rockies rotation.

We’ve talked for weeks now about who might be the fifth starter for the Rockies. However, Colorado now needs to find two starters for its rotation with the absence of Bettis.

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Barring any injury or unforeseen circumstances, Jon Gray, Tyler Anderson and Tyler Chatwood are locked in as three starters for Colorado when the season begins. Who will man the other two spots?

In this article, we talked about how 22-year-old Antonio Senzatela had been impressive in recent spring training action and had definitely caught the attention of manager Bud Black and the Rockies coaching staff. While he’s been solid in spring training, he also has no experience above the Double-A level. It’s very possible that Senzatela, who has a 41-19 mark and 2.45 ERA in the minors since 2015, could shock the world and start the season in the Majors.

Who else is in the running to start the season in the rotation? Let’s break down some of the candidates. They are listed in no particular order.

Jul 7, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Rockies relief pitcher Adam Ottavino (0) delivers a pitch in ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field. The Rockies defeated the Phillies 11-2. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

Jeff Hoffman

Hoffman came to the Rockies in the July 2015 trade that sent Troy Tulowitzki and LaTroy Hawkins to the Toronto Blue Jays. The now 24-year-old right-hander was a highly rated prospect who was expected to impact Colorado pitching sooner than later.

Hoffman did just that last season, earning his first Major League start on August 20 against the Chicago Cubs. It would be his worst outing of the season as he gave up seven runs (six earned) in four innings of work.

Colorado Rockies

In all, Hoffman saw action in eight games last season and drew six starts. As a starter, he was 0-4 with a 5.27 ERA. In his two games coming out of the bullpen, Hoffman posted a 2.25 ERA in four innings.

One startling stat about Hoffman last season is that he surrendered 37 hits in 31.1 innings while opponents batted .287 against him. He also struck out 22 batters while walking 17.

That’s the bad news. The good news is that he ended the season with a bang, logging seven strikeouts while giving up just two hits and one run in five innings of a no-decision against Milwaukee on October 1.

Hoffman has had his moments for the Rockies in the spring and will benefit from the experience he gained last season. There’s still plenty of room for growth and Hoffman may learn under a trial by fire if he grabs one of Colorado’s two open rotation spots.

German Marquez

Like Hoffman, German Marquez gained valuable experience for the Rockies last season with his first moments of pitching at the Major League level. Like Hoffman, he came to Colorado as part of a trade, this one sending Corey Dickerson to the Tampa Bay Rays.

After a September callup, his first three outings for the Rockies all came out of the bullpen where he gave up six runs and six hits in 5.1 innings of work. The next three appearances, however, were all starts.

Marquez had his best outing in his first start, earning his lone win with a five-inning effort against the St. Louis Cardinals. He allowed just one run and four hits while striking out three and walking one.

As good as that start was, Marquez struggled just as bad in his next start at San Francisco. After 4.1 innings, the Giants had racked up 12 hits (including two home runs) and six runs.

It was a mixed bag for Marquez, who finished with a 5.23 ERA in 20.2 innings of action. This spring, the ERA has climbed up to 7.94 (through games of March 10) and his WHIP stands at 2.12.

Having just turned 22, Marquez still has plenty of ceiling left in his career. He’s also obviously focused on making an impact at the Major League level, having turned down an opportunity to pitch for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic so he could spend more time in Rockies camp.

He has the stuff. He’s proven it at Double-A where he earned the Eastern League’s Pitcher of the Year honor. When it translates to the Major League level, Marquez will make his presence felt on the mound. That could well be this season.

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Kyle Freeland

We made a bold prediction in our spring training preview article that Freeland would capture the fifth starter spot. He’s done little in spring training to shake us from that opinion.

Through games of March 10, Freeland has made three outings, starting one. His ERA sits at 3.86, with all of the runs he’s surrendered coming in his first appearance of spring in a blistering by the Los Angeles Dodgers on February 28.

However, since then, Freeland has allowed just two hits in five shutout innings. The former eighth overall pick has also not surrendered a walk during that stretch while striking out two.

Need a history lesson on Freeland? Nolan Lees of Rox Pile broke it down this way in this article…

Freeland had a strong debut in 2014, but his 2015 season was mostly a wash. He developed shoulder fatigue and bone chips in his elbow which pushed his season debut into late July. And when he finally got back on the mound, Freeland’s pitches lacked the command and sharp movement that had made him so effective in high school and college. Freeland had a bounce back season in 2016 though. Colorado challenged him by assigning him to Double-A Hartford, and he responded with a 3.87 ERA in 88.1 innings. When the Rockies rewarded him with another promotion to Triple-A, Freeland continued to throw the ball well, going 6-3 in 12 starts.

There’s plenty to like in Freeland and he will show it off at Coors Field sooner than later.

Chris Rusin

There are two things that stand out about Chris Rusin in the battle for a rotation spot.

First, the 30-year-old Rusin is the elder statesman of the group.

Second, he has 49 career starts under his belt, by far the highest number of any of his competitors.

Those are the positives. However, there are some negatives that must be examined here as well.