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Colorado Rockies: closer trade and free agent rumors

By Noah Yingling

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 12: Zach Britton #53 of the Baltimore Orioles delivers a pitch in the eighth inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on September 12, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 12: Zach Britton #53 of the Baltimore Orioles delivers a pitch in the eighth inning during MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on September 12, 2017 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network and MLB.com, the Colorado Rockies have expressed interest in two closers, one on the free agent market and one via a trade.

In 2017, the Rockies had Greg Holland as their closer. However, he elected to become a free agent so the Rockies will have to address the bullpen and, most importantly, the closer spot. According to Jon Morosi on Twitter, the Rockies are interested in free agent closer Wade Davis and they have spoken to the Baltimore Orioles about a trade involving their closer, Zach Britton.

Wade Davis

Davis has proven over the past two seasons that he is an elite closer. He has been a full-time reliever since 2014 and since then, he has an ERA of 1.45 (a 288 ERA+) with 79 saves. He has been an All-Star in each of the three seasons that he has been a closer and he was sixth and eighth in Cy Young Award voting in 2014 and 2015.

In the past two seasons, he has had 27 and 32 saves with only four blown saves between the seasons combined. His ERA is 2.12 in that span.

MLB Trade Rumors predicted that the 32 year old will get a four-year, $60 million contract and they predicted that he would sign with the World Champion Houston Astros.

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Zach Britton

Britton had an injury plagued 2017 season but he still pitched very well for the Orioles. He has been their closer since 2014 and he has averaged a 1.61 ERA and 34 saves a season. Without 2017, in which he had an ERA of 2.89 and 15 saves, from 2014-16, he averaged a 1.38 ERA and 40 saves a season.

He was an All-Star in 2015 and 2016. In 2016, he also came in 4th in the Cy Young Award voting and 11th in MVP voting. This was because he had an ERA of 0.54 (that’s not a typo) in 69 games with a MLB leading 47 saves. He gave up four earned runs all season. He gave up one earned run after April in 57 innings (or an ERA of 0.16). However, he is a free agent after this upcoming season.

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Either one of the two would be excellent additions to the Rockies and if Britton could be in his 2016 form, that would be a heck of an acquisition.

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