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Colorado Rockies, Chad Bettis reportedly reach one-year agreement

By Kevin Henry

DENVER, CO - JULY 7: Starting pitcher Chad Bettis #35 of the Colorado Rockies delivers to home plate during the first inningagainst the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field on July 7, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JULY 7: Starting pitcher Chad Bettis #35 of the Colorado Rockies delivers to home plate during the first inningagainst the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field on July 7, 2016 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) /
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The Colorado Rockies and starting pitcher Chad Bettis have reportedly reached an agreement for $2 million for the 2018 season, avoiding arbitration.

The $2 million is a bit higher than the projected arbitration of $1.5 million, falling in line with the Rockies and Charlie Blackmon’s settling for a one-year, $14 million contract earlier in the day. Reliever Chris Rusin also signed ahead of arbitration, settling for a one-year, $1,287,500 contract. Rusin’s was a bit lower than the $1.4 million projection.

Bettis, a 28-year-old right-hander who was one of the top feel-good stories throughout Major League last season, went 2-4 with a 5.05 ERA in 2017 after battling through testicular cancer and subsequent chemotherapy. In his career that dates back to 2013 (all with the Rockies), Bettis is 25-23 with a 5.01 ERA.

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Now healthy and cancer-free, Bettis is expected to be one of the cornerstones of the Colorado rotation in 2018. At 28, he will also likely be the “senior member” of the rotation, with Jon Gray, Kyle Freeland, Antonio Senzatela, German Marquez and Jeff Hoffman all competing for a rotation spot and all 26 years old or younger.

In his emotional 2017 debut after working his way back from chemotherapy, Bettis took the mound at Coors Field on August 14 to a standing ovation. He spun a storybook game that night, allowing six hits and no runs through seven innings as Colorado edged the Atlanta Braves, 3-0. It was easily one of the top highlights for the Rockies from the 2017 season.

Bettis also finished the season strong, allowing just four hits and one run over seven innings in a 9-1 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field. Bettis allowed just two earned runs over his last 11.2 innings of work in 2017 after lasting just one-third of an inning in a loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on September 14.

Next: How much could it cost the Rockies to keep Charlie Blackmon long-term?

Colorado has two remaining players eligible for arbitration this offseason, All-Star second baseman DJ LeMahieu and reliever Zac Rosscup.

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