Colorado Rockies: Who would be next in line for the closer’s role?

Yesterday, our colleagues over at Cubbies Crib posted this article about who, for the Cubs, would be next in line to be their closer after Brandon Morrow. So, we decided to roll with the idea as well.

Wade Davis is well cemented into the role of the closer for the Colorado Rockies. However, if he were to need a day of rest or happened to be injured, who might Bud Black turn to slam the door?

Jake McGee

Of all of the choices that we will feature, he has the most experience in the closer’s role. In his career, he has 44 career saves. He had three of those saves last season for the Rockies and he had double digit save numbers in 2014, for the Tampa Bay Rays, and in 2016, for the Rockies.

If you look at his career numbers, he is only 67.7 percent successful in his save attempts but in the two seasons in which he had double digit saves, his success rate was 79 percent or higher. Also, for example, last season he was 3-for-6 in save opportunities but that doesn’t tell the whole story. In the ninth inning of games last year, he pitched in 16 games with an ERA of 2.45 and an opponent batting average of .226 and an on-base percentage of .263.

However, he did not do as well in the role in 2016 (4.44 ERA, .292/.353/.491 opponent slash line).

Antonio Senzatela

This pick is one that is a bit out of the box but hear me out. Senzatela is currently in limbo between being in Triple-A Albuquerque and the major leagues and in limbo in between being a starter and a reliever.

With the stuff that he possesses (a fastball that averaged 95 miles per hour and a slider with good horizontal and vertical movement), he could be somebody that could be a closer.

He has not shown the strikeout rate that you usually see in a closer (he has averaged 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings in his pro career). However, when he pitched in relief with the Rockies last season, he struck out 23 batters in 23 2/3 innings (or 8.7 per nine innings).

In addition, in the relief role last season, he had a 3.04 ERA and an opponent batting average of .157 as a reliever, so he pitched really well in the relief role.

Obviously, closing is different than just coming out of the bullpen but Senzatela could be an option that Rockies manager could use as a closer out of the bullpen.

We don’t even know if he will make the Rockies out of spring training but, if he does, he would almost assuredly be in the bullpen. If he is, he could get an opportunity or two in the near future.