Colorado Rockies trade rumors: Bullpen options in the AL East

If you were to ask any Colorado Rockies fans or any of us here at Rox Pile at whether this would be a position of need, not many, if any at all, would have chosen this.

Heading in 2018, most experts and fans expected one of the strengths of the Colorado Rockies to be the bullpen. However, that has not been the case.

Mike Dunn has an ERA of 9.00.

Bryan Shaw has an ERA of 6.89 (and that’s an improvement).

Chris Rusin has an ERA of 7.77.

Brooks Pounders has an ERA of 7.84.

Jake McGee has an ERA of 4.76 ERA.

Wade Davis even has an ERA of 10.81 in the month of June.

The Rockies bullpen, as a whole, has an ERA of 5.12, which (believe it or not) is 4th worst in baseball (not the worst).

Also, even more surprising, the person who has been best out of the Rockies bullpen (outside of Adam Ottavino, who is currently on the disabled list) is Harrison Musgrave, with a 2.40 ERA in 15 innings.

The bottom line is that the Rockies have the pieces to make a good bullpen…but they have not pulled their weight.

Whether or not you believe that the Rockies should stick with their current relievers until they start seeing improvements or add a piece or two in the bullpen is something for you to ponder.

However, if you think that the Rockies need to do that latter rather than the former, let us look at some of the options that Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich should look at.

In our first part of our series, we will check out the American League East.