Colorado Rockies: Why isn’t Adam Ottavino their closer?

The 2017 offseason was one of rebuilding certain portions of the Colorado Rockies. General manager Jeff Bridich focused on making a strong bullpen with the signings of three relievers. The Rockies bullpen was then deemed the “super bullpen,” but it definitely hasn’t lived up to that name. 

The Colorado Rockies bullpen, for the majority of the season, hasn’t been top tier. However, there is truly one (and only one, in my opinion) who has been an outlier in the bullpen. That is Adam Ottavino. He’s having a stellar year and definitely should’ve been on the All-Star team but was sadly overlooked. However, he is not overlooked by Colorado manager Bud Black as Ottavino is a prized asset who is called upon time after time. 

Due to this, I question why he wasn’t made the closer in recent days. Wade Davis, Colorado’s current closer, has shown time and time again that he isn’t able to shut down an opposing team in the final inning. Most recently, Davis has struggled in the series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Now, at the start of the series against the Milwaukee Brewers, he has shown just exactly that again, giving up another walk-off hit. Here you have a closer who signed a record-setting deal, yet he is suddenly unable to do the one job he was paid to do.

I shouldn’t have to be extremely concerned and have my watch tell me my heart rate is too high because I see Davis trotting to the mound from the bullpen. Whenever Ottavino is making his way to the mound, we all have a sense of peace because this a man who can get the job done. Just look at his stats. He has a 4-2 record with a 1.38 ERA in 52.1 innings along with his incredible 78 strikeouts. These are the kind of stats you’d like to see a closer have. 

The real question is how long are the Rockies going to let Davis continue to come into save situations and allow it to go so far out of hand that it’s costing the Rockies games that they so badly need to win?

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You can only blame Davis to a point. Eyes have to look towards Bud Black on his choice to leave Davis in these types of situations or even give the go-ahead nod for him to come out of the bullpen. Davis has some issues right now that he has to work on in order to show that he’s worth all this money the Rockies decided to pay him. 

The Rockies have a temporary solution to the closer problems. Adam Ottavino is a player who makes a strong case of a guy who could be their closer. Why they didn’t do that in the first place is beyond me.

Looking at Davis’ stats doesn’t help either. His ERA over the last seven games is truly concerning at 10.50 and giving up seven earned runs in the last seven as well. He’s appeared in 48 games, 31 of those he got the save which has equated to his 45.1 innings. 

It’s disheartening to see another quality start wasted by another late-inning rally. Bud Black has to do what he can to stop this from happening.

Right now, the move to Adam Ottavino as the closer makes sense. Let him shut the door for you and help the Rockies get back to the postseason.