Missing in Action: Colorado Rockies left off the September roster

As the Colorado Rockies stumble through September, it’s worth looking at some of the players conspicuously left off the 40-man roster. Would the Rockies be better off with these guys on the squad? Or was there good reason to snub them from the roster to make space for, say, the infield prowess of Pat Valaika?

Jeff Hoffman

Hoffman is a familiar face to Rockies fans after starting 16 games for the team in 2017. Despite his uninspiring campaign (5.89 ERA and 1.47 WHIP), it seemed he could still be a viable arm for the Rockies this season.

Unfortunately, 2018 was a tumultuous year for Hoffman. He made one spot start for the Rockies — a home game on July 13 against the Seattle Mariners — and it was an ugly one as he allowed eight hits and three earned runs in just 3.1 innings (the Rockies won the game 10-3). Hoffman made five other relief appearances, and in total pitched just 8.2 innings for a nasty 9.35 ERA and 2.54 WHIP.

Hoffman struggled in AAA as well. He started 21 games for the Isotopes, and while his 4.94 ERA and 80/34 strikeout-to-walk ratio are respectable numbers for the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, his performance declined as the season went along. His ERA was 3.97 before the All-Star Break, with 1.17 strikeouts-per-inning and a .251 batting average against him, but after the All-Star Break his ERA was 6.06 with 0.73 K/inning and a .285 batting average against.

Hoffman has an aggravated case of what’s often ailed Jon Gray — when the going gets tough, he lets games get away from him in horrifying fashion. The Rockies weren’t going to call up a guy they can’t trust with a comfortable lead, especially as the bullpen is finally coming around.

2019 should be pivotal for Hoffman as he attempts to prove he still can play a role in this organization. Otherwise, Jesus Tinoco — who pitched well this season for the Double-A Hartford Yard Goats — is the last man standing from the Troy Tulowitski trade.

Peter Lambert 

Lambert was fantastic with Class-A Hartford, boasting a 2.23 ERA and striking out 75 while walking just 12 men in 92.2 innings. On June 30, he was promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque and his numbers took a hit. In 11 starts, his ERA was 5.04 and his WHIP was elevated to 1.57. His strikeout-to-walk ratio suffered as well, 31 strikeouts to 15 walks in 55.1 innings.

But those final numbers don’t tell the story. Young pitchers struggle with the adjustment from the pitcher-friendly Eastern League to the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Lambert has tremendous poise for his age, and found his stride after weathering the rough start. He allowed zero earned runs over 11 innings in his final two starts, battering the strike zone and inducing an encouraging number of ground balls.

Lambert’s stuff is excellent. He locates his fastball well, and has an above-average changeup and curveball. His absence on the 40-man roster isn’t a mystery — he’s not a relief pitcher. The Rockies needed to bolster their bullpen, and Sam Howard, Yency Almonte and DJ Johnson proved their worth as reliable bullpen arms.

Lambert has tremendous potential, and with a little more time could be yet another exciting young starter for the Rockies.

Jordan Patterson

Is time running out for Jordan Patterson?

The 26-year-old corner outfielder’s AAA resume is nothing to scoff at. He is the Isotopes all-time home runs leader (66) and this season, slashed .271/.367/.525 for an OPS .892. He had 26 home runs to go with 23 doubles.

Unfortunately, the Rockies have barely used Patterson at the major league level. He made the 40-man roster in 2016 and had eight hits in 19 plate appearances and two starts. But he’s made only occasional appearances in the Rockies dugout since then, and hasn’t had a plate appearance.

As Jeff Aberle of Purple Row pointed out, David Dahl and Raimel Tapia “are ahead of Patterson in the pecking order for a Major League role.” In addition, Mike Tauchman, a lower-regarded prospect and clearly less capable hitter, was called up over Patterson at points in the year.

Patterson is 26 years old. He’s been nothing if not consistent in his AAA career, but hasn’t shown much improvement, either. I doubt he has anything left to showcase for the Rockies in the minor leagues. He doesn’t have a role in the near future with the Rockies, and it might behoove the Rockies to send him to another organization.

Mike Tauchman

More from Rox Pile

• A Colorado Rockies Thanksgiving
• Colorado Rockies: What if Todd Helton had played football instead?
• Colorado Rockies: Charlie Blackmon out for the season
• Colorado Rockies: Injuries shift look of roster ahead of Dodgers series
• Colorado Rockies: Has Sean Bouchard earned a second look in 2023?

Speaking of Tauchman, the Rockies gave him ample opportunity to prove himself this season. But the 27-year-old outfielder didn’t come through, slashing a woeful .094/.194/.125 in 37 plate appearances, with just one extra base hit and one steal.

However, Tauchman raked in the PCL. He hit an eye-popping .323/.408/.571 for a .978 OPS, and had mashed 20 home runs and 26 doubles while stealing 12 bases. Tauchman’s Isotopes teammates named him the team’s MVP and he was voted the Fan Favorite. They might as well make him the mayor of Albuquerque.

Such prowess at the plate makes his performance with the Rockies all the more baffling. He wasn’t great at the plate with the Rockies in 2017 (.222/.344/.296 with one extra-base hit in 27 plate appearances), but his speed and defense made Rockies fans take note. Though that speed isn’t particularly useful when those legs aren’t on base.

Now, Tauchman is yet another left-handed outfielder drowning in a sea of them. He wasn’t even worth the call-up for a pinch-runner role, at the very least. If Tauchman could mash at Coors like he can in Albuquerque, he would possibly leapfrog Dahl and Tapia in the depth chart. But it’s difficult to envision that happening at this point.