Colorado Rockies simulation: How we improved the rotation

As the FanSided Fake Winter Meetings rolled on, we wanted to make sure that we improved the Colorado Rockies rotation while also keeping in mind the current state of the franchise’s budget.

If you have been following our simulated moves aimed to improving the Colorado Rockies, you know we have already made the following transactions that impact the 40-man roster:

Trading reliever Bryan Shaw to the Philadelphia Phillies (read specifics of the move here).

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Trading reliever Wade Davis to the New York Mets (read specifics of the move here).

Trading first baseman Daniel Murphy to the Chicago White Sox (read specifics of the move here).

Signing free agent catcher Jason Castro to platoon with Tony Wolters behind the plate (explanation of signing here).

The three trades we made helped free up some budget space for us and, with that in mind, we decided to spend some of that money on a veteran starter that we believe will solidify the rotation.

With a one-year, $10 million contract, we outbid the Toronto Blue Jays for 32-year-old right-hander Kyle Gibson. Last season, he posted a 0.7 WAR with a 13-7 mark and 4.84 ERA in 34 games (29 starts) and 160 innings.

On the surface, you may not be that excited with that overview. But there’s more to Gibson than just those numbers.

Among the biggest things we noticed is the fact that Gibson is a sinker pitcher who allowed just 1.3 homers per nine innings last season (juiced ball and all).

Two other things we liked were pointed out in this article.

First, Minnesota’s infield combined for -18 DRS last season so knowing Gibson will have Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado behind him will help tremendously.

Second, it isn’t just about the sinker. Gibson’s slider has improved dramatically as he has aged. The vertical movement on his slider has increased every year since 2015. During that time, Gibson has added around nine inches of drop on the slider.

That movement in the slider has also improved his swinging strike rate dramatically during that time as well.

With Gibson joining a rotation that includes Jon Gray, German Marquez and Kyle Freeland, it gives Colorado a solid four-man front with the fifth slot being decided in spring training through competition between a number of candidates (including front-runner (at least in my mind) Chi Chi Gonzalez).

So what do you think of the move? Was Gibson the right player at the right price in this simulated (not real) transaction? Let us know in the comments below.