The top five reasons you can’t blame the Colorado Rockies for signing so many reclamation projects

MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 04: Chris Rusin #52 of the Colorado Rockies throws a pitch during Game One of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on October 4, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 04: Chris Rusin #52 of the Colorado Rockies throws a pitch during Game One of the National League Division Series against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park on October 4, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Matt Holliday of the Colorado Rockies
PHOENIX, AZ – SEPTEMBER 22: Matt Holliday #7 of the Colorado Rockies looks back at the home plate umpire after being called out on strikes during the third inning of an MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on September 22, 2018 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images) /

3) The Rockies are familiar with most of the players that they signed

Of the players they have recently signed, nearly all of them are former Rockies or have ties to Rockies personnel.

  • Greg Holland: His bullpen coach in Kansas City was Steve Foster, the Rockies pitching coach
  • C.J. Cron: He was in the Angels organization when Rockies manager Bud Black was in their front office in 2016
  • Jorge De La Rosa: Former Rockie
  • Chris Rusin: Former Rockie
  • Chris Iannetta: Former Rockie
  • Jhoulys Chacin: Former Rockie
  • Zac Rosscup: Former Rockie
  • Matt Holliday: Former Rockie
  • Ubaldo Jimenez: Former Rockie

And even some of the reclamation projects from yesteryear, like Vinny Castilla and Steve Reed in 2004, were (you guessed it) former Rockies.

So since they were already familiar with the organization and vice versa, there was less of a learning curve with getting to know how things are/were run and they may even know some of the players that are on the team because they may have been in spring training when the players were around in their first stint.