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5 trade targets from the Philadelphia Phillies for the Colorado Rockies

By Noah Yingling

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 11: Jean Segura #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies greets Yonathan Daza #2 of the Colorado Rockies at second base during the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park on September 11, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 11: Jean Segura #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies greets Yonathan Daza #2 of the Colorado Rockies at second base during the ninth inning at Citizens Bank Park on September 11, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) /
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Colorado Rockies, Philadelphia Phillies, Kyle Gibson
PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 24: Kyle Gibson #44 of the Philadelphia Phillies sin action against the Pittsburgh Pirates in a game at Citizens Bank Park on September 24, 2021 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

Philadelphia Phillies starter Kyle Gibson is a rotation fit for the Colorado Rockies

Kyle Gibson has had a spotty track record as a starting pitcher but if his 2021 season with the Texas Rangers and Philadelphia Phillies is any indication, he could be a good starter for the Colorado Rockies.

Gibson, 34, has spent parts of nine seasons in the majors and in 2021, he made an All-Star team for the first time. Overall on the season, Gibson went 10-9 with a 3.71 ERA in 31 appearances (30 starts). He had a 116 ERA+ with a 3.87 FIP, a 1.220 WHIP, and he averaged 3.2 walks and 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings.

The Phillies got Gibson from the Texas Rangers at the trade deadline in a six-player deal that also sent closer Ian Kennedy and one of the Rangers top pitching prospects Hans Crouse to Philadelphia in exchange for one of the Phillies top pitching prospects, Spencer Howard, and two other prospects.

Prior to 2021, Gibson’s last season with an ERA+ that was better than league average was in 2018 when he was with the Twins. He had a 3.62 ERA in 32 starts with a 118 ERA+.

Gibson was successful in 2018 and 2021 because his WHIP was lower and, more specifically, he allowed fewer hits. In 2018 and 2021, his WHIP was 1.302 and 1.22. In 2016, 2017, 2019, and 2020, Gibson’s hit rate was over one per inning and his WHIP was 1.444 or higher.

The thing that could make Gibson an intriguing fit for the Colorado Rockies is his groundball rate. As Rockies fans know, the Rockies rotation has been successful because their high groundball rates. Since 2019 among starters with at least 300 innings pitched, the Rockis had three starters among the top 17 in groundball rate (Antonio Senzatela, Germán Márquez, and Jon Gray). All three pitched better at Coors Field than on the road.

For Gibson, in that same span, he is sandwiched in between Senzatela (6th highest) and Márquez (8th) as Gibson’s groundball rate is 51.6 percent.

Gibson is entering the final year of a three-year contract for $28 million.

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