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3 Candidates to replace Pierce Johnson as the Rockies closer

By Thomas Murray |
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Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black has confirmed that six-year veteran right-handed pitcher Pierce Johnson will be removed from the team's closer role.

Johnson is 11 for 13 on saves for the year with a 7.50 ERA, 33 strikeouts, and has allowed 17 walks this year.

It was announced yesterday that Black would address the position after Johnson gave up a 4-3 lead and resulted in a 6-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants.

Although Johnson has only blown two saves this year, he has faced significant challenges in his position since last May. During this time, he has given up a total of 15 runs and 19 hits, which raised cause for concern.

While Johnson's time as a closer is coming to an end, he will still serve as a valuable asset to the Colorado bullpen. In 2021, Johnson had an ERA of 3.22 with 77 strikeouts and 27 walks for the San Diego Padres.

Moving forward, I have compiled a list of candidates who could move into the new role for the Rockies.

Justin Lawrence

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After having two years that weren't necessarily the greatest for any young pitcher, Lawrence is starting to finally hone into his own in 2023. Right now, the 28-year-old right-handed pitcher from Florida is arguably one of the best pitchers in the Rockies bullpen.

Lawrence currently owns a 3.41 ERA with 37 strikeouts and has allowed only 13 walks in 34.1 innings pitched. He also has only given up one home run this season and has already tied his career high of seven holds proving he has the clutch ability to excel in the closer role. This year, he has a total of two saves to his name.

During his time in the minor leagues, Lawrence managed to secure 39 saves out of 66 opportunities. In the previous year, he played for both AAA Albuquerque and the MLB, earning a total of 13 saves with the Isotopes.

Jake Bird

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Jake Bird was another candidate for the position as mentioned by Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post.

Since joining the Rockies in 2018 after being drafted from UCLA, Bird has primarily served as a set-up man. This year, he has four holds under his belt and a 3.05 ERA with 43 strikeouts, although he has given up 13 walks.

Bird and Lawrence have similar stats, which explains why they were both considered for the role. Bird's Sinker has only reached 94.2 MPH this year, so he's not known for pitching at high velocities. However, his approach might work well at Coors Field, where high-velocity pitches tend to result in more home runs due to the altitude. Opting for Bird's approach could lead to fewer home runs for the Rockies.

Daniel Bard

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New York Mets v Colorado Rockies / Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/GettyImages

In my opinion, I think Daniel Bard would make the most sense to be the team's closer moving forward in 2023. Bard has primarily served as the Rockies closer throughout his 14-year professional baseball career.

Bard resurrected his career with the Rockies once he arrived to the Colorado organization on a minor league deal in 2020. Right away, he found success as the team's closer and has primarily been in that position since his arrival.

In the previous year, he successfully achieved 34 saves out of 37 opportunities. However, at the start of this season, he faced mental health issues that prevented him from serving as a closing pitcher. It is now up to Bard to decide whether he wishes to resume that role or not. Given his past struggles with mental health, he and the Rockies will need to discuss the matter thoroughly before making any decisions about his future.

This year, he has an ERA of 1.02 and shockingly has 16 strikeouts with 17 walks allowed which might be the only cause for concern if he stepped back in.

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