3 Players the Rockies should non tender this offseason

With the offseason approaching and the arbitration process set to begin, let's take a look at what Rockies players should be non tendered this offseason.

Colorado Rockies v Washington Nationals
Colorado Rockies v Washington Nationals / Jess Rapfogel/GettyImages
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With the MLB Postseason currently underway, the offseason is less then a month away and with that, the Rockies are looking over how to retool te current roster into a much more competitive roster in 2023.

Last Friday, MLB Trade Rumors announced what the projected salaries will be for all 30 MLB teams eligible arbirtation players. For the Rockies, they have a few decisions they have to make as they have seven players that are arbitration eligible in 2023.

For those not familiar, the arbitration process features eligible players and their representatives to meet with the organization they played with last year and the goal is to come up with a contract that both sides can agree on. Typically, the aribitration process will last up to some point in mid Jan. and if the two sides do not agree on a number, the player will ultimately end up non tendered and will enter free agency.

Looking at the list of players that are arbitration eligible for the Rockies, I decided to list down which one's I think they should look to non tender for the 2024 season.

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1. Non Tender Ty Blach

Colorado Rockies v Chicago Cubs
Colorado Rockies v Chicago Cubs / Nuccio DiNuzzo/GettyImages

Ty Blach is a Denver Colorado native as he was a star young pitcher from Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora. Blach has pitched in the MLB for six years now and was originally drafted in the fifth round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants. After being claimed off waivers by the Baltimore Orioles in 2019, Blach would sign with the Rockies on a Minor League deal in 2021.

So far during his time with the Rockies, Blach has not been able to put it together. Last year, he pitched with a 3-3 record, a 5.54 ERA while striking out just 50 batters, while hitters had a batting average of .330.

With the lack of productivity produced out of Blach in a rotation that is already bad, I think the decision to non tender him and let him walk should be an easy decision for the Rockies to make.

Blach is projected to make $3.3 million next year and the Rockies need to find every avenue possible to get better at starting pitching in a staff that ranked last in the majors and featured a staff that had Blach at 20th in ERA, just ahead of fellow starting pitcher, Chase Anderson.

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2. Non Tender Harold Castro

Colorado Rockies v Baltimore Orioles
Colorado Rockies v Baltimore Orioles / G Fiume/GettyImages

Harold Castro is a name that is very familiar with the MLB arbitration process as he was non tendered by the Detroit Tigers last offseason. Castro would then go on to sign a Minor League deal with the Rockies.

Castro had an impressive spring training with the Rockies last year with a .333 average and a total of nine RBI's that earned him a spot on the Rockies opening day roster. Unfortunately, that productivity did not translate over to the big league level as his average was .252 with a .589 OPS while striking out 66 times and drawing just nine walks on a team that ranked 28th in strikeouts and 26th in walks.

With players like Ezequiel Tovar and Brendan Rodgers emerging as the Rockies everyday starting shortstop and second baseman and Alan Trejo as the likely backup for both of them, the middle infield will be a crowded area for the Rockies next year. Their is also the possibility of top prospect Adael Amador to make his MLB debut sometime next year.

With his poor play in 2023, the possibility of other young stars rising to the MLB level, I do think the Rockies should non tender Castro this offseason and if they want to add another veteran back up middle infielder, they could explore free agency to fill that role.

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3. Non Tender Austin Wynns

San Francisco Giants v Colorado Rockies - Game One
San Francisco Giants v Colorado Rockies - Game One / Matthew Stockman/GettyImages

In a five year career, Austin Wynns has found himself as quite the journey man as he has played on four different teams.

Wynns started last season with the Giants but was quickly waived by them on April 14. Two days later, he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and played in a total of five games until being designated for assignment until he was claimed off waivers by the Rockies.

After a year that was finding himself in different clubhouses early on, I think it is likely that Wynns will once again find himself on a different team next year as he should by non tendered by the Rockies after a disappointing year where he hit .214 for Colorado and hit just one home run and had a total of eight RBI's.

With Wynns projected to make $1 million in the arbitration process next year, and young catching prospect Drew Romo estimated to make his MLB debut next year, the decision to move on from Wynns and bring on Romo as a backup should be an easy decision for the Rockies.

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