With the pitching struggles, this familiar face could make his way to Colorado very soon
This flamethrower could fix the Rockies bullpen struggles
Looking at the Rockies bullpen in 2024 and there is no other way to put it... it's a bad bullpen. While the Rockies put their focus on acquiring a backup catcher, a number five starting pitcher and a left-handed outfielder (that it seemed they acquired like 100 of), they completely neglected the bullpen, and it is showing early on this season.
The Rockies are just 3-8 this season and while many people attribute that to the Rockies starting pitching (which is fair because it's been bad), the bullpen has been even worse. A number of times, through just 11 games, the Rockies bullpen has been entrusted to the old adage "bend not break" or with the simple task of protecting a five-run lead. Though Ryan McMahon saved them one of those times, it doesn't take away from the fact that the Rockies bullpen was terrible.
The Rockies need to add a familiar face and former top prospect to the bullpen to help out
With the lack of talent in the Rockies bullpen, there shouldn't be many guys back there with long leashes. Yeah, Justin Lawrence blew a big lead against the Rays, but he was one of the most dependable relievers in all of baseball in 2023 and Rockies fans should expect that again. Peter Lambert has done an excellent job (2-0, 2.57 ERA) filling the role of the swingman and might find himself making a few spot starts if the starters continue to struggle.
The rest of the bullpen should basically be on week-to-week contracts; no one back there should be guaranteed a job. One of the names that could start pushing for a bullpen spot is former top prospect and first round pick, Riley Pint.
Pint is very limited when it comes to experience, he literally has only made one out in the major leagues, but there is no denying his stuff. He possesses an upper-90's fastball, and a solid slider and Rockies fans were dying to see it when they drafted him fourth overall in the 2016 MLB draft.
Control issues have plagued the flamethrower throughout his career, but it seems like heading into 2024, things have changed. Pint was reassigned to Triple-A Albuquerque and has looked really solid so far this year. Though his four walks in six innings are pretty high, it's not as bad as you might think, especially when you factor in his 11 strikeouts in those six innings.
Pint has dominated Triple-A so far, and though his command may never have been above average (or even average for that matter), he has something that the current bullpen group really lacks, strikeouts. A team that is in the bottom 10 in strikeouts per nine innings could really use an overpowering arm like Riley Pint. The Rockies are a team that doesn't typically make moves this quick in the season, but if they want to secure some of these leads they have already losses, all while looking at a potential high-leverage arm; they need to call up Riley Pint immediately.
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