Thairo Estrada proving to be exactly what the Rockies needed after all

When you win just 61 games, and finish at the bottom of your divison, it’s naturally going to be considered a really tough season. And, in order to climb out of a hole like that, you’re going to need reinforcements.

That’s the situation the Colorado Rockies were in this past offseason. After a season in which they finished 37 games in back of the World Champion Dodgers, the Rockies knew they needed reinforcements this winter.

And one area they addressed was on the infield where they aquired 29-year-old infielder Thairo Estrada from the San Francisco Giants this past winter.

The news of signing Estrada might not have made huge Hot Stove headlines, but, he’s exactly the type of player Colorado needed to add to an already intriguing lineup. Estrada is still on the younger side of of his career, but, having made his big league debut back in 2019, he’s most defintiely a clubhouse veteran. Not to mention, he’s an outstanding infielder, who, Colorado had hoped would pair really well with star shortstop Ezequiel Tovar.

“It’s a great pleasure to share the field with him,” Estrada said on MLB Film Room, speaking of playing with Tovar up the middle. “It’s an opportunity to play with a guy, a guy that’s from Venezuela. So to share a field with someone like that, it’s just awesome for me. I think it’s something we can do alot together.”

That was the goal anyway, and while the sample size is small, and it’s just spring training, so far, the Estrada move looks like it was a really goood one.

Through 20 at-bats in Cactus League play, Estrada is hitting .500 with 10 hits, six RBIs and a stolen base. Those numbers are extremely promising.

Perhaps more impressive though is how quickly Estrada has fit in in Colorado’s clubhouse. That was the intent when the Rockies brought him in. A veteran starter that would blend with not just Tovar, but fellow infielders Ryan McMahon and Micheal Toglia. 

Estrada is happy to be playing with Tovar, and that should really help Colorado’s defense all-around, and in turn, that will help the Rockies’ pitching, and if that all comes together, then, the wins will certainly pile up.

So while Colorado General Manager Bill Schmidt wasn’t necessairily able to land a big name in free agency this past winter, Estrada is proving to be exactly what the Rockies were looking for.

Estrada, being a veteran leader, and a guy who can set an example, is also going to help bridge the gap for top prospect Adeal Amador, who is having a great spring himself, but who isn’t ready to play every day in the big leagues.

No, for now, that job belongs to Estrada, and he has hit the ground running for the Rockies. It’s a move that may not have been sexy back in the winter, but, it’s a move that is, and will pay big dividends for the Rockies this season.