TUCSON, Ariz.—The Colorado Rockies sent several players to minor league camp on Wednesday, including Seth Smith, who helped fuel the team’s first pennant drive with a series of pinch hits last September.
The Rockies also released former All-Star second baseman Marcus Giles, who lost out to rookie Jayson Nix in the club’s second base sweepstakes.
Two others who were in the mix, Omar Quintanilla and Ian Stewart, were optioned to minor league camp.
Catcher Humber Cota was reassigned to minor league camp.
Cota, who has played in parts of seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates since 2001, agreed to a minor league deal with the Rockies on Saturday, then went 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs in his Rockies debut that day.
Smith, who had 17 home runs and 82 RBIs at Triple-A Colorado Springs last year, made his major league debut last September on the night the Rockies began their 21-1 run-up to the World Series. He produced key pinch hits against Philadelphia and Arizona after earning a spot on the playoff roster by going 5-for-8 in his September call-up.
This spring, Smith hit .303 in 20 games with four doubles, a home run and 11 RBIs while playing both corner outfield spots.
Giles hit .321 with four doubles and a triple this spring in his comeback attempt after a dismal season in San Diego last year. He signed with the Rockies as a free agent on Jan. 8. In seven major league seasons, he has a .277 batting average with 76 home runs and 333 RBIs with Atlanta and San Diego.
Quintanilla batted .367 with two doubles, two triples and four RBIs in 18 games, and Stewart hit .265 with four home runs and 11 RBIs.
The Rockies have 31 players in major league camp, including two non-roster players, one of whom, outfielder Scott Podsednik, is in a heated battle for the fifth outfield job with incumbent Cory Sullivan.
