Brett Anderson, the left-hander starting pitcher the Rockies had such high hopes for, is a free agent.
The Rockies, on Saturday, declined to pick up his $12 million option for the 2015 season. Instead, they will have to play him a $1.5 million buyout fee.
Anderson broke the news before the Rockies officially did, tweeting: “Who has 2 thumbs and is a free agent…this guy.”
Anderson, acquired in a trade last year with Oakland for lefty Drew Pomeranz, never really got a chance to prove himself in a Rockies uniform.
He went 1-3 with a 2.91 ERA in just eight starts, his season ruined by a broken index finger suffered during an early-season at-bat and by a ruptured disc in his lower back late in the summer.
With his playing time limited because of various injuries, Anderson has made just 19 starts in the past three seasons.
Still, , he said.
“It’s kind of out of my control, but aside from the season I’ve had, and all of the losses, I like everything about being here,” Anderson said in September. “I like the city, I like the team, I like the guys. Hopefully I’m back here next year and I can show what I can do beyond just a handful of starts.”
Anderson is not the only pitcher the Rockies need to replace. Tyler Chatwood will miss most, if not all, of the 2015 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in July.
Patrick Saunders: psaunders@denverpost.com or twitter.com/psaundersdp
