Yohan Flande. (Evan Vucci, The Associated Press)
The Rockies invited 24 players not already on their roster to spring training camp starting next week. They include some big questions about the makeup of the pitching staff to start the 2015 season.
Jon Gray, who pitched exclusively for Double-A Tulsa last season, will compete for a roster spot alongside Eddie Butler, his Drillers teammate last season. Butler made the jump to the big leagues for three games. To start spring, though, both are on the outside looking in at a Rockies rotation that currently pencils in as Jorge De La Rosa, Jhoulys Chacin, Tyler Matzek, Jordan Lyles and Kyle Kendrick.
But will the young pitchers show well enough to crack the Rockies’ roster out of spring? Can newly-acquired David Hale make a move to a starting spot? Did a spot starter last season carve out a spot for himself?
The addition of Kendrick — — gave Colorado a veteran presence at the back of their rotation. It also allows them to work Gray and Butler slowly into the big-league rotation. Butler, who rushed in last season, strained a muscle in his armpit in his first game before moving back to Double-A. Tyler Anderson, the other arm in the Rockies’ trio of promising minor-league pitchers,
, by trade with Atlanta in January, as a depth piece to the rotation. He could compete for a starting spot or start the season in the bullpen.
The Rockies, after using a club-record 15 pitchers last season, will start spring with more depth than they had in 2014. Their depth last season was tested immediately — Chacin came out of spring already fighting an injury. For perspective, veteran reliever and emergency starter Franklin Morales ranked second among Rockies pitchers last season in games started. Morales, a free-agent, probably won’t be back in Colorado.
And the Rockies can’t afford the kind of turnover they saw in 2014 again.
Yohan Flande, who went 0-6 in 16 games started last season, got a Rockies non-roster invite as another depth piece. He showed poise, if not expertise, as a left-handed arm last season. The Rockies designated him for assignment last week to make room for Kendrick. But Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said he expected and hoped Flande would be back in the Rockies system this season.
And Rafael Betancourt, , will try to give their bullpen some depth out of spring training. He’s coming back from a right elbow injury that forced him into Tommy John surgery in 2013.
Here’s the Rockies’ full list of non-roster invites to spring training:
Left-handed pitchers
Buddy Boshers
Yohan Flande
Jason Gurka
Aaron Laffey
John Lannan
Kenny Roberts
Kraig Sitton
Right-handed pitchers
John Axford
Rafael Betancourt
Jon Gray
Jair Jurrjens
Brett Marshall
Justin Miller
Scott Oberg
Jose Ortega
Gus Schlosser
Infielders
Omar Quintanilla
Trevor Story
Outfielders
Roger Bernadina
Matt McBride
Catchers
Ryan Casteel
Dustin Garneau
Tommy Murphy
Audry Perez
Tags: David Hale, Eddie Butler, Gus Schlosser, Jair Jurrjens, Jon Gray, Kraig Sitton, Matt McBride, Omar Quintanilla, Rafael Betancourt, Tommy Murphy, Trevor Story, Tyler Anderson, Yohan Flande
