The Rockies’ rotation could use some help. One option could be a guy who started the season in an independent league.
Colorado signed two starters out of the Atlantic League in early May, 29-year-old right-hander Tim Melville and 30-year-old southpaw Pat Dean. Both have MLB experience: Melville with the Reds, Twins, and Padres across 2016 and 2017 and Dean with the Twins in 2016.
Of the two, Melville has been the most impressive. Through four starts in Triple-A Albuquerque he has a 3.43 ERA, which is the best in the Isotopes’ rotation, ahead of top prospect Peter Lambert (4.97 in 10 starts). Dean has posted a 8.82 ERA in three starts (four appearances).
Melville, a fourth-round draft pick out of high school by the Royals in 2008, cited his love for the game as a propellant in a career that’s seen him suit up for seven major league organizations in addition to stints with the Long Island Ducks in the Atlantic League in 2017 and this year.
“Throughout the ups-and-downs of whatever my career has gone through, on and off the field I’ve always had the internal drive to play the game as long as I can at the highest level I’m able to play at,” Melville said. “With the Rockies, I’m excited to be a part of an organization that’s dedicated to winning and that took a chance on me.”
The Virginia native’s repertoire includes a four-seam fastball (90-94 mph), a slider (83-84), a curveball (78-80) and a hard changeup (85-86) that factor into Melville’s game plan of “throwing anything at any time, and staying aggressive with hitters.”
And while his past big-league performances leave vast room for improvement — Melville has an 11.05 ERA across 14⅔ innings, with 15 walks to 15 strikeouts across six total appearances (three starts) — he said he’s matured mentally to better handle the pressure.
“That was a challenging experience for me, because the nerves were through the roof,” Melville said. “Getting those out of the way is the starting point, because I’ve experienced pitching in (Dodger Stadium), one of the best baseball environments to pitch in … Every time I fail, I take a step back, evaluate myself and move forward with a better game plan.”
