The Rockies continue tinkering with their 40-man roster, freeing up spots as the hot stove season begins percolating.
On Wednesday, the club outrighted left-handed pitchers Ty Blach and Helcris Olivarez, as well as outfielder Wynton Bernard. The club also announced that catcher Dom Nuñez was claimed off waivers by San Francisco, and outfielder Ryan Vilade was claimed off waivers by Pittsburgh.
On Sunday, the Rockies traded outfielder Sam Hilliard to Atlanta for right-handed pitching prospect Dylan Spain.
The Rockies now have 32 players on their 40-man roster.
Blach, a Regis Jesuit High graduate, signed a minor league deal with Colorado last offseason and made the big-league roster out of spring training. Used mostly as a long reliever, Blach pitched 44 1/3 innings, posting a 5.89 ERA. Blach would have been eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason.
Vilade, 23, was the No. 48 overall pick in the 2017 draft out of Stillwater High School (Oklahoma) and was ranked as the Rockies’ No. 6 prospect by Baseball America last offseason. But in his second season at Triple-A Albuquerque, Vilade cooled, slashing just .249/.345/.352 with five home runs and 10 stolen bases in 99 games.
Nunez, 27, was a sixth-round pick by the Rockies in 2013 and made his MLB debut in 2019. Used primarily as a backup catcher, he has appeared in 111 big league games, slashing .180/.280/.373.
Bernard, a career minor-leaguer, was one of the Rockies’ feel-good stories of 2022. He made his major league debut at age 32 this August, earning his moment in the spotlight after hitting .333 at Triple-A. Bernard started 10 games for Colorado and hit .286 (12-for-42), but he didn’t draw a walk and managed just one extra-base hit (a double).
Olivarez was added to the Rockies’ 40-man roster over the 2020-21 offseason to keep him being taken in the Rule 5 draft. But he posted a 6.05 ERA in 99 2/3 at High-A in 2021 and missed almost all of 2022 with a shoulder strain.
