Ex-Rockies pitchers

Ubaldo hasn't pitched any better since leaving Colorado

As I am watching the Cubs @ Diamondbacks game on MLBN I see on the scroll that Franklin Morales made another start for the Red Sox today and his stat line looked pretty sharp. I also saw Brian Fuentes pitching to Melky Cabrera on my CBS Fantasy stats page and I got to wondering how some of the recently jettisoned Rockies pitchers are doing and if I am wondering I am sure other Rockies fans are, too. So here is a quick list of some pitchers from recent Rockies seasons and their current stat lines.

Ubaldo Jimenez – Since leaving the Rockies Jimenez has made 25 starts for the Cleveland Indians and posted a 4.81 ERA. In 2012 he has a 4.59 ERA and in 82 1/3 innings he only has 58 strikeouts versus 49 walks (leads the league in walks issued). His WHIP is 1.555 and ERA+ is a lowly 83. The Jimenez deal remains Dan O’Dowd’s only bright spot in the past few seasons. (Jimenez does have a 2.05 ERA in the month of June in four starts.)

Esmil Rogers – Rogers is also in Cleveland and in only 5 2/3 innings he has allowed one run but more importantly he has struck out seven in those 5 2/3 innings and not issued a walk.

Franklin Morales – Morales threw six innings of two run baseball today for the Red Sox. In those six innings he K’d eight while walking only one but he did allow seven hits. In a spot start against the Cubs earlier this week to cover for Josh Beckett who was put on the DL Morales struck out nine little Cubbies in five innings of work. Those are the only two starts for Morales this year. In total, he has thrown 34 2/3 innings in 24 games with a 3.12 ERA.

Brian Fuentes – Fuentes hasn’t pitched in Colorado since 2008 but since he is on my mind… In the four seasons since leaving he has tallied 89 saves and until this year in which his ERA is north of 5.00 he has kept his ERA under 4.00. He is now a middle reliever for the Oakland Athletics.

Aaron Cook – Cook had been on the disabled list due to a bad knee for the Boston Red Sox but it appears he is being recalled from his rehab assignment before tomorrow’s Red Sox game to make a start for Clay Buchholz who is sick. Cook has only seen 2 2/3 innings of work for the Sawks this year and left the game hurt and with a 20.25 ERA, however; in Pawtucket with Boston’s AAA franchise he has thrown 37 1/3 innings with a 2.41 ERA. Cook will face the Atlanta Braves tomorrow. A team he has thrown 64 1/3 innings against in his career with a 5.18 ERA.

Jeff Francis – oh, wait…

Hammel and Wieters have been big for the Orioles in 2012

Jason Hammel – As bad as Jeremy Guthrie has been for the Rockies, Hammel has been equally as good for the Baltimore Orioles. In 14 starts and 89 1/3 innings with the Orioles Hammel has a 2.61 ERA. I won’t go deeper into this because we have plenty on this site, but for all the talk prior to the season about the AL East being so much more difficult to pitch against than the NL West appears to be bunk according to how bad Guthrie has been for Colorado and how good Hammel has been for Baltimore. Oh, and this trade negates the good trade O’Dowd made with Jimenez.

Jamie Moyer – Was pitching for AAA Buffalo, an affiliate for the Baltimore Orioles, but Moyer asked for his release today. Not sure if he will land anywhere.

Huston Street – In 17 games with the San Diego Padres Street has nine saves, 16 innings pitched and a 1.69 ERA. All those batted balls against him last year that went to the warning track – or over the wall – die softly in that cavernous park in San Diego.

Clayton Mortensen – Another Rockies pitcher to land in Boston. In five games with the Red Sox in 2012 Mortensen has thrown 11 2/3 innings with a 1.54 ERA.

Kevin Millwood – Millwood’s 2012 highlight was that he started the game in which the Mariners used six different pitchers to throw a no-hitter. He also has a complete game shutout for the Mariners this year and in 14 games started, spanning 80 2/3 innings, he has a 4.02 ERA.

Felipe Paulino – Paulino was a favorite subject of Logan’s last year because he felt the Rockies never gave him a fair shake. By looking at his 2012 stats that appears to be correct: seven games started, 37 2/3 innings pitched and a 1.67 ERA. In those 37 2/3 innings he struck out 39 and only walked 15. Unfortunately it looks like Paulino will require Tommy John surgery and miss the next year or more.

Manny Corpas – Corpas didn’t pitch in 2011 and recently was recalled from AAA Iowa to pitch for the Cubs. He made his season debut on June 6th and so far in 9 2/3 innings with the North Siders he has a 0.93 ERA.

There are other pitchers I have missed, but looking at those above it would seem that many pitchers get better when they leave Colorado, doesn’t it? I am sure a lot of it is the field (Coors isn’t pitcher friendly, have you heard that?) but how much of that is coaching related? Rogers, Morales and Paulino all had the “stuff”, seemingly, to be very good pitchers and when they left Colorado they were deemed no good but with their new teams they are performing very well.

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