AUG. 21: The Rockies released Stubbs yesterday, per the club’s transactions page at MLB.com.
AUG. 12: The Rockies have designated outfielder Drew Stubbs for assignment and selected the contract of fellow outfielder Matt McBride from Triple-A, tweets MLB.com’s Thomas Harding.
The 30-year-old Stubbs enjoyed arguably the best season of his career with the Rockies in 2014, but he opened the season with a 6-for-51 slump and was ultimately optioned to Triple-A, where’s he’s spent much of the year. Stubbs hit well enough in the minors, but his typical power was nowhere to be seen, as he homered just twice at the Triple-A level. He returned to the Majors in early July and has hit well in limited duty, though his overall batting line of .216/.286/.431 leaves plenty to be desired (especially for someone playing half his games at Coors Field).
Stubbs and the Rockies agreed to a $5.825MM contract this winter to avoid arbitration — a raise he earned by hitting .289/.339/.482 in 424 plate appearances last season. Stubbs has always had pretty notable platoon splits, though, and nearly all of his damage both with the Rockies and the Reds came while playing in his hitter-friendly home environments. Defensively speaking, he can handle all three outfield spots with UZR and DRS pegging him as a roughly average center fielder over the life of his career.
Would give the Rockies Nolan Reimold and Ryan Flaherty for him.
Very good defensive CF. Don’t put up much in the way of offensive numbers in MLB when one can’t hit a curve ball….and all the other teams know it.
Well to be fair roughly about 90 percent of the hitters in the big leagues can’t hit a curveball. What makes a good hitter is the ability to lay off the breaking ball.
If you get a hanger the reason you are in the bigs is because you can do damage roughly 50% or more if a pitcher makes a mistake with a breaking ball. Drew Stubbs is way below 50% in that category.
If 90% of hitters in the big leagues couldn’t hit a curve ball, there would be nothing but curve ball pitchers out there – hanging balls or no.
I didn’t say couldn’t hit the curve. I said do damage with a hanging off speed pitch. Depending where it is, how high or wide or inside hitters should be able to make excellent contact with 50% or more of those.
Considering how thin the O’s outfield is, taking a chance on Stubbs might make some sense. He’s got a plus glove and decent speed. Playing in that stadium with a different hitting approach might help him rebound.
He had a lot of trade value over the offseason (or at least a lot more than now) and was easily replaceable in house for the Rox. He should have been moved for an arm over the winter. Just another example of them holding onto a player way too long.
The possible 4th outfielder for the Jays?
The rays will take him before the jays do.
Padres should jump on him. If they trade Venable during August they are going to need someone. See what he has left and if he has something left resign him to a 2 year deal with the 2nd year a club option.
Bad teams shouldn’t overpay for 4th outfielders. Should have traded him last year while he had value. This team will never learn.
The definition of foolishly holding on to someone past peak value. He could have netted a half decent prospect after last season.
The thing that sucks is its hard to know sometimes. You can have a good year followed by another one.
That’s too bad my sister cut his hair last year.. He’ll find a home. He’s youg enough to prove himself. If grady Sizemore can come back from serious injury then drew Stubbs can comeback from this