Several weeks after the agreement was first reported, the Rockies have formally announced the signing of veteran infielder Alexi Amarista to a one-year contract. The versatile Martin Arburua client will reportedly receive a $1.25MM guarantee, which includes a $1.1MM base salary as well as a $150K buyout of a $2.5MM option for the 2018 season.
[Related: Updated Colorado Rockies Depth Chart]
Amarista, 27, has never provided much at the plate over his six MLB seasons with the Angels and Padres, though he adds some versatile depth to the Rockies bench. The majority of Amarista’s 398 career starts have some at shortstop, but he has also seen quite a bit of action as a center fielder and second baseman. Additionally, he’s logged some time at third base and in both corner outfield slots.
The Rockies have a much-publicized glut of outfielders but relatively little infield depth beyond the quartet of first baseman Ian Desmond, second baseman DJ LeMahieu, shortstop Trevor Story and third baseman Nolan Arenado. Amarista can be a backup all across the diamond as well as late-game option off the bench and on the basepaths. New Rockies manager Bud Black knows Amarista quite well, as Black previously managed Amarista in San Diego from 2012-15.
Amarista figures to join likely fourth outfielder Gerardo Parra and backup catcher Tom Murphy to occupy three of the Rockies’ bench spots. Out-of-options infielder Cristhian Adames is a candidate to fill one of the remaining spots, as is veteran outfielder Chris Denorfia, who will be in camp as a non-roster invitee this spring (but would give the Rox a needed right-handed complement to their all-left-handed outfield). Other options for the Rockies bench are corner outfielder/first baseman Jordan Patterson and well-regarded outfield prospect Raimel Tapia, though both hit from the left side as well, which would further add to Colorado’s glut of lefty-swinging outfielders.
The Padres non-tendered Amarista back in early December following a season that saw the 27-year-old hit .257/.295/.271 over 150 plate appearances. Amarista was projected by MLBTR to earn $1.6MM in his third and final year of arbitration.
Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports first reported the agreement and the terms of the deal (Twitter links).
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Good for him, always played his heart out and he loved the game.
Yeah, a fun guy to root for. I wish him the best.
Absolutely the smallest person Ive ever seen on a baseball field…whatever height they list him at is wrong. He and my wife were on the field one day…and she’s 5’3…and they matched up height-wise….yeah he’s fun to watch…had good bat speed.
Was your wife wearing high heels or something ? B-Ref says he’s 5’6. Could have sworn Altuve was the shortest active player at 5’5.
No, she wasnt wearing high heels. Whatever his listing is its too much…he MIGHT be tied with Altuve….but Im telling you they were side by side…
Buddy Black knows Lexi well and knows he is a reliable utility player. Rockies will compete in that division. Lexi picking to play for Buddy again…good testimony for Buddy. AJ is insecure…made a bad decision to replace Buddy at that point in the season and replace him with a buffoon….when he had doc Roberts on the bench.
Are you sure it was AJ decision to make? As for Doc, if the franchise has decided to move on from Buddy Black you aren’t going to hire someone cut from the same mold.
The one sure thing we will see is what Buddy Black does with talent.
Wow. Good luck to the Rockies. Amarista can’t hit at all and his fielding is pretty brutal too. I agree that he tries hard and all but there’s really nothing there. Odd move. There’s probably twenty minor leaguers better than him.
It is Coors field, so maybe he puts up respectable numbers for a utility guy.
A lot of Padre fans aren’t going to like this but in reality Amarista just isn’t that good.
You don’t say!
He’s fine as utility guy not everyday player
Rockies will be good.
As a Padres fan, I say good riddance… he was streaky at best. Maybe they can take Brett Wallace too!
I like that and agree.
News Flash: At the presser to announce the signing, Rockies management stated that Amarista will be platooning with Ian Desmond at 1B. It doesn’t matter that he really has no experience at the position, since Ian doesn’t either, Bud Black stated. I’ve seen Moneyball, and if Billy Beane thinks 1B is extremely easy to learn, it must be so.
How he still has a job in this league in beyond me. Preller should be thanked for finally ending amaristas tenure in san diego.
Good pick up for the Rockies. Always liked watching him play. Hopefully this doesn’t mean another year of Adam Rosales on the Padres.
Adam Rosales actually had a sneaky solid year this year
Adam Rosales had an .814 OPS for the Padres in 2016. That’s higher than our so-called All Star Wil Myers while playing more premium positions. Do you also not want another year of Wil Myers on the Padres then?
He ran in to some home meaningless runs but he also struck out a ton and had a terrible approach in the majority of his at bats. It seemed like every time he came up with guys on base he would just close his eyes and swing at anything. His stats did end up okay though. You would have to actually watch some games to see it.
I watched a ton of games and Adam Rosales was one of our best hitters in 2016 with the stats to back it up. I am tired of idiots like you always bashing him when in reality he was one of the few brights spots on the 2016 Padres.
He had 214 AB and his career numbers are abysmal with a .665 OPS, .636 before last year. Are you really trying to say that he is a better player than Wil Myers? If you are that will set a new low for you.
He certainly hit better than Myers in 2016 and he certainly doesn’t deserve to be used as the official Padres whipping boy on all these forums.
Still not nearly as low as your constant crying about Derek Norris
Fans tend to cry about .180 hitters that can’t throw runners out funny that way
Good luck to Little Ninja in Colorado. He always gave his all in San Diego.
True, he did give it his all, but at 5’7″ and 150lbs, there wasn’t ever much to give… which is why he was never really very good.
I commented above….but 5’7 is generous.
Yeah, Wikipedia has him at 5’7″, not that I listen to Wikipedia often, but 5’4″ is probably more realistic. Saw him at Spring Training a few years in a row and he is definitely not close to 5’7″
He was on the field with my wife a couple years ago….shes 5’3 1/2…and they were close enough to same height not to be able to tell when i looked over. He was that noticably petite.
Wait… in an earlier post you said your wife was just 5/3 but she’s grown a half inch
She corrected me…I asked to make sure.
You seem really smart, Altuve is 5’5″… explain that…
Remember when he hit like .360 in AA and people were discounting his size. Im not sure how he does it really…the power. Guy was born to hit.
WTF does 5’7″ have to do with how he played? Plenty of guys that are shorter, even a few that are in the HOF.
I loved watching Amarista is the box and his quick swing….but that 5’7 is a stretch. Makes me laugh thinking of Freddy Patek back in the day playing SS for KC…the big joke was that they tried to send him to the Cubs but Chicago didn’t want yom because they grew the infield long to kill bunts and Freddie might not be able to see over the grass. Amarista was in the Angels system quite awhile…he could hit.
He’s 5′ 7″ with heels on
In this particular case size does NOT matter. Just ask Dustin Pedroia or José Altuve. As someone who has seen Amarista even before he reached the major I can atest that he is pure heart. He’ll do fine in Colorado even though he’ll have less oportunities to play since I don’t think he’ll be needed in that crowded outfield (barring a trade or injury).
He’s mostly an infielder actually. The Padres used him all over the diamond but primarily up the middle.
Even in Colorado a sub-.300 OBP doesn’t really play. Plus, Amarista is a bad shortstop. He’s playable at second.
He was a fine 2B in the minors…saw him as well. Angels had so many good players before they crashed their system.
Nice job, Rockies. Spending money on your already-great offense and not worrying about your terrible pitching. Yet another batter is not gonna get you to the playoffs. try getting your team pitching under a 5.00 ERA then start worrying about your offense.
Seems like the Angels have enough of their issues playing at sea level. Maybe the Rockies should just write some massive checks.
Let’s not overlook his 3.14 career FIP. Dude is straight up 80 mph gas. He may have a chance to break his career 0.2 IP at Coors field.
Sorry….I read that as 80 mpg gas and got excited.
I’m wondering of the Rockies are preparing to deal Trevor Story or Brendan Rodgers. I don’t know what the hypothetical is on going after Quintana….but those are nice lead pieces. Not that I want to see them deal from their arm pool with other pieces.
Maybe DJ Lemajue? For like an Oddorizi or Smyly…
DJ LeMahieu is worth more
Lemahieu is not worth more. If he’s part of an odorizzi deal Colorado has to add more
Colorado definitely doesn’t have to more more. It would just be a one on one swap. Like the rockies would trade dj though. Doubt the rays need him too
I don’t know about that lemahieu was only above average offensively once in his career which was last year, and is a free agent before odorizzi
DJ Lemayhew is a solid 2B, I can see Odorizzi but I think they’re more prone to move an OF than Lamaijue
Might as well call him DJ Llama Hue.
DeeJay Lamaighjue
DeahJaiy Lamaiygheaux
They could put a nice big trade package together, especially if they sign Trumbo or someone to play first with Desmond moving to OF. Rodgers and Dahl, nice basis for any trade.
Too much for most of the trades the rox would make.
TROUT OR HARPER???? like for trout dislike for harper.
Harper is at least 10 times better than Trout.
Bryce harper career stats: (5 yrs of MLB exp.) Mike Trout career stats is the second one (5 yrs of full MLB exp.)
BA: .279 BA: .306
HR: 121 HR: 168
RBI: 334 RBI: 497
H: 651 H: 917
SB: 54 SB: 143
OBP: .382 OBP: .405
SLG: .501 SLG: .557
OPS: .883 OPS: .963
R: 412 R: 600!!!
WAR: 21.3 WAR: 48.3!!!!!!!!!!!!
OK… Did I explain this enough or should I mention awards…
Bryce Harper: 2015 MVP, 2012 NL ROY All star 3 times, only one silver slugger, and a hank aaron award.
Mike Trout: 2014 AND 2016 AL MVP, 2012 AL ROY, all-star 5 times, 5 silver sluggers!, 2014 and 2015 all-star game MVP, and a hank aaron award.
Sorry.. I couldn’t resist. These are all full seasons over 100 games for both players. I maybe….maybe can understand a nationals fan like you saying bryce is better than mike trout. But when you say 10 times better…. that was the dumbest comment I have ever seen in MLBTR. Just look at the stats.. By the way Mike trout plays for the angels (who haven’t been the best lately.) Bryce harper plays for the nationals who pretty much have won their division every year since bryce harper.