The Rockies have agreed to a one-year, $3.25MM contract with Thairo Estrada, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The deal comes with a mutual option for 2026 or a $750K buyout. However, if either side declines the mutual option, the Rockies will still have the opportunity to retain Estrada via arbitration for one more year due to his Super Two status.
Estrada, 29 in February, began his career with the Yankees but broke out after a trade to the Giants in 2021. He carved out a role for himself in San Francisco with a league-average bat, above-average speed, valuable defensive versatility, and a plus glove at second base. Over 312 games from 2021-23, he slashed .266/.320/.416 with a 105 wRC+, 45 stolen bases, and 7.4 FanGraphs WAR.
Unfortunately, the 2024 season was rough for Estrada. He spent two separate stints on the injured list with a sprained wrist, and while he only missed a handful of weeks, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area notes that he was playing through injury throughout the season. It certainly showed in his numbers. Estrada still came up with 9 Outs Above Average at second base, but his offensive production was dreadful. Over 96 games, he slashed .217/.247/.343 with a 64 wRC+. Eventually, the Giants were no longer willing to keep him on the roster, sending him outright to Triple-A at the end of August. He elected free agency after the season.
Thomas Harding of MLB.com linked Estrada to Colorado last week, noting that the club was looking for a new second baseman. The Rockies are set with Ezequiel Tovar at shortstop and Ryan McMahon at third base, but they had a gap on the right side of the infield after non-tendering Brendan Rodgers earlier in the offseason. While they signed Kyle Farmer to a one-year, $3.25MM guarantee in November, Farmer is older and lacks Estrada’s upside. He’s better suited to a utility role, which is the role he’s played for most of his career.
Estrada also drew interest from the Yankees this offseason. Yet, in Colorado, he will get everyday playing time as he looks to rebuild his value. Eventually, he could have competition from top infield prospect Adael Amador, but Amador won’t turn 22 until April, and his aggressive call-up in 2024 proved he wasn’t ready for the majors. Indeed, he has yet to play a single game at Triple-A. If Amador continues to progress and Estrada bounces back, Estrada could become a valuable trade chip for the Rockies next winter.
Good teamate terrible hitter
92 career wRC+ is hardly terrible. And he was above 100 for his only two healthy, full seasons. Was a 3.5 fWAR hitter in 2023 and is only 28.
Unfortunately, I watched every at bat he took last year.
Lol. He is in the 99.9 percentile of hitters playing baseball in the world in 2024
I actually thought he was pretty good for us until last year. I expect him to rebound well in Coors if he’s healthy
Thing that regressed the most for him last year was his approach. Never the best but god it go really bad. Chased everything out of the zone while simultaneously taking pitches in the strike zone.
Future all star he’s going to tear it up in colors field watch
The Rockies do have to have a representative every, so could be.
Used to be serviceable
Perfect for Rockies!
He’s 28 not 35.
Well, the Rockies do tend to look for the younger has beens more recently. The days of being the retirement home for Dale Murphy, Ron Gant, and Roy Oswalt are gone. Now we are the last stop before the Mexican League or Korea.
Imo that’s progress. Much more likely a 29 year old can bounce back than it is to hope a 37 year old still has anything left in the tank.
If this guy is healthy he’s going to have a BIG year.
He’s a gamer, plays hard but just hasn’t been 100% since he broke his forearm in 2023. Wishing Thairo all the best and a bit worried for the Giants when they play the Rockies this year.
Please define how being a gamer will actually translate into success. Trying hard with limited relative skill does not typically lead to a BIG year. Another poor signing by the worst organization in MLB
@dave
don’t listen to inside out, they never know what they’re saying
Someone asked me to clarify my thoughts on Thairo then they blocked me. But I’m happy to oblige anyway!
Check out Thairo’s 1st half numbers before he got hurt in 2023:
.272/.327/.435/.762 (BA,OBP,SLG,OPS). Solid
Seven games at Coors in 34 AB during 2023: .882 OPS.
A healthy Thairo is a good player. GAMER!
@dave
That’s what inside out does, he’s a weirdo troll.
He’ll be good at Coors. Certainly improves the Rockies, but that isn’t saying much. Good for Thairo!
I would say Thairo putting up good numbers in the first half converts him into a trade chip at the deadline, but the Rockies don’t do that…
Good kid, works hard, hope he stays off the sliders down and away.
Meetings heating up!!!!
Hes a good ball player and it was a tough park to hit! Definitely a great move
Kinda wish the Yankees had signed him to be an extra super utility player- a younger, cheaper, healthier DJ LeMahieu.
Yankees used to have him.
And gave him to SF for nothing
love thairo but that’s faint praise
stephen hawking is younger and healthier than lemahieu
Questions
Like this move for them.
He’ll play well for Rockies. Good player and teammate. Was hurt last year. Giants would have stuck with him except for 1) was in last year arb – $ he would have received was too high 2) have similar talent 2B’s on roster who are younger and cheaper
The Yankees have plenty of these types of players. They need to unload DJL. They have Cabrera and possibly bring back Berti if the price is right
I wouldn’t mind getting DJLM back in Colorado for a farewell season or two as a DH, but the Rockies don’t really have a matchup for a trade. The only bad contract they have to swap is Kris Bryant and I highly doubt the Yanks would want that one.
I could see a Ryan McMahon swap for DJ plus a couple of prospects (Lombard + Warren), but that is more something I would do instead of something the Rockies would do.
Wow….the Yankees would jump at that opportunity based on his last 2 years of baseball in NY…..
Two sort of okay years in San Fran – 1.8 bWAR in 2022, 2.3 bWAR in 2023 – will probably get him something like six or eight million from the Rockies. Nice pay for a career .694 OPS. Okay, that number isn’t nearly as bad as it looks, thanks to San Fran’s enormously pitcher-friendly ballpark.
He should put up better-looking numbers thanks to Coors Field and set himself up for a multi-year deal after 2025.
Only a four million guarantee. A little surprising with all the big money getting doled out around the league.
Estrada’s developmental momentum was stymied when he was shot in the hip during the 2017-18′ off-season while home in Venezuela.
Thairo had just hit over .300 at AA as a 20-21 year old in a pitcher friendly league and home ballpark to boot. The Yankees even were already considering him for the major league roster.
Glad he’s carving out a worthy major league career, but you have to wonder if that incident affected his ceiling or if he still has another gear in him for what would now be his peak years.
How does a downward shot to the hip affect one’s ceiling, Columbo?
Because of the missed developmental time as stated in my initial comment.
Estrada was forced to miss almost the entire 2018 season following the incident, playing only 18 games at a disappointing 40 wRC+
This after posting a 117 wRC+ as a 21 year old in a tough hitting environment and being discussed as a potential part of the the 2018 major league 25 roster.
Make sense now?
Wouldn’t a hip shot affect a guy’s floor, though?
Phew!
Now the Yankees are going to be really upset and sign someone to a team unfriendly deal because they’re so upset on losing out to both Soto and now this guy.
A subpar yankee makes a decent Giant under Farhad. A decent Giant under Farhad makes a good Rocky. He will do well in Denver.
Is Estrada really better than Rodgers though?
Idk but he is cheaper
The Rockies think so.
Welcome to another episode of Estrada or nada!
Giants will regret passing on him..much better all around player than Fitzgerald