Colorado has also formally added nine players to its 60-man pool, per the announcement. Joining the group are right-handers Tommy Doyle, Karl Kauffmann and Wes Parsons; infielders Aaron Schunk, Michael Toglia, Ryan Vilade and Colton Welker; lefty Helcris Olivarez; and catcher Willie MacIver.

The Rockies’ announcement comes after two game — the Marlins/Orioles tilt in Miami and the Phillies/Yankees contest in Philadelphia — were postponed due to Covid-19 concerns. However, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale tweets that Collins had already informed the team of his decision to opt out prior to today’s news. That said, with 11 players and a pair of coaches testing positive in the Marlins organization alone since Friday, it’s certainly possible that we’ll see another wave of players decide to step away from the season citing health and safety concerns.

Collins, 30, was a staple in the Royals’ bullpen from 2011-14, pitching to a 3.54 ERA with better than a strikeout per frames part of a relief corps that eventually served as the backbone for consecutive World Series appearances. Unfortunately for Collins, he was only a part of the 2014 World Series runner-up roster, as he underwent Tommy John surgery early in 2015. When Collins appeared on the cusp of returning in 2016, he suffered a second UCL tear that led to a second Tommy John surgery.

All told, Collins missed the 2015-17 seasons while recovering, but he returned to the mound in 2018 and made it back to the Majors with the Nationals. In two seasons since his return, he’s totaled 31 1/3 frames in the Majors and logged a 4.02 ERA with a 25-to-15 K/BB ratio. He’s handled righties better than lefties in his career to date, so Collins isn’t necessarily impacted by the three-batter minimum rule like some other southpaws might be.

The 2020 season could’ve been a proving grounds of sorts for Collins, who is still young enough to reestablish himself as a quality reliever. But he’ll instead opt to step aside amid the current health concerns and likely look for another minor league deal this winter.

It’s been more than two years since the now-36-year-old Jimenez appeared on a Major League mound and nearly a decade since he last donned a Rockies uniform. From 2008-10, Jimenez was a bona fide top-of-the-rotation arm for the Rox, pitching to a combined 3.43 ERA (3.42 FIP) with 8.2 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9 in 638 1/3 innings in Colorado. Given the hitter-friendly nature of Coors Field, Jimenez’s park-adjusted production was 37 percent better than that of a league-average pitcher (by measure of ERA+). Colorado eventually traded him to the Indians for a prospect packaged headlined by Drew Pomeranz.

After a rough year and a half in Cleveland, Jimenez peaked at the perfect time, tossing 182 2/3 innings of 3.30 ERA ball in his walk year with the Indians. He set out into free agency and landed a four-year, $50MM contract that quickly proved to be a misstep for the O’s. Jimenez gave Baltimore one season of league-average innings (184 innings, 4.11 ERA, 100 ERA+ in 2015) but was otherwise one of the least-effective starters in MLB throughout his time there. He hasn’t appeared in the Majors since throwing his final pitch for the Orioles in 2017.

Melville, meanwhile, started seven games for the Rockies just this past season, tallying 33 1/3 frames of 4.86 ERA ball with a 24-to-14 K/BB ratio. The 30-year-old journeyman was signed out of the independent Atlantic League and wound up making a combined 24 starts between Triple-A and the Majors, although his minor league numbers were rather unsightly. In 96 1/3 innings with Triple-A Albuquerque, Melville limped to a 5.42 ERA and yielded an average of 2.2 homers per nine innings pitched.

Collins, also 30, pitched 8 2/3 innings with the Cubs and surrendered three runs on nine hits and three walks with four strikeouts in that short time. His work in Triple-A similarly left plenty to be desired, as he walked 19 batters and served up seven homers in just 31 innings.

It’s of course worth noting that both the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League in 2019 were a nightmare for pitchers, as Triple-A hitters teed off on the same juiced ball that led to the massive home run spike we witnessed in the Majors. Collins, in particular, had a sharp Triple-A track record prior to 2019 and was at one point a quality reliever with the Royals (2011-14) before multiple Tommy John surgeries slowed his career.

Collins has only 8 2/3 MLB innings (with a 3.12 ERA) to his name this season, as he has been shuttling between the Cubs’ 25-man roster and their Triple-A affiliate.  The veteran southpaw was designated for assignment last week, and he chose to become a free agent in search of a new opportunity rather than accept an outright assignment to Chicago’s farm system.

Amir Garrett and Wandy Peralta are the only left-handed relievers on Cincinnati’s Major League roster, and Collins’ addition gives the Reds some depth once Garrett begins serving the suspension issued for his role in the recent brawl between the Reds and Pirates.  While Garrett is appealing that suspension and could possibly get it reduced from eight games, he will very likely still miss some time, and Collins’ presence at Triple-A gives the Reds a veteran option who will be ready to go once Garrett sits.

Collins has a 3.60 ERA, 9.1 K/9, and 1.80 K/BB rate over 242 1/3 innings in a big league career that began in 2011, though also didn’t see any MLB action from 2015-17 due to a long recovery from two Tommy John surgeries.

Collins appeared in nine games across multiple stints with the Cubs in 2019, allowing a total of three runs on nine hits and three walks with four punchouts. He’s whiffed 37 hitters in 27 Triple-A innings this season but has also issued 16 walks (three intentional) and surrendered seven home runs there.

Collins was a big piece of the Kansas City bullpen from 2011-14 but missed two full seasons due to multiple Tommy John surgeries. He’s totaled 31 1/3 big league innings between the Nationals and Cubs since returning from that pair of operations, posting a 25-to-15 K/BB ratio but has yielded a .237/.328/.492 batting line to opposing left-handers.

Still, as an experienced left-hander with a knack for missing bats, Collins should have little difficulty latching on with a different club — likely a contender. The elimination of August trade waivers will make adding depth via other avenues (e.g. outright waiver claims, free agency) of increased importance.

Holland had recently been designated himself by the San Francisco organization. He was playing on a deal that promises him $6.5MM this year and a $500K buyout on a $7MM club option (which also includes some escalators). Today’s trade, humorously, involves “a cash consideration” heading in both directions. Precisely how the sides have sorted the financials isn’t yet clear, but it seems fair to presume that the Cubs will pick up a small portion of the two-and-a-half million or so remaining on the tab.

The Chicago organization continues to cycle through lefty relievers. When Collins signed his modest, $850K deal, the club dropped Brian Duensing from its 40-man despite a $3.5MM salary. Now, the team will give Holland a look in a relief capacity.

It’s not surprising to see Holland land on his feet despite his struggles this year. The 32-year-old washed out of the San Francisco rotation after seven starts, as he failed to follow up a quality 2018 season. His ability to throw multiple innings as a long man or starter is still of appeal, particularly for a Cubs team that recently parted with Mike Montgomery.

The real appeal here, though, is the possibility of using Holland as a situational reliever. While his overall results were hardly exceptional — 5.03 ERA in 34 innings with 29 strikeouts and 15 walks — Holland has shown a velocity boost in the bullpen. Better still, he’s pummeling opposing left-handed batters, who carry a meager .182/.276/.195 batting line in 89 trips to the plate against him this season. Holland has not only induced lots of poor contact, but has drawn grounders from southpaw hitters on more than three of every four balls they put in play.

As for Collins, the 29-year-old hasn’t been tasked with much of a workload in the majors. His swinging-strike rate has dropped from a promising 11.6% rate last year to just 7.5% in his nine appearances in 2019. He has spent most of the year pitching at Triple-A, where he carries a 4.67 ERA with 12.3 K/9 against 5.3 BB/9 with seven long balls marring his stat line.

Collins, 29, was with the Cubs earlier this season and tossed 7 2/3 frames. He surrendered three runs on nine hits and three walks with four strikeouts in that time before being designated for assignment last month and returning to the team’s Triple-A upon clearing outright waivers. In 27 innings with Iowa this year, Collins has a 4.67 ERA with 37 strikeouts against 16 walks. Opposing lefties have batted just .167/.268/.333 against him in 2019, althought right-handers have tagged him for a .256/.347/.537 line.

The Cubs are known to be on the hunt for additional left-handed bullpen help, and if they’re able to find an upgrade on the trade market, Collins’ latest stay with the big league club could be similarly brief. For now, he’ll at the very least give manager Joe Maddon a matchup specialist to use late in games.

YESTERDAY: The Cubs have designated reliever Tim Collins for assignment, per Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times. His 25-man roster spot’s going to promising pitching prospect Adbert Alzolay, who’s coming up from Triple-A Iowa.

The more notable move here is the call-up of Alzolay, a 24-year-old who rates as one of the Cubs’ best farmhands. Now 24, the right-handed Alzolay joined the Cubs as an international free agent out of Venezuela for just $10K in 2012. MLB.com currently ranks Alzolay fourth on the Cubs’ list of prospects and notes the team’s of the belief he could develop into a mid-rotation starter.

Alzolay has thrived this year at the Triple-A level, where he has pitched to a 3.09 ERA/3.10 FIP with 12.94 K/9 and 1.69 BB/9 in six starts and 32 innings. However, even though key starter Kyle Hendricks is on the injured list, the Cubs aren’t planning to have Alzolay join their rotation immediately. He’ll instead back up No. 5 starter Tyler Chatwood, who’s set to take the ball Thursday against the Mets.

Collins, meanwhile, has gone back and forth between Chicago and Iowa since the club signed him to a major league deal in late March. The 29-year-old lefty has thrown 7 2/3 innings this season in Chicago, with which he has allowed three earned runs on nine hits and three walks (with four strikeouts). Collins also owns a 2.12 ERA (with a far less encouraging 5.45 FIP) and 9.53 K/9 against 4.76 BB/9 in 17 Triple-A frames this season.

After an ugly start to the season that led to a minor league demotion for almost a month, Edwards has pitched much better since returning to Chicago’s bullpen.  Edwards has a 2.03 ERA over 13 1/3 innings since rejoining the big league roster, with opponents hitting a measly .094 against him.  Without getting too carried away by a small sample size, Edwards’ three walks over 13 1/3 frames is also a positive sign, given the career 4.9 BB/9 rate the righty carried into the 2019 season.

Collins joined the Cubs on a late-spring signing, and is back up on the big league roster for the third time this season, giving Chicago a third left-handed relief option alongside Mike Montgomery and Kyle Ryan.  Collins has seen action in five MLB games this year, with a 3.86 ERA over 4 2/3 innings of work.

• The Cubs will promote lefty Tim Collins to take the roster spot of injured starter Jon Lester, according to Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com (via Twitter). Collins inked a MLB deal late this spring after being cut loose by the Twins and was optioned to open the season. He’ll try to help settle a relief unit that has sputtered out of the gates. Collins didn’t exactly excel last year with the Nats, but did make it his way back to full health and back up to the majors after several lost seasons. He has racked up an impressive number of strikeouts in 2019, with 13 in 9 1/3 spring innings and three more in 2 2/3 at Triple-A.
• Joining the Yankees roster is right-handed reliever Joe Harvey, per a club announcement. The club dropped Jonathan Loaisiga back to Triple-A on optional assignment to clear active roster space; Harvey already owned a 40-man spot. With a pair of off-days in the upcoming schedule, Loaisiga can get some work in at Triple-A while the MLB club enjoys an extra reliever. Harvey will get his first taste of the majors at 27 years of age. Last year, he worked to an impressive 1.66 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9 in 54 1/3 innings over 38 appearances at the highest level of the minors.

Collins hit the open market Friday when the Twins released him, ending a short stay with the team that signed him to a minors pact in early February. The 29-year-old, who broke in as a quality reliever with the Royals back in 2011, has barely seen action in recent seasons on account of significant injury troubles (including multiple Tommy John surgeries). But Collins did return to the majors last year for the first time since 2014 and accrue 22 2/3 innings as a member of the Nationals, with whom he logged unspectacular numbers (4.37 ERA/5.76 FIP with 8.34 K/9 and 4.76 BB/9). Collins was neither tough on lefties nor righties last year in the majors, though he did perform well at the Triple-A level, where he put up a 3.94 ERA/2.71 FIP with 9.56 K/9 against 4.22 BB/9.

Collins will give the Cubs some lefty relief depth behind Mike Montgomery and along with the injured Xavier Cedeno. Duensing had been filling that role, and it’s possible he’ll continue to if he stays in the organization. The 36-year-old would first have to get through waivers unclaimed, which is a distinct possibility given that he’s due a $3.5MM salary this season. Duensing’s set to close out a two-year, $7MM contract, which he earned entering 2018 on the heels of a standout season in Chicago. Unfortunately for the two parties, though, Duensing struggled to a disastrous 7.65 ERA/6.35 FIP with equally unappealing strikeout and walk rates (5.73 K/9, 6.93 BB/9) in 37 2/3 frames last year.

With the Minnesota organization deciding to head in a different direction with its final roster spots, it was obviously deemed preferable to allow these two players a chance to seek opportunities elsewhere. Both could in theory return to the Twins on new arrangements.

Collins, 29, ran up a dozen strikeouts in 7 1/3 innings during camp. He also has thrown just 22 2/3 MLB frames over the past four seasons, with all of those coming last year with the Nationals. He pitched to a 3.86 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 4.8 BB/9 for D.C.

AS fr the 35-year-old Rosales, he’s looking to crack the majors for the 12th-straight season. To this point, he has accumulated 1,807 plate appearances of .226/.291/.365 hitting while lining up all over the infield. He had been on fire at the plate this spring, running up a .294/.368/.735 slash with four home runs (as well as four walks and four strikeouts) in his 38 plate appearances.

Now 29 years old, Collins was once a key member of the bullpen for the division-rival Royals, but a pair of Tommy John surgeries kept him off the field from 2015-17. The diminutive southpaw returned to the Show this past season with the Nationals, however, totaling 22 2/3 innings with a 4.37 ERA and a 21-to-12 K/BB ratio. Collins’ 92.5 mph average fastball was only narrowly south of his pre-surgery velocity, and he posted a solid 11.6 percent swinging-strike rate to go along with a 31.7 percent chase rate on pitches out of the strike zone. Control has long been an issue for Collins, but he notched a solid 3.54 ERA with 9.4 K/9 in 211 innings prior to his injury troubles.

As for Nicolino, the former second-round pick (Blue Jays, 2010) was once viewed as a Top 100 prospect but has never lived up to that potential. He’s amassed 201 1/3 MLB innings, all with the Marlins, but turned in a pedestrian 4.65 ERA with just 3.8 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9 in that time. He spent the 2018 season with the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate, where he was knocked around for a 4.69 ERA with 5.8 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 134 1/3 innings.

Presently, Taylor Rogers and Adalberto Mejia are the Twins’ top two left-handed relief options. Rogers finished out the year as one of the game’s most effective relievers after adopting a slider partway through the season and didn’t allow a run in his final 28 appearances. Mejia, meanwhile, is out of minor league options. Both seem quite likely to make it to the club’s Opening Day roster, barring injury. Meanwhile, southpaws Gabriel Moya and Andrew Vasquez are likely ticketed for Triple-A to open the season. That presents both Collins with quite a bit of competition in vying for a roster spot, and the rotation picture for Nicolino (if he’s still to be used as a starter), is all the more crowded.

Madson has been dealing with back discomfort, and the official diagnosis on his injury is “lumbar nerve irritation,” manager Dave Martinez told reporters (Twitter link via Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com). With both Madson and Sean Doolittle on the shelf, the Nats will turn to young Koda Glover as their interim closer, tweets Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. Glover, though, is unavailable tonight, so Justin Miller would likely receive a save opportunity, should it arise.

As for the 28-year-old Collins, this’ll be his second stint with the Nats this season. The two-time Tommy John surgery victim pitched to a 2.77 ERA in 13 innings with the Nats earlier this season, prompting some frustration from Washington fans when he was designated for assignment. However, Collins posted a less impressive 8-to-6 K/BB ratio in that time, and he ultimately stuck with the organization after clearing waivers and being outrighted to Triple-A. The former Royals setup man has a 3.94 ERA and a 32-to-15 K/BB ratio in 30 Triple-A innings so far in 2018.

• Left-hander Tim Collins cleared waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Syracuse by the Nationals organization, reports Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post (Twitter link). The southpaw had enough service time to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, but Janes adds that Collins will indeed go to Syracuse. The 28-year-old returned to the Majors for the first time since 2014 this season, having missed significant time due to a pair of Tommy John surgeries. He posted a 2.77 ERA that looks strong at first glance but was accompanied by 14 hits allowed and six walks against just eight strikeouts through 13 innings.
• The Reds’ Rookie-level affiliate announced today that lefty Max Wotell has been released by the organization. The 21-year-old Wotell was traded alongside Dilson Herrera from the Mets to the Reds in exchange for Jay Bruce back in 2016, but his control evaporated immediately upon being dealt to the Reds. At the time of the swap, Wotell had a 3.94 ERA with a respectable 31-to-12 K/BB ratio in 29 2/3 innings in Rookie ball. He walked seven batters in six innings to close out that season with the Reds, and the following year, he walked 14 batters in just 17 1/3 innings between two levels. This season, Wotell had a combined 10.45 ERA with 17 walks against 11 strikeouts in 10 1/3 innings between A-ball and Rookie ball.

With the Nats stuck in a brutal run of poor results, they’ll sacrifice some bullpen depth in order to increase their offensive options with the return of Adams. The first baseman had been on the shelf after suffering a minor finger fracture on a bunt attempt.

Collins, 28, has worked to a 2.77 ERA in his 13 innings on the year — his first frames in the bigs since way back in 2014. Unfortunately, he has also managed only eight strikeouts while issuing six walks.

There were some positive signs, too. Collins is working at 93.1 mph with his fastball, right near his career average, and has managed an 11.2% swinging-strike rate. He has been tagged by righties (.455 wOBA) but been equally dominant against lefties (.191 wOBA).

For the Nats, there were simply more pressing needs than another lefty reliever. With Matt Grace on hand and Sammy Solis in reserve at Triple-A, there are other options. Plus, the club could conceivably mix and match in the late innings rather than using southpaw Sean Doolittle exclusively as a closer. Whether another team will value Collins as a MLB roster piece remains to be seen; if not, perhaps he could end up back at Triple-A in the D.C. organization.