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Victor Vodnik

Rockies Designate Ty Blach For Assignment

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The Rockies announced this morning that they’ve activated right-hander Victor Vodnik from the 15-day injured list. In a corresponding move, left-hander Ty Blach was designated for assignment. Colorado’s 40-man roster now stands at 39 players.

Blach, 33, now wraps up his second stint on the big league roster with the Rockies this season. He’s generally performed poorly in 71 1/3 innings of work with the club this year with a 6.94 ERA and 6.28 FIP in 20 appearances, 12 of which were starts. A fifth-round pick by the Giants back in 2012, Blach found some success as a decent swing man with San Francisco early in his career. Over his first three seasons in the big leagues from 2016 to 2018, Blach pitched to a 4.36 ERA (93 ERA+) with a 4.14 FIP in 299 1/3 innings of work spread across 85 appearances and 39 starts. Overall, Blach posted a 4.56 ERA and 4.23 FIP in a Giants uniform but suffered through five disastrous starts with the Orioles after being shipped to the club in 2019. Those wound up being the last appearances he’d make at the big league level until he resurfaced with the Rockies back in 2022.

When the lefty signed a minor league deal with the Rockies back in 2022, that kicked off a string of what has now become three seasons where the veteran journeyman has bounced between Triple-A and the majors for the club. While he generally hasn’t pitched well for the Rockies, with a career 6.13 ERA (78 ERA+) and 5.46 FIP that are below average even for a hurler who calls Coors Field home, he’s served as a veteran depth option that has allowed the Rockies to avoid rushing young, promising pitchers to the big leagues amid the club’s number of rotation injuries in recent years. Going forward, Blach will have the opportunity to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency should he clear waivers.

Blach’s departure from the active roster makes room for the return of Vodnik. The 24-year-old hurler made his big league debut in Colorado last year as he struggled through a six-game cup of coffee, but quickly entered the club’s late inning mix this year. In 64 2/3 innings of work this year, Vodnik has impressed with a respectable 4.04 ERA (115 ERA+) and 3.91 FIP while collecting nine saves. Though Vodnik sports a strikeout rate of just 20.2% this year, he’s generated grounders at an impressive 52.9% clip that’s left him with a 4.19 SIERA, third-best among all Rockies pitchers with at least 40 innings of work this year. The hard-throwing right-hander was sidelined late last month by a bout of biceps inflammation but now that he’s returned, he figures to slot back into the club’s late inning mix alongside closer Tyler Kinley.

Rockies Select Jeff Criswell

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The Rockies announced they have selected the contract of right-hander Jeff Criswell. He will take the roster spot of fellow righty Victor Vodnik, who lands on the 15-day injured list with right bicep inflammation. The club opened a 40-man roster spot by outrighting righty Riley Pint a few days ago. Thomas Harding of MLB.com relayed the moves on X prior to the official announcement.

Criswell, now 25, was selected by the Athletics in the second round of the 2020 draft. In 2021, he made his professional debut with five High-A starts but then got more run in 2022. That year, he tossed 118 1/3 innings across multiple levels, with a combined 4.03 earned run average. He struck out 23.8% of batters faced while giving out walks at a 9% clip.

He went to the Rockies in the December 2022 trade that sent righty Chad Smith the other way. He has been pitching for Triple-A Albuquerque since that trade but without much success. He tossed 121 innings last year over 29 appearances, including 26 starts, but finished with a 7.51 ERA. He did strike out 23.7% of batters faced but walked 12.5% of them and also allowed 32 home runs.

This year, he’s been pitching exclusively in relief with some encouraging signs, having thrown 57 2/3 innings over 35 appearances. The 10.1% walk rate is still high and the 6.24 ERA isn’t impressive, but he’s been striking out opponents at a 30% clip. He’ll be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.

As for Vodnik, the club hasn’t provided any details about his injury but they have every reason to be cautious at this point. They are one of the worst clubs in baseball this year and well out of contention, so there’s no sense pushing a player through an injury, even if it’s mild. Vodnik has emerged as a key piece of the club’s bullpen this year, with a 4.04 ERA, nine saves and six holds.

Rockies Select Victor Vodnik

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5:45 pm: The Rockies have officially selected the contract of Victor Vodnik from Triple-A (Twitter link). In a corresponding move, Austin Gomber has been placed on the 60-day IL with lower back inflammation. With only 23 games remaining on the Rockies’ schedule, this move means the end of Gomber’s season, giving him the chance to rest up and set his sights on a healthy return in 2024.

1:27 pm: The Rockies are planning to place left-hander Austin Gomber on the 15-day injured list and select the contract of right-hander Victor Vodnik from Triple-A Albuquerque, reports Thomas Harding of MLB.com. Gomber hasn’t pitched since Aug. 28 after his last start was scratched due to back discomfort. Stints on the injured list can only be backdated up to three days from the time of placement, so the IL stint will presumably be retroactive to Sept. 5.

A timetable for Gomber, 29, isn’t yet clear. He’s tied with fellow southpaw Kyle Freeland for the team lead with 27 starts, though both pitchers have ERAs north of 5.00 — 5.50, in Gomber’s case. This year’s 139 innings represent a new career-high at the MLB level for Gomber, who currently has a 14.4% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate, 41.6% ground-ball rate and 1.68 HR/9.

While Gomber’s numbers on the year don’t stand out, he’s steadily improved as the 2023 campaign has progressed. The lefty was rocked for 22 runs in his first four starts this year and struggled for much of the season’s first two months. Since June 14, however, he touts a far more palatable 3.91 ERA in 78 1/3 frames. His 14.8% strikeout rate in that time is still one of the lowest in baseball, but his 4.9% walk rate is excellent and Gomber has significantly tamped down his home run issues during this stretch as well (1.15 HR/9). The Rockies can control him for another two seasons via arbitration.

As for Vodnik, he’ll be in line for his Major League debut. The flamethrowing 23-year-old went from Atlanta to Colorado in the deadline swap that sent righty Pierce Johnson to the Braves. He’s pitched 53 2/3 innings this season between Double-A and Triple-A, working to a combined 3.35 earned run average with a hefty 29.9% strikeout rate against a more troubling 13.4% walk rate. Vodnik reaches triple digits with his heater, and scouting reports at FanGraphs, MLB.com and Baseball America all credit him with a plus changeup that helps him induce weak contact on the ground. Command issues are a concern, and BA’s scouting report notes that he’ll at times tip his changeup, thereby undercutting the pitch’s effectiveness.

Vodnik is not yet on Colorado’s 40-man roster, so the Rox will need to make a move to create space. If the Rockies don’t believe Gomber will return this year, he could be placed directly on the 60-day IL. Kris Bryant, currently on the 10-day IL, has already missed 47 days and could be another 60-day IL option, depending on his own outlook. The Rox have also already passed Cole Tucker through waivers once this season, and he was only selected back to the MLB roster a couple days ago.

Big Hype Prospects: Ward, Vodnik, Lavigne, Murray, Sikkema

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It’s time to shift our attention to the frozen wasteland of the offseason. With luck, the baseball gods will provide us with an amply warm stove to survive this bleak period without baseball. Already, we’ve seen a number of interesting, tinkering-on-the-margins trades. Teams are also preparing for the Rule 5 draft, set to take place on December 7.

Today, we’ll check in on some players who were not protected per MLB.com. By nature, none of these are consensus Top 100 prospects. In some cases, they had a better prospect pedigree in the past. In others, scouting reports don’t agree with the statistical output. Still others are clearly talented but have struggled to stay on the field.

We’ll cover half today and the other half next week.

Five Big Hype Prospects

Thad Ward, 25, SP, BOS (AA)
33.1 IP, 11.07 K/9, 3.78 BB/9, 2.43 ERA

Ward has scarcely pitched in official game action since 2019, accruing just 59.1 innings over the last three seasons due to Tommy John surgery. He appeared in the Arizona Fall League, adding 12.2 innings to his season total. He held opponents to a 2.84 ERA with 15 strikeouts and six walks.

Any team thinking about drafting Ward will have to consider his readiness for a full campaign after so much lost development time. The right-handed starter has a five-pitch repertoire. It’s believed he could play up in the bullpen as a cutter-slider specialist – they’re his best offerings. He also has a sinker, curve, and changeup, none of which are relief-quality offerings.

Victor Vodnik, 23, RP, ATL (AAA)
27.2 IP, 10.73 K/9, 5.20 BB/9, 2.93 ERA

Vodnik is a relief prospect with a cutting fastball. He has an adequate changeup and a work-in-progress slider. He pitched to a 2.93 ERA at Triple-A last season. He had issues with walks but made up for it by inducing over 50 percent ground balls. He’s allowed high BABIPs – a sign he might not have a high leverage future. He appears to be big league ready. Teams can look at him as comparable to the typical non-roster invitee.

Grant Lavigne, 23, 1B, COL (AA)
242 PA, 5 HR, .245/.347/.370

Lavigne had a strong AFL showing, but it wasn’t enough for the Rockies to protect him from the upcoming draft. The left-handed hitting first baseman is a discipline-first hitter. Although he has plus raw power, he doesn’t access it in-game very often. His swing path could use work, especially since his upper-cut hack has yielded a high ground ball rate. Between his size and discipline, a team might believe there is something salvageable here with the right instruction. A flatter, more adaptable swing plane could yield immediate rewards.

Jayden Murray, 25, SP/RP, HOU (AA)
108 IP, 8.3 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 3.50 ERA

Part of the Trey Mancini trade, Murray profiles as a high-probability future big leaguer based on his command of a plus slider. His eventual role remains uncertain. He’s spent his entire career starting – with mostly positive results. His ERAs are consistently more than a run below his FIP, a symptom of the aforementioned slider command. Few minor league pitchers have a fine touch with their offspeed stuff. Murray has made only one appearance in Triple-A. Clubs could be curious to try him in a relief role to see if the stuff plays up. Even if it doesn’t, he looks like a plausible innings-eating, low-leverage reliever for any non-contender.

T.J. Sikkema, 24, SP/RP, KC (AA)
69 IP, 10.8 K/9, 3.1 BB/9, 4.83 ERA

A former 38th-overall pick, the Royals acquired Sikkema as part of the Andrew Benintendi trade. After dominating at the Yankees High-A affiliate, Sikkema struggled to a 7.44 ERA with the Royals Double-A crew. While his performance doesn’t appear to be that of a plausible Rule 5 pick, he fits a historically favored profile for the draft. A southpaw with a 50 percent ground ball rate, he’s worked almost exclusively as a starter. A team in need of a lefty specialist could be interested to see how he performs as a reliever.

Five More

Ethan Hankins, CLE (22): Despite reaching Rule 5 eligibility, Hankins has barely pitched professionally. He’s totaled just 64 career innings across five seasons. He returned from Tommy John surgery at the end of 2022. At times, he has flashed multiple plus pitches. Hankins would rate as an extreme selection – he has yet to appear in High-A. Orgs lacking in both Major League and prospect talent – like the Nationals – might take an interest.

Chase Strumpf, CHC (24): Strumpf has topped out at Double-A where he’s mixed solid power and excellent discipline with a serious strikeout issue. Ironically, he was originally considered a hit-over-power prospect. Strumpf could be seen as a development project, especially if a club thinks they can unlock better results by teaching him selective aggression.

Yolbert Sanchez, CWS (25): Sanchez is a contact hitter who would have been valued more in past eras of baseball. His low-angle contact approach yields a high average at the expense of power and on-base skills. He’s mostly of interest for his value as a utility infielder who can put the bat on the ball – not unlike a Ronald Torreyes type.

Jeremiah Jackson, LAA (22): One of the younger and toolsier options available, Jackson made some notable gains at Double-A last season – specifically his rate of contact. The Angels don’t have a well-regarded development system. Jackson is young and talented enough that a team with better resources – might opt to sacrifice a roster spot for a season to see if they can unlock another level.

Micah Pries, CLE (24): Although he’s flown well-below the radar, Pries has done nothing but hit since his debut in 2021. A 2019 draftee, he missed that season due to a pre-draft hamstring injury. COVID restrictions cost him his 2020 campaign. Pries seems unlikely to be selected on so short a track record and modest scouting grades. In 504 Double-A plate appearances, he batted .266/.341/.473 with 18 home runs and 20 stolen bases. If there are underlying metrics supporting his success (I have no such info on him), a data-savvy team might give him a try.

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