Wade Davis Signing Proves Rockies Are All In For 2018
January 9, 2018
The Colorado Rockies have signed the best relief pitcher on the market, Wade Davis, to a 3 year, $52 Million deal which makes him the highest paid reliever in MLB history. The Rockies could have compiled a few cheaper relief options available on the market but instead chose to kill all the birds (their bullpen issues) with one stone. Davis has proven through his time with the Royals and Cubs over the last 4 years that he is the most reliable bullpen option in the league. Besides his incredible stuff and his 1.53 ERA out of the pen over the last 4 years, the most appealing aspect of his game is that he has pitched in big moments. He pitched in two World Series with the Royals and made a deep run with the Cubs this year.
The Rockies were among the best hitting teams last season, leading the NL in runs per game behind MVP candidates Nolan Arenado and Chuck “Nasty” Blackmon. However, their weaknesses came with their pitching, ranking 17th in ERA and 23rd in Batting Average Against. Sources claim that Wade Davis had received matching or better offers, but in a recent interview Davis claimed that a lot of his motivation to sign with the Rockies stemmed from the youth and promise of the team going forward. It’s clear that, Davis’ belief in the Rockies future isn’t just wishful thinking. Besides their subpar pitching statistics they still managed to make it to the Wild Card game, where ironically they lost in part because of their weak bullpen in a shootout at Arizona.
The Rockies appear poised to make a serious run in 2018, and the experience Davis brings with him makes Colorado unquestioningly a much better ball club.
Written by Paul McGovern
