2020 Colorado Rockies

2020 Colorado Rockies / Franchise: Colorado Rockies / BR Team Page[edit]

Record: 26-34, Finished 4th in NL Western Division (2020 NL)

Coaches: Stu Cole, Steve Foster, Ron Gideon, Dave Magadan, Mike Redmond, Jeff Salazar and Darryl Scott

History, Comments, Contributions[edit]

Before their season started, the 2020 Colorado Rockies decided to close the books on some very expensive decisions made after reaching the postseason in 2017. Sensing that the main problem keeping the Rockies from taking the next step was the weakness of their bullpen, they went out and signed three relievers to big contracts, all of them for three years: closer Wade Davis ($52 million), and set-up men Jake McGee ($27 million) and Bryan Shaw (also $27 million). While the Rockies made it back to the postseason in 2018, and even won the Wild Card Game, the moves turned out to be expensive mistakes: Davis did lead the National League in saves with 43, but with poor peripheral numbers, then saw his ERA balloon to 8.65 in 2019, while the other two had ERA's over 5.50 in two seasons. On July 17, 2020, with the abbreviated season about to start, the Rockies decided to swallow the bitter pill and released both McGee and Shaw. And while Davis was still officially the closer, no one was under any illusion that he would keep the job for long if he did not quickly right the ship. Still, there was also some good news that day, as the Rockies also announced that veteran Daniel Bard, out the majors since 2013 because of a bad case of the yips, had managed to make the opening day roster after surmounting his problems and coming to camp as the longest of long shots.