Colorado Rockies Sign Closer

The Colorado Rockies have themselves a new closer for 2022, coming to terms with former Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays closer Alex Colome. 

It's a one-year deal, and with that, the closing committee of Daniel Bard and Carlos Estevez is over for the Rockies.

Colome has racked up 155 saves in his 9-year career, including a league-leading 47 in 2017 for the Tampa Bay Rays. He was an All-Star the year before that, with 37 saves and a career-best 11.3 K/9. Generally, however, he is not a big-time strikeout artist, averaging less than one strikeout per inning (8 K/9), an aberration these days, especially for a closer. Yet, he somehow usually seems to get the job done. 

Keeping it on the ground at Coors Field

It's the groundball that's been a huge help to Colome, as he's posted groundball rates of better than 50% in recent years, which will of course be the key for him at Coors Field, where flyballs leave the yard with regularity. 

The 33-year-old had 16 saves for the Twins last season, though it was mostly in a committee situation, and he had some rough outings that lost the team's confidence, resulting in a buyout at season's end. 

Photo Credit:  Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports