DENVER – The Colorado Rockies are reshaping one of baseball’s worst bullpens.
Left-handed reliever Boone Logan agreed to a $16.5-million, three-year contract Friday, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal has yet to be announced.
Colorado struggled with its relief corps in 2013, posting an NL-worst 4.23 earned-run average. Part of that may have been because of usage; the bullpen logged 555 2/3 innings, second most in the majors.
Colorado’s first step toward bolstering the bullpen was signing LaTroy Hawkins to a one-year deal last month. Hawkins, who will turn 41 on Dec. 21, is expected to compete with hard-throwing lefty Rex Brothers for the closer’s role.
And now the Rockies are adding Logan, a power lefty who has spent the last four seasons with the New York Yankees. He was 5-2 with a 3.23 ERA in 39 innings last season.
The 29-year-old Logan originally was drafted in the 20th round by the Chicago White Sox in 2002.
The team also exercised a mutual option for 2014 with right-handed reliever Matt Belisle. Belisle struggled last season, going 5-7 with a 4.32 ERA in 73 innings, but has been steady out of the ’pen in the past.
The makeover hasn’t been limited to just the bullpen, though. Colorado started to solidify its starting rotation after a season in which the team finished last in the NL West with a 74-88 record. The Rockies recently acquired left-hander Brett Anderson – and cash – from the Oakland Athletics for lefty Drew Pomeranz and minor league right-hander Chris Jensen.
Anderson was the Athletics’ starter on opening day last season and went 1-4 with a 6.04 ERA in five starts before finishing up as a reliever in an injury-plagued season. He will join a rotation that includes Jorge De La Rosa, Jhoulys Chacin and Tyler Chatwood.
