The Colorado Rockies have made a key addition to their bullpen, signing left-handed reliever Scott Alexander to a year, $2 million contract. To make room on the 40-man roster, the crew designated infielder Aaron Schunk for assignment.

Alexander, 35, brings a verified track record as a groundball specialist, an ability set that has to play well at Coors Field, wherein prohibiting home runs is a consistent project. Last season with the Oakland Athletics, he published a 2.56 ERA in 38 2/3 innings, despite coping with ribcage and shoulder accidents that restricted his availability.

While his 19.4% strikeout rate turned into an under-league average, his 60% groundball rate ranked him among the best in Major League Baseball, tied for 10th alongside the Giants closer Camilo Doval. That ability to hold the ball on the floor makes him a treasured asset in Colorado’s hitter-friendly environment.

“His numbers at Coors are without a doubt right, and he’s now not afraid,” Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt stated. “He’s pitched well in our ballpark… And he’ll be useful in our division against left-surfaced hitters.”

Veteran Scott Alexander has joined a young Rockies bullpen

One of the most interesting elements of Alexander’s signing is his wonderful career numbers at Coors Field. In 14 professional appearances at the Rockies’ home stadium, he has a 1.46 ERA over 12 1/3 innings, permitting just one walk while striking out seven batters.

Ryan McMahon, certainly one of Colorado’s pinnacle hitters, can personally attest to how hard Alexander is on lefties.

“He hides the ball without a doubt nicely, and it’s by no means comfortable at-bat for a lefty,” McMahon stated. “When he became the Dodgers, we’d observe the chart, and we knew the fastball was coming, and we simply couldn’t get it inside the air.”

The Rockies are expected to hold a couple of left-handers in their bullpen, and Alexander’s presence gives lots of wished stability and revelry. His signing also lets the team be patient with injured reliever Lucas Gilbreath, who is getting better from a thoracic outlet surgical operation.

With 328 career appearances over 10 MLB seasons, Alexander brings veteran leadership to a Rockies bullpen that features several younger arms competing for high-leverage roles. The crew presently lacks a described closer, with Tyler Kinley and Justin Lawrence having struggled in 2024. That may want to open the door for more younger relievers like Seth Halvorsen or Victor Vodnik to emerge in late-inning roles.

Alexander has never been a full-time closer, but he does have 10 career saves and masses of experience in high-stress conditions, which include 62 career holds. Last season, he recorded 10 holds for Oakland, proving he can nevertheless be relied upon in key moments.

The Rockies had been trying to find a left-handed bullpen addition all offseason, and with Alexander’s groundball-heavy technique and strong records at Coors Field, they will have observed the correct shape.