Colorado Rockies Pick Up Two Players in Rule 5 Draft
The Colorado Rockies selected Luis Perdomo and Luis Niebla in Thursday’s (12/10) Rule 5 Draft at the MLB Winter Meetings.
The Colorado Rockies entered the 2015 Rule 5 Draft with one thing in mind, acquire young pitching talent to bolster their MLB team and farm system. In the first-round MLB Phase of the Rule 5 Draft, the Colorado Rockies selected Luis Perdomo from the St. Louis Cardinals. Luis Perdomo is a 6’2” right-handed pitcher with a plus fastball and above-average slider. Moreover, Perdomo ranked as the 11th-best prospect in the Cardinals’ farm system, showing why the Colorado Rockies valued him highly.
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Due to the Colorado Rockies selecting Luis Perdomo in the MLB Phase of the Rule 5 Draft, they must keep him on the MLB roster for the entirety of the 2016 season. If they fail to do so, the Colorado Rockies forfeit Perdomo back to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Colorado Rockies are known for taking gambles on relief pitchers in the Rule 5 Draft, most notably selecting Tommy Kahnle from the New York Yankees a couple years ago. Perdomo figures to be a middle-relief pitcher next season for the Colorado Rockies.
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Luis Perdomo primarily pitched a starter last season in the St. Louis Cardinals’ farm system; however, he struggled with his promotion to High-A. In 2015, Perdomo split time between Single-A and High-A, accumulating 22 starts (23 appearances) on the season. While with Single-A, he pitched over 100 innings, registering a 3.68 ERA and 3.39 FIP. Also, Perdomo demonstrated solid strikeout (K/9) and walk rates (BB/9) of 8.97 and 2.78, respectively.
Perdomo earned a late-season promotion to High-A, but he saw his ERA inflate to 5.13. However, Luis Perdomo’s FIP of 2.98 illustrates a different story. Additionally, Perdomo saw a decrease in his strikeout rate (6.15) and walk rate (2.05). Despite the decrease in strikeouts, Perdomo showcases an advanced ability to avoid home runs, posting a home run rate (HR/9) no higher than 0.86 in his career. In 2015, Perdomo posted a 0.63 home run rate at Single-A and a 0.34 home run rate at High-A, signifying why the Colorado Rockies believe he can make an impact at the MLB level.
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In addition to Luis Perdomo, the Colorado Rockies selected Luis Niebla from the New York Yankees’ farm system in the Triple-A Phase of the Rule 5 Draft. Like the MLB Phase, Niebla must stay on the MLB roster for the duration of the 2016 season, or the Colorado Rockies forfeit him back after the player passes through waivers. Luis Niebla is another right-hand relief pitcher that figures to work in the middle innings of games next season. Niebla split time between High-A and Double-A in 2015 while in the Yankees’ farm system.
While with High-A, Luis Niebla made 28 appearances, registering solid numbers across the board. Niebla registered a 2.88 ERA and 2.89 FIP, showcasing why the Colorado Rockies wanted him. Moreover, in 50 innings pitched, Niebla posted a 7.02 strikeout rate and 2.34 walk rate. More importantly, like Perdomo, Niebla showed he could avoid home runs, with a home run rate of 0.18 at High-A. Niebla earned a late-season promotion to Double-A, but he struggled with the promotion, posting a 12.60 ERA and 4.27 FIP in five appearances, likely due to his inflated walk rate of 4.50.
With the Colorado Rockies designating three players for assignment a couple weeks ago, they filled holes in the bullpen by signing Jason Motte and Chad Qualls via free agency and by drafting two pitchers in the Rule 5 Draft. The Colorado Rockies’ bullpen needs all the help they can get, so they hope Luis Perdomo and Luis Niebla prove their worth while with the team. The Colorado Rockies are known for giving relief pitchers long leashes, so expect for the duo of pitching prospects to stay with the team throughout the season.
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The Colorado Rockies hope to get solid years out of Miguel Castro and Jairo Diaz at the back-end of their bullpen. Also, with the addition of Motte and Qualls, the Rockies’ relief corps is slowly coming along. Moreover, if Perdomo or Niebla can breakout in 2016, the Colorado Rockies hit a gold mine by taking other teams’ prospects. With the duo of prospects, the Colorado Rockies’ 40-man roster sits at 39, with the team expected to sign Mark Reynolds in the coming days.