SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Infielder-outfielder Tyler Freeman was at Guardians camp in Goodyear, Ariz., unsure of what was happening after being scratched from the lineup on Saturday and told to await further instruction.
Then FaceTime alerted him of a call from his old baseball friend, outfielder Nolan Jones, who was trying to figure out what was going on with him at Rockies camp.
¡°He goes, ¡®Hey, I was pulled ¡ I think I¡¯m traded,¡¯¡± Freeman said. ¡°I was like, ¡®Brother, I think I¡¯m traded, too.¡¯¡±
It proved more than a coincidence, with Freeman headed to the Rockies for Jones. Before being sent to the Rockies in 2022, Jones was with the Guardians. Freeman reports that he bonded with Jones in 2020 at the alternate training site -- the dystopian invention to keep extra players ready, since the pandemic had nixed the Minor League baseball season that year.
This time, the two crossed paths. The Rockies were seeking a versatile player who could play in the middle of the diamond, infield and outfield. Freeman, who turns 26 on May 21, batted .308 with two home runs, four doubles and two triples in 15 Guardians Spring Training games, making him a contender for the Opening Day assignment at second base.
Last season, Freeman was the regular center fielder -- a position he didn¡¯t play until last year -- for the first half of the season. He ended up in a multi-position reserve role, and a late slump forced him to be optioned to Triple-A Columbus in mid-September.
Freeman, who finished 2024 batting .209 with seven home runs and 32 RBIs plus 11 steals in 118 games, was then added to the American League Division Series roster. He was slated to start Game 2 in right field against Tigers American League Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal, but sustained a left oblique strain and missed the postseason.
Freeman¡¯s role with the Rockies could be a little of everything.
He could work in a share of starts at second base and around the infield with Kyle Farmer. Freeman can play center field occasionally, although the presence of two-time Gold Glove winner Brenton Doyle and part-time player Sam Hilliard means he won¡¯t be needed there often.
¡°They just asked what positions I play, and I said I¡¯m open to playing anywhere,¡± said Freeman, who started at second and led off Sunday afternoon¡¯s 6-0 loss to the Brewers in Phoenix with a single through the middle. He moved to center in the sixth inning, stole a base in the eighth and finished 1-for-4. ¡°As for my role, per se, they haven¡¯t said anything. I just want to help the team win.¡±
Rockies manager Bud Black said adding Freeman¡¯s .413 on-base percentage with the Guardians this spring made him attractive. It¡¯s a push for the Rockies, who selected the contract of veteran outfielder Nick Martini after his .511 OBP this spring and have Sean Bouchard in line for outfield starts after his .396 spring OBP.
¡°If you look at [Freeman¡¯s] overall numbers in Spring Training, the strikeout totals are down, and he puts the ball in play,¡± Black said. ¡°He has a shorter stroke and is a guy who can control the strike zone. He¡¯s got some gap-to-gap power. We need more guys to put the ball in play.¡±
Bummer for McClanahan
Rays lefty No. 1 starter Shane McClanahan left Saturday¡¯s start with nerve irritation in his left triceps and will begin the season on the injured list. So righty Ryan Pepiot was elevated to Opening Day starter on Friday against the Rockies.
Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland made it through his final Spring Training start on Saturday against the White Sox, during which he struck out eight in five innings to improve his spring strikeout total to 24 in 19 innings.
¡°That¡¯s No. 1 -- that¡¯s in everyone¡¯s head coming into camp and trying to break camp -- you¡¯ve got to be healthy if you want to make the team,¡± Freeland said. ¡°That is bad for him. It was going to be fun to match up against him.¡±
No closure on the closer
Black said he has not named a closer. However, indications are the Rockies are leaning toward righty Victor Vodnik, who had the job for a portion of last year and struck out eight against one walk while showing a closer-like fastball-slider mix all spring. Options are rookie Seth Halvorsen, who has the power and the pitch mix, and veteran Tyler Kinley, who struck out 10 against two walks in a scoreless spring but has had most of his Major League success in a setup role.