Based on this offseason, I think I am going to start calling Colorado Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd “A Deal A Week O’Dowd.” It seems like every week the Rockies are in the news for something.
First it was trading Clint Barmes. Then the Troy Tulowitzki extension. After that it was re-signing Jorge de la Rosa.
O’Dowd wasn’t done yet as he traded for infielder Jose Lopez. Yesterday, O’Dowd continued to tweak the Rockies roster by signing Ty Wigginton.
The Rockies signed Wigginton to a two-year, $8 million contract with an option for 2013. Wigginton hit .248/.312/.415 with 22 home runs in 649 plate appearances for the Baltimore Orioles in 2010.
That seems like a lot of boxes of ziti for a guy who had a .283 OBP in the second half of last season. It’s also a lot of boxes of ziti for a guy who is a jack of all trades, but master of none.
Wigginton has some pop in his bat, but not great pop. He can play three infield positions, but none of them overly well. He’s been your classic role-player on bad teams throughout his career.
I call those players “Kansas City Devil Pirates” players. Those are the players like Wigginton, who can play on those teams, but not on a big-time team. Lastings Milledge will be on that list soon.
So the question is, what role will Wigginton play with the Rockies?
Wigginton will be the Rockies primary right-handed hitter off the bench and will fill in for Ian Stewart at third or Todd Helton at first against left-handed pitching.
Against lefties, the Rockies could feature a lineup that looks something like this:
1. Young, 2B
2. Fowler, CF
3. Gonzalez, LF
4. Tulowitzki, SS
5. Lopez, 3B
6. Wigginton, 1B
7. Spilborghs, RF
8. Iannetta, C
9. Pitcher
Outside of Carlos Gonzalez, every other position player in that lineup bats right-handed. The damage that lineup will do will be dependent on Lopez and Wigginton. If the Rockies get the 2010 Lopez and the second-half Wigginton, that lineup looks a lot less formidable.
I don’t mind the signing of Wigginton because I can see how he can be used on the Rockies. I just wouldn’t have given him $4 million a year to do it. It seems a little outlandish to me.
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