The Rockies added a left-handed arm on Friday, claiming Hayden Harris off waivers from the Braves and giving a struggling National League club another pitcher to develop.
Atlanta had designated Harris for assignment on September 2 to open a 40-man roster spot for Elieser Hernandez. Colorado wasted no time taking a look, and instead of putting Harris on the active roster, the club sent him straight to Triple-A Albuquerque.
That assignment keeps him on the 40-man roster while giving him a lower-pressure place to sharpen the one area that has slowed his rise: command.
Harris, 27, joined the Braves as an undrafted free agent in July 2022 and reached the majors in September 2025. In his brief MLB debut, he logged 2 2/3 innings and posted a 3.38 ERA.
The strikeout ability has always been there. Across Double-A and Triple-A this season, Harris put up a 5.55 ERA with 64 strikeouts in 48 2/3 innings, but his walk rate climbed to a troubling level and has been the biggest obstacle in his climb.
His 2024 season showed why teams kept believing in the stuff. He turned in a 0.52 ERA with 79 strikeouts over 52 innings and drew notice as one of the better pitching prospects in the Atlanta system. The last two seasons have been bumpier, but the swing-and-miss profile still stands out.
For Colorado, the move costs little and offers plenty of upside. At 54-86, the Rockies are looking more toward development than the standings, and Harris now gets a chance to clean things up in Albuquerque before potentially competing for a bullpen job in spring training.
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What makes the surge even more notable is the way he is doing it at age 37. Sales four-seam fastball has been livelier this year, reaching speeds not seen since 2018, and that added velocity has helped fuel the kind of effectiveness that can change how the Braves view a series, a rotation and maybe even their ceiling. It is the sort of late-career rebound that forces a team to recalibrate its expectations in real time. [Read more 🡒]