The Rockies made a bullpen move Monday, selecting the contract of left-hander Parker Mushinski after creating room with yesterday’s deadline dealings. With a vacancy already open on the active roster and two spots available on the 40-man roster, Colorado didn’t need to make a corresponding move.
Mushinski, 30, comes up after spending the season at Triple-A Albuquerque, where he worked 48 innings and posted a 3.48 ERA. His strikeout rate sat at 23.4%, his walk rate at 8.6%, and his ground-ball rate at 48.1%, numbers that all landed around average or a touch better.
This is a return to the majors for the first time in a couple of years. From 2022 to 2024, Mushinski bounced between Triple-A and Houston in an up-and-down role with the Astros, logging 33 big league innings with a 5.45 ERA. He used all three of his option seasons, was outrighted off the roster late in 2024, then hit free agency and spent last year in the Guardians’ system on a minor league deal without getting a call to the majors.
For Colorado, the move adds another left-handed relief arm behind Brennan Bernardino. The Rockies’ staff has been a struggle all year, carrying a 5.51 ERA that ranks worst in the majors. Coors Field is part of the picture, but the club also just dealt away Victor Vodnik and Antonio Senzatela, leaving fewer established answers in the bullpen.
If Mushinski finds success, the Rockies would have him under control for five seasons beyond this one. The catch is that he’s out of options, which means he’ll have less margin for error if the roster shuffle keeps going.
In Other News...
Rockies May Regret Passing On Their Best Deadline Opportunity
Hunter Goodmans first half gave the Rockies a rare kind of deadline chip, the kind rebuilding clubs usually cash in when a players value is at its peak. Instead, Colorado kept the catcher, even after a breakout run that included 27 home runs before the All-Star break, while dealing other veterans for only modest prospect returns.
Goodman remains under team control through 2029, and there has not yet been an extension in place to lock in his future. For a Rockies team still trying to sort out its long-term direction, passing on the chance to turn one of its most valuable assets into a bigger haul is the sort of deadline call that could linger well beyond this season. [Read more 🡒]
Brewers Eyeing A Bullpen Arm With A Comeback Story
Antonio Senzatelas season has quietly become one of the more interesting subplots on the Rockies roster, especially with the trade deadline drawing closer. The 31-year-old right-hander has been working out of the bullpen this year and has given Colorado a useful bridge option, posting a 3.61 ERA in 34 games while continuing to rebuild value after a long stretch interrupted by major injuries.
His path has been anything but simple, with a torn ACL and Tommy John surgery both part of the backstory. The contract control adds another layer, since he is signed through 2026 with a team option for 2027, which gives any interested club a reason to weigh the upside against the health risk and the long view of what he might still become. [Read more 🡒]