Thairo

Estrada

Estrada figures to miss the first month of the season. He’ll probably reemerge as the Rockies’ primary second baseman after returning, but the newly acquired Tyler Freeman might have something to say about that. Of course, the Rockies could also shift Freeman to the outfield if they’d like.

Freeman, who was acquired from the Guardians for Nolan Jones on Friday, started at second base and batted leadoff for the Rockies on Sunday. He led off the game with a single off of Elvin Rodriguez, but wound up stranded at third base. Freeman then reached on a fielder’s choice in the eighth inning and swiped second base, but the Rockies couldn’t cash him in. He’s expected to see fairly regular action at second base for the Rockies with Thairo Estrada (wrist) sidelined.

Estrada was plunked in the wrist by Kumar Rocker, and imaging revealed the fracture. Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters that Estrada will be out 4-8 weeks while recovering. The 29-year-old could return to action at some point in May, and Kyle Farmer will handle second base duties while Estrada recovers.

Estrada was attempting to make a tag on Michael A. Taylor at second base when Taylor’s foot made contact with his head. The exit is viewed as precautionary, but the Rockies will take no chances with a potential head injury. Don’t be surprised if Estrada is out for a couple of days.

He’s off to a 7-for-12 start. We’re skeptical that Estrada was really the Rockies’ best choice as a stopgap second baseman, but at least it doesn’t seem like the team is planning on penciling him in at the top of the order. How much running he does will determine if he has any mixed-league fantasy value. He might at least be a streaming play when the Rockies are at home.

Estrada got the ball rolling in the opening inning, smacking a two-run single off of Aaron Ashby to give the Rockies and early lead that they would never relinquish. He then raced around to score on a two-run double off the bat of Jacob Stallings. Estrada also plated a run with an RBI knock off of Tyler Jay in the fourth inning. The 29-year-old infielder should open the season as the Rockies’ starting second baseman and looks poised for a major bounce-back season after a rough 2024 campaign in which he slashed just .217/.247/.343 in 381 plate appearances with the Giants.

Finalizing a deal agreed to way back on Dec. 10. Estrada will make $3.25 million this year and then presumably get a $750,000 buyout of the mutual option. The Rockies will control Estrada’s rights for 2026 either way, since he still won’t have the service time to qualify for free agency. Estrada was one of baseball’s worst hitters last season, coming in at .217/.247/.343 in 381 plate appearances before the Giants sent him to Triple-A for the final month. He was considerably better the two previous years, though he’s always had subpar exit velocity numbers. Whether he offers much fantasy value this year will hinge partly on his legs. He swiped 44 bases between 2022 and ’23, but he was just 2-for-4 in 96 games last season.

No word yet on the financial terms. Estrada joins the Rockies from the Giants, and is coming off an awful year where he hit just .217/.243/.343 over 96 games. He’s had previous success with an OPS+ above 100 over the previous three seasons. He’ll be the everyday second baseman in Colorado, and while that’s a friendly offensive ballpark, it’s hard to see him as more than a bench option in fantasy formats to begin 2025.

MLB.com’s Thomas Harding reported Friday that the Rockies are also looking at Estrada as a second base option alongside Kyle Farmer. He’d presumably be more of a utilityman on a Yankees team that can do better for starters. Estrada hit .217/.247/.343 in 96 games for the Giants last season, and while he was much better the previous two years, his poor exit velocity numbers never really backed it up.

We had a feeling that this move could be coming after Estrada was placed on waivers earlier in the week. After getting unclaimed, he now has the option to elect free agency if that looks more appealing than reporting to Triple-A Sacramento. Estrada has hit just .217/.247/.343 with nine homers, 47 RBI and two stolen bases in what has been an extremely disappointing 2024 season.