The Rockies signed a lefty Jack O’Loughlin in a minor league deal, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale on the X. A client of Gaeta Sports Management also receives an invitation to major league spring training.
O’Loughlin, 25 in March, only made his league debut last season. The Athletics signed him to a minor league deal through the 2024 season and he ended up cracking the roster. He threw 9 2/3 innings in four appearances, allowing five earned runs while striking out six batters and issuing five walks. He was waived from the team’s roster in September and was able to elect free agency at the end of the season.
The Australian southpaw naturally has a huge body of work for the kids to look up to. His time on the farm includes 159 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level over the past two seasons with a 5.35 ERA, though a career-high .356 batting average on balls in play may be a factor there. His 22.1% strikeout rate and 9.9% walk rate at that level are both very close to average.
The Rockies often face challenges in building a pitching staff because of a hitter-friendly home park, as it is difficult to attract free agents there and develop pitchers who can succeed at Coors Field. They have also been bitten by the injury bug in recent years, reducing their staff significantly. The club had a collective 5.48 ERA in 2024, the worst in the majors, while the Marlins’ second team finished at 4.75.
O’Loughlin has worked both off and on the bench in his career, so he can give the club depth in both departments. If he finds any success, he still has a few more option years and a few days of service time left, so he could be kept on the cheap next time.
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