The Colorado Rockies have claimed left-handed pitcher Jalen Beeks off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays, the team announced Monday afternoon. The club now has 36 players on its 40-man roster.
Beeks went 2-3 with a 5.95 ERA, 1.488 WHIP and 10.0 strikeouts per nine innings in 2023. The 30-year-old made 30 appearances in the big leagues, eight of which came as an opener and 22 of which came out of the bullpen.
The Boston Red Sox drafted Beeks out of the University of Arkansas in the 12th round of the 2014 MLB Draft. He got flipped for starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi ahead of the 2018 MLB Trade Deadline, remaining with the Rays ever since.
Beeks was a mainstay out of Tampa Bay's bullpen for several seasons, and he was midway through a breakout year in 2020 before he suffered a UCL injury and underwent Tommy John surgery. The elbow procedure also cost Beeks his entire 2021 campaign.
Upon his return to the mound in 2022, Beeks picked up where he left off and became one of the Rays' most reliable relievers once again. He did make headlines for reasons other than his pitching, however, as he was one of four players who opted not to wear gear with rainbow Rays branding during Pride Month.
Beeks posted a 3.85 ERA, 1.362 WHIP and 8.7 strikeouts per nine innings and a 1.9 WAR with Tampa Bay from 2018 to 2022.
The Rockies will now add Beeks to a bullpen that ranked dead-last in the league with a 5.41 ERA and 1.56 WHIP. After trading closer Pierce Johnson to the Atlanta Braves in July, Jake Bird, Daniel Bard, Justin Lawrence and Brent Suter became the go-to arms in Colorado's bullpen. Suter will become a free agent at 5 p.m. ET on Monday.
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