The Arizona Diamondbacks traded outfielder Jake McCarthy of Scranton, Pennsylvania to the Colorado Rockies for righthanded relief pitcher Josh Grosz of Twentynine Palms, California according to Rogers Sportsnet on Saturday. McCarthy is expected to be the everyday right fielder for the Rockies next season.
McCarthy is joining his second Major League Baseball franchise. He spent the last five seasons with the Diamondbacks.
This is the second significant transaction made by new Rockies general manager Josh Byrnes of Washington, District of Columbia over the last week. Byrnes signed starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen of Anaheim, California to a one-year deal worth $8 million last Wednesday.
McCarthy batted .204 with four home runs and 20 runs batted in this past season. During 67 games, 222 plate appearances, and 206 at bats, McCarthy scored 18 runs and had 42 hits, seven doubles, five triples, six stolen bases, 10 walks, 71 total bases, three sacrifice bunts, one sacrifice fly, an on base percentage of .247 and a slugging percentage of .345.
Anyway you look at it, this past season was the worst season of McCarthy’s Major League Baseball career. Simply more was expected for McCarthy, whose batting average was only four points above the Mendoza Line.
Now, with McCarthy in Colorado, there are no excuses. He is hitting in the biggest hitter’s baseball park in the Major Leagues, and Rockies fans will expect him to return to the .285 batting average he had in 2024.
At this time, McCarthy is expected to hit seventh in the batting order according to Fangraphs. The Rockies also have high hopes this season with first baseman Troy Johnston of Tacoma, Washington, who the Rockies claimed off waivers from the Miami Marlins on November 5.
