Kyle Kendrick to Rockies: Latest Contract Details, Comments and Reaction

After spending the first eight years of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies, veteran right-hander Kyle Kendrick will be taking his talents to the Colorado Rockies. 

The Rockies announced Kendrick had agreed to terms on a contract that will put the 30-year-old in a new starting rotation for the first time:

Kendrick had an up-and-down tenure with the Phillies. He had four seasons with ERA totals between 3.22 and 3.90 but also had four seasons where that number jumped between 4.61 and 5.49. 

Despite the inconsistent ERAs, Kendrick does have value thanks to his durability. He's made 62 starts over the last two years and 30 appearances in six of his eight seasons. The results are going to be maddening at times, as evidenced by the 1,234 hits he's given up in 1,138.2 innings, but that's about normal for a back-end starter. 

When rumors first came out about the Twins' interest in Kendrick, Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press pointed out that Kendrick's fielding independent ERA from 2011-14 wasn't different, for better or worse, than two other right-handed starters:

One thing that Kendrick brings to a pitching staff is versatility. He's got the ability to eat innings as a starter, but the Phillies had success using him out of the bullpen. The former seventh-round draft pick has a 3.50 ERA in 64.1 innings out of the pen compared to 4.47 as a starter. 

It's not a huge sample size for Kendrick, but it does give his new team options. He can also serve as a swing man, pitching out of the bullpen for multiple innings at a time to preserve other arms as the season moves along. 

While not a marquee name, Kendrick has been solid throughout his career and is capable of doing whatever a team asks. That's not a sexy profile to market but is valuable in a pitching market that's often very expensive. 

Stats via Baseball-Reference.com

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