The Rockies have signed a left-handed hitter Jack O'Loughlin to a minor league deal, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today on X. The Gaeta Sports Management client will also receive an invitation to Major League Spring Training.
O'Loughlin, 25 in March, just made his major league debut last season. The Athletics signed him to a minor league contract through the 2024 season and he eventually made the roster. He pitched 9 2/3 innings in four appearances, allowing five earned runs, striking out six and issuing five walks. He was completely cut from the club's roster in September and was able to elect free agency at the end of the season.
The Australian southpaw obviously has a bigger job to look at in the minors. 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, although a very high .356 batting average on balls in play could be a factor. His 22.1% strikeout rate and 9.9% walk rate are both pretty close to average at this level.
The Rockies generally face challenges in building a pitching staff because they are hitter-friendly at their home park due to the difficulty of both luring free agents there and developing hurlers who can thrive at Coors Field. They have also suffered from injuries in recent years and have significantly weakened their workforce. The club had a collective ERA of 5.48 in 2024, easily the worst in the majors, with the Marlins second to last at 4.75.
O'Loughlin has worked in both the rotation and the bullpen in his career, so he can provide the club with depth in both departments. If he's successful, he'll still have a few option years left and just a few days of service time left, meaning he may be able to be retained cheaply in the future.
