FEBRUARY 26: RHP Rafael Betancourt announced his retirement, Gerardo Boscan reported. Tom Harding reports that Rafael will consider becoming a coach. As MLBTR notes, Betancourt was open to pitching in 2016 but only if he received a major-league guarantee. Given his age (40) and recent struggles (6.18 ERA in 2015), it's understandable why he didn't find what he was looking for. He also missed the 2014 season due to Tommy John surgery.
Overall, Betancourt had a strong 12-year career with Cleveland and Colorado. Pitching a significant amount in hitter-friendly Coors Field, he managed to record a career 3.36 ERA in nearly 700 innings. He also recorded 75 saves, serving as the Rockies closer from 2011-13.
We here at Everything MLB Inc. congratulate Rafael on a tremendous career and wish him the best of luck in life after baseball.
MARCH 4: The Rockies and outfielder Ryan Raburn agreed to a minor-league deal, Jon Heyman reported. Heyman notes that Ryan will earn $1.5MM if he makes the major-league roster and can request his release if he doesn't make the club by March 28.
As MLBTR notes, Raburn gives manager Walt Weiss another option in what's already a crowded outfield. The starting trio of Gerardo Parra, Charlie Blackmon, and Carlos Gonzalez all hit left-handed, so Raburn can provide a right-handed hitting option off the bench. He has a track record of crushing left-handed pitching, including a .325/.415/.589 slash line with 8 homers last season vs lefties.
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