Chris

Rabago

Rabago spent the 2021 campaign at Triple-A Albuquerque in the Rockies’ minor-league system, hitting .234/.333/.325 with three homers and four steals across 178 plate appearances. The 28-year-old backstop will bolster the Tigers’ organizational catching depth behind newly-acquired starter Tucker Barnhart this season.

The latest round of subtractions trims the Rockies’ spring training roster to 30 players. Perhaps the most notable name to be included in this round is Bird, who ended up being beaten out by C.J. Cron for the Rockies’ starting job at first base this spring.

He’ll be joined by right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez, who is also being sent to the minors. The 25-year-old backstop didn’t show much offensively last year, scuffling to a .196 average with four homers and nine steals in 73 games between Double-A Trenton and Double-A Hartford. A 13th-round pick in 2014, the UC-Irvine alum has yet to reach the major leagues.

The Royals plucked Rabago away from the Yankees in Thursday’s Rule 5 Draft and are now flipping him to Colorado, the team that originally drafted him back in 2014. The 25-year-old catcher slashed just .196/.273/.326 in 259 plate appearances this past season at Double-A.

Rabago was just claimed off waivers from the Rockies earlier this week. He’s now off the 40-man roster but will remain in the organization.

Rabago was batting just .213/.292/.361 with four home runs and 23 RBI in 66 games this season for the Rockies’ Double-A affiliate. The 25-year-old catcher is nothing more than organizational depth for the Yanks.

Rabago, 24, hit .272/.350/.393 with a homer and 25 steals at the Low-A level in 2017. He now can’t be taken in the Rule 5 Draft.