Rox new starters already 'creating a good team vibe' at camp

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Left-handed pitcher Jose Quintana loves talking, listening and demonstrating. So he fits right in with the idea factory that has sprung up in Rockies camp.

In his first two days since reporting for Spring Training, Quintana -- the latest addition to the Rockies’ starting rotation -- has had enthusiastic and animated on-field conversations with pitching coach Alon Leichman, catchers and any pitcher willing to talk. It takes much collaboration to figure out how to turn the team around from last year’s 43-119 campaign.

“I’m ready to help,” said Quintana, 37, a veteran who arrives with 383 Major League appearances (357 starts) with eight teams along with 10 postseason games (eight starts). “Whatever happened last year is in the past, but for sure they know how bad that tastes.”

The Rockies’ free-agent signings over the past month can be described as fresh ginger -- a palate cleanser.

Righty Michael Lorenzen, 34, has 395 games (119 starts) with six teams, plus six postseason appearances. He signed in January, then others followed.

“I looked like the crazy person at first, so they didn’t look at it as crazy, maybe,” Lorenzen said with a chuckle. “Maybe the Rockies are a little more proactive trying to get pitching. That’s a good sign.”

Tomoyuki Sugano, the 36-year-old righty who signed with the Rockies on Tuesday, is well-traveled in a different sense -- he was officially a rookie last season with the Orioles, but that came after 12 star-studded seasons in Japan with the Yomiuri Giants.

“I’ve heard nothing but great things about Quintana,” Lorenzen said. “Getting Sugano was awesome. He came up to me and said we played against each other when I was with collegiate Team USA and said, ‘I’ve followed you since then.’ This is creating a good team vibe.”

Quintana and Lorenzen have been in the Majors long enough to have heard the stories and seen some Coors Field horror. They know all about the Rockies in baseball-savvy Japan, and Sugano gave up an AL-leading 33 homers with the Orioles last season. But none of them ran the other way when Colorado called this winter.

It’s not as if Coors Field hasn’t become the cool place to pitch. There was a reason previous Rockies front offices bowed out of free agency, choosing to build largely through development of prospects and trades. Pitchers entering their prime seasons -- good enough and young enough for big money -- aren’t likely to end up in Colorado.

But new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta sought and found experienced starting pitchers to join veterans Kyle Freeland, Ryan Feltner and Antonio Senzatela.

“When we checked in with free agents, it wasn’t many more than the ones we actually signed,” DePodesta said. “One of the first things we said was, ‘Coors Field … You good?’

“And they said, ‘Hey, no problem. Just go and compete.’”

No one is hiding from the history of difficulty the Rockies have had finding pitching success at Coors. In fact, the struggles that the new signees have faced elsewhere are part of their appeal.

Quintana signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Angels in 2021, but battled left shoulder inflammation that cost him three weeks and eventually struggled to the point that he was moved to the bullpen. His 0-3, 6.75 ERA performance in 24 games (10 starts) led to deep study, significant change and a trip to the Dominican Republic for winter ball -- something not common among veterans. In 100 starts since ‘21, he has 543 1/3 innings and 421 strikeouts against 184 walks.

“That change made my career way better,” Quintana said. “I know myself more -- a lot more than then.

“I like to talk about pitching. I always like to learn, I like to listen. Baseball has had some changes in recent years, and there’s a new generation of guys who bring new things to learn. It’s pretty amazing.”

Lorenzen prefers to start, but he has at times lost rotation spots, only to persevere. Sugano has two top pitcher awards and three MVP awards from Japan, but he is trying to address a homer-prone performance from an otherwise solid 2025 campaign for a struggling Orioles team.

“We’ve been through a lot of failure,” Lorenzen said. “We’ve been through times where we are the worst pitcher in baseball, but we’ve also come out on the other end and been able to have success after that.”