Colorado Rockies agree to one-year contract with outfielder Brandon Barnes, add four players to 40-man roster

Axford, Brothers, Kahnle and Rosario designated for assignment

November 20, 2015

The Colorado Rockies announced on Friday that they have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with outfielder Brandon Barnes to avoid arbitration. Additionally, the Rockies have selected the contracts of right-handed pitchers Carlos Estevez and Antonio Senzatela, infielder Trevor Story and outfielder Raimel Tapia, adding them to the club's 40-man roster.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the following players have been designated for assignment: right-handed pitchers John Axford and Tommy Kahnle, left-handed pitcher Rex Brothers and catcher/infielder Wilin Rosario.

· Barnes, 29, began the 2015 season with Triple-A Albuquerque, where he hit .205 (27-for-132) with 19 runs, six doubles, five home runs, 12 RBI and seven stolen bases … he was recalled from Triple-A on May 20 and spent the remainder of the season on the Rockies active roster where he hit .251 (64-for-255) with 30 runs, 13 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 17 RBI and four stolen bases in 106 games … in two seasons with the Rockies, he has hit .254 (139-for-547) with 67 runs, 30 doubles, six triples, 10 home runs, 44 RBI and nine stolen bases … he was acquired by the Rockies Dec. 3, 2013 in a trade with the Houston Astros … in parts of four seasons with the Astros and Rockies he is batting .244 (257-for-1,053) with 121 runs, 50 doubles, seven triples, 19 home runs, 92 RBI and 21 stolen bases.

· Estevez, 22, originally signed with the Rockies as a non-drafted international free agent on May 31, 2011 out of Santo Domingo, Dominic Republic … in 125 career appearances, 15 starts, across five seasons he is 18-12 with a 3.92 ERA (236.2 IP, 103 ER) and 18 saves in 28 opportunities … in 48 relief appearances between High-A Modesto and Double-A New Britain in 2015, Estevez went 5-3 with a 3.40 ERA (55.2 IP, 21 ER) with 18 saves in 23 opportunities, 68 strikeouts and 14 walks … following the season, he was named a Rising Star in the Arizona Fall League after going 1-2 with a 3.97 ERA (11.1 IP, 5 ER) and a league-leading six saves … he was rated as having the Best Fastball in the Rockies organization by Baseball America.

· Senzatela, 20, signed with the Rockies as a non-drafted international free agent on July 8, 2011 out of Valencia, Venezuela … in 2015, he went 9-9 with a 2.51 ERA (154.0 IP, 43 ER) in 26 starts with High-A Modesto, with a career-high 143 strikeouts and 33 walks … his 2.51 ERA was the lowest ERA in the California League in more than a decade, earning him the 2015 California League Pitcher of the Year Award, as well as a Mid-Season All-Star selection, a Post-Season All-Star selection and a Baseball America High-A All-Star selection … following the season, Baseball America ranked Senzatela as the Rockies ninth overall prospect and the player with the Best Control in the organization … overall, Senzatela has gone 37-18 with a 2.49 ERA (454.2 IP, 126 ER), 333 strikeouts and 99 walks in 81 appearances, 80 starts, across four seasons in the Rockies organization.

· Story, 23, was selected by the Rockies in the first round (45th overall) of the 2011 First-Year Player Draft out of Irving (Texas) High School … in five seasons across six levels in the Minor Leagues, he has hit .263 (543-for-2,061) with 356 runs, 151 doubles, 31 triples, 70 home runs, 284 RBI, 96 stolen bases, a .348 on-base percentage and a .469 slugging percentage … Story began 2015 at Double-A New Britain, where he hit .281 (72-for-256) with 46 runs, 20 doubles, six triples, 10 home runs, 40 RBI and 15 stolen bases before being promoted to Triple-A Albuquerque … in his first career stint in Triple-A, the shortstop hit .277 (71-for-256) with 37 runs, 20 doubles, four triples, 10 home runs, 40 RBI and seven stolen bases … he was named to the 2015 Futures Game and a Baseball America Double-A All-Star … following the season, Story was named the eighth-best prospect in the Rockies organization by Baseball America and graded as the Best Defensive Infielder.

· Tapia, 21, was originally signed by the Rockies as a non-drafted international free agent on Nov. 29, 2010 out of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic … in five seasons across four Minor League levels, he has batted .314 (555-for-1,768) with 280 runs, 101 doubles, 20 triples, 29 home runs, 260 RBI, 97 stolen bases, a .363 on-base percentage and a .443 slugging percentage … in 131 games with High-A Modesto in 2015, Tapia hit .305 (166-for-544) with 34 doubles, nine triples, a career-high 12 homers, 71 RBI, 26 stolen bases, a .333 on-base percentage and a .467 slugging percentage … his 166 hits led the California League and it was his fourth consecutive season with a batting average greater than .300 … he was named a Mid-Season All-Star and Post-Season All-Star in the California League, and earned his first Futures Game selection … following the season, Tapia hit .330 (29-for-88) with 14 runs, five doubles, two triples, one homer, eight RBI and five stolen bases in the Arizona Fall League, earning a Rising Stars selection … he was named the Rockies' 10th-best prospect by Baseball America and the eighth overall Rockies prospect by MLB.com.

· Axford, 32, was on the Opening Day roster for the Rockies, and was 4-5 with 25 saves and a 4.20 ERA (55.2 IP, 26 ER) on the season … signed with the Rockies as a Minor League free agent on Feb. 2 of this year … originally signed by the Yankees as an amateur free agent in 2006 … made his Major League debut with Milwaukee on Sept. 15, 2009 … his 46 saves led the NL in 2011, a season in which he went 2-2 with a career-best 1.95 ERA (73.2 IP, 16 ER) … has played in parts of seven seasons in his career, and is 28-28 with 141 saves and a 3.52 ERA (384.0 IP, 150 ER).

· Brothers, 27, began the 2015 season with Triple-A Albuquerque, where he went 5-2 with a 4.46 ERA (42.1 IP, 21 ER) in two stints with the Isotopes … was recalled from Triple-A for his first stint of the season with the Rockies on July 11 and allowed two runs and four walks in 2.2 innings pitched over three outings before being sent to Triple-A on July 24 … was recalled for his second stint on Sept. 1, and went 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA (7.2 IP, 0 ER) and four strikeouts over 14 appearances to finish the season … was originally drafted by the Rockies in the first round (34^th pick) of the 2009 First-Year Player Draft … is 16-11 with a 3.42 ERA (242.1 IP, 92 ER) in 286 games for the Rockies across parts of five seasons.

· Kahnle, 26, began the 2015 season with Triple-A Albuquerque before being recalled by the Rockies on June 1 … in 36 games with the Rockies, went 0-1 with two saves and a 4.86 ERA (33.1 IP, 18 ER) … on August 26 was optioned to Albuquerque, where he went 1-3 with a 4.67 ERA (27.0 IP, 14 ER) in 21 games over his two stints … was originally drafted by the Yankees in the fifth round of the First-Year Player Draft in 2010 … was drafted by the Rockies in the Rule 5 draft in 2013 … is 2-2 with a 4.41 (102.0 IP, 50 ER) in 90 games over parts of two seasons in Colorado.

· Rosario, 26, was on the Opening Day roster for the Rockies before being sent to Triple-A Albuquerque on April 22 … was recalled on May 8 before being sent to Albuquerque on July 28 for his second stint in Triple-A before being recalled on Sept. 1 to finish the season with Colorado … in 87 games with the Rockies in 2015, batted .268 (62-for-231) with 22 runs, 14 doubles, one triple, six home runs, 29 RBI and eight walks … over the course of his two stints in Triple-A, batted .297 (44-for-148) with 12 doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 23 RBI and five walks … was originally signed by the Rockies as a non-drafted international free agent in 2006, and has batted .273 (413-for-1,512) with 83 doubles, three triples, 71 home runs, 241 RBI and 73 walks in parts of five seasons with the Rockies.

The Rockies currently have a full 40-man roster.