Rockies add three to 40-man roster
Added to the roster were right-handed pitcher Joe Gardner, infielder Cristhian Adames and outfielder Tim Wheeler. Outrighted were outfielder Andrew Brown and infielder/outfielder Matt McBride. The Rockies now have 38 players on the Major League roster.
The moves were made on the deadline for protecting players from next month's Rule 5 Draft at the Winter Meetings. Brown and McBride will be exposed to selection by other clubs.
Gardner, 24, was promoted after going 8-8 with a 3.97 as a starter and reliever at Double-A Tulsa. He was acquired by Colorado with Drew Pomeranz, Alex White and McBride in the Ubaldo Jimenez trade to Cleveland.
Adames, 21, hit .280 with 54 RBIs and 59 runs scored at Class A Modesto as the club's regular shortstop in 2012. The Dominican Republic native was originally signed by Colorado as a non-drafted free agent in '07.
Tim Wheeler, 24, hit .303 with 37 RBIs and 67 runs scored as a starting outfielder for Triple-A Colorado Springs. He was a first-round pick in 2009 out of Sacramento State University. In '11, Wheeler set a Rockies Double-A record with 33 home runs for the Tulsa Drillers.
Brown, 28, hit .232 in 46 games for the Rockies in 2012, splitting time at Colorado Springs, where he was an All-Star by hitting .308 with 24 homers and 98 RBIs. McBride, 27, made his Major League debut in '12 with Colorado, appearing in 31 games and batting .205. He hit .344 with 10 homers and 87 RBIs while at Colorado Springs and was a Pacific Coast League All-Star.
Players who were signed when they were 19 or older and have played in professional baseball for four years are eligible for the Rule 5 Draft, as are players who were signed at 18 and have played for five years.Clubs pay $50,000 to select a player in the Rule 5 Draft, held at the conclusion of the Winter Meetings on Dec. 6 in Nashville, Tenn. If that player doesn't remain on the 25-man roster for the full season, he must be offered back to his former team for $25,000.