The elevation at Coors Field in Denver has always been a fun place for hitters to play and a scary place for anyone taking the mound. The addition of a humidor in 2002 somewhat helped reduce the number of home runs hit in the mountains but the cavernous gaps of the ballpark still mean it’s the most hitter-friendly ballpark in the league every season.

Recruiting free-agent pitchers has always been a challenge for the Rockies. In recent years, they’ve extended a couple of their pitchers – Antonio Senzatela and Kyle Freeland – to long-term contracts. Often though, they lure free-agent pitchers by overspending (see Mike Hampton) or when they don’t have better options.

Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, ON) ended up in Colorado last offseason after being traded from the Cleveland Guardians after being designated for assignment, whom he spent the prior three and a half seasons with. After one season with the Rockies, the club non-tendered him last week and he is now free to sign with any club this offseason.

The 2024 season was one to forget for the former San Diego Padres first-round pick, posting his highest FIP (5.32), BB/9 (4.19), and HR/9 (1.40) of his career across 29 starts.

His road numbers (4.93 FIP) were better than his home (5.72) but were still mostly underwhelming. His performance was undoubtedly affected by playing at Coors Field, although it’s hard to entirely blame the thin air while leading the National League in walks (69). Most fans will likely remember his viral trash-talking moment against the Boston Red Sox rather than anything performance-related.

Quantrill seemed poised to be a rotation mainstay with the Guardians after back-to-back solid seasons in 2021 and 2022. Having now completed two straight underwhelming campaigns, the soon-to-be 30-year-old is at a bit of a career crossroads. Something that may be in the cards is to follow in his father’s footsteps and move to the bullpen.

Paul Quantrill (London, ON) played in the big leagues from 1992-2005, including six seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays – who he now works for as a special assistant to baseball operations. After mostly struggling as a starting pitcher over his first five seasons, he became a bullpen mainstay for the last nine of his career. The now 56-year-old was one of the most reliable relief pitchers at the time, leading the American League in games pitched for four consecutive seasons from 2001-2004 (as well as leading all the MLB in 2002 and 2003). While never being relied on as a closer, the elder Quantrill finished his career with a 3.83 ERA and posted two single seasons with an ERA below the 2.00 mark (1997 and 2003).

The younger Quantrill has some experience as a reliever, with his 2020 pandemic-shortened season split between San Diego and Cleveland being the only campaign in which he was mostly used out of the bullpen. Through 18 games that year, the 6-foot-3 right-hander authored his best career ERA (2.25), FIP (3.91), and K/9 (8.7), as his sinking fastball was much more effective than it was when he started games. Keeping batters honest with his fastball could lead to his splitter (used 32% of the time in 24′) and curveball (13%) playing up as well.

Whether teams believe that Quantrill can still be a full-time starter will dictate what kind of market he may have.

He is not really set to break the bank in free agency but could find several suitors who may be interested in offering a one or two-year ‘prove-it’ deals with incentives. Ideally, the former Stanford Cardinal’s next team will stick him in their bullpen, while having him provide starting pitching depth along the way.

The Toronto Blue Jays are a natural fit, given the team’s need for a complete makeover of their bullpen. The 29th-ranked bullpen by ERA last season could use a few low-cost additions that have the chance to provide real value. Quantrill’s starting experience also provides depth for a rotation that battled injury issues last season and returns two starters in their mid-30s (Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt).

Other teams that had questionable bullpens in 2024 who could use starting pitching depth include the Baltimore Orioles, Arizona Diamondbacks, and Texas Rangers as Quantrill looks for a new home in 2025.