Rockies trade Nolan Jones for Tyler Freeman, send Veen to Triple A
With under a week until Opening Day, the Colorado Rockies still have question marks around their final 26-man roster. On Saturday, the team traded left fielder Nolan Jones to the Cleveland Guardians in return for infielder Tyler Freeman, and on Sunday, 8th overall prospect and Jones potential replacement Zac Veen was sent back to Triple-A.
For what Freeman lacks in offensive efficiency, he makes up for being a swiss army knife defensively. He can play versatilely around the infield and outfield, which could serve as nice filler for the Rockies positional gaps. Freeman’s started five different positions in his 15 games this Spring.
The only confirmed outfielder for Colorado come the beginning of the season is Brenton Doyle, and a wrist injury from newly-acquired Thairo Estrada leaves an opening at second base. Freeman could play both of those desired positions and serve as a flex once Estrada returns in four to eight weeks.
In his three years at Cleveland, Freeman swung an average of .632 on base plus slugging percentage (OPS). He had his best batting average year in 2023 (. 242), but last season saw a major boost in plate discipline, drawing 18 more walks and 50 more total bases.
The Rockies say goodbye to a solid player in Jones, as he returns to the team that drafted him back in 2016. He exploded onto the map in 2023, boasting a 140 OPS+ and a .542 slugging percentage, while hitting 20 home runs and stealing 20 bases.
Although he took a significant step back last season due to injury, Jones had the potential to be part of a young trio that the organization could’ve built around, including Doyle and shortstop Ezequiel Tovar.
On Sunday, the front office released a series of transactions, highlighted by the move of optioning prospect Zac Veen to Triple-A Albuquerque. He’s been efficiently working his way up through the minor league ranks since being drafted in 2020. His efforts this spring were highlighted by the Abby Greer award, which is handed to the Rockies Spring Training Most Valuable Player. In 26 games this spring, he slashed a .298 batting average with a .509 slug and .884 OPS.
Since Freeman is likely taking over second base, there is still an open spot in the outfield. The outfield will likely be made up by Doyle in center, Sam Hillard in left and 23-year-old Jordan Beck in right. The organization's top goal this year isn’t necessarily to win games, but to incorporate youth and set up for the future, so calling up Veen should’ve been the correct move.
Colorado will take on Tyler Freeman’s four-year contract from Cleveland, with the first year of arbitration in 2026 and the earliest free agency in 2029. With Freeman at the age of 26, depending on his performance in the first two seasons will decide the rest of his contract.