The Rockies announced this morning that Ty Blach cleared outright waivers. Colorado had designated him for assignment on Sunday. Blach has the right to elect free agency, though there’s no indication he’ll do so.
In either case, the 33-year-old southpaw will likely be a free agent during the offseason. Blach has more than enough service time to qualify for minor league free agency after the season even if he reports to Triple-A Albuquerque for the time being. If the Rox were to call him back up in the final couple weeks, they’d likely waive or non-tender him at the start of the winter.
The sides might work out another minor league deal going into next season. The Denver native has spent the past three seasons bouncing on and off the roster. He has started 12 of 20 appearances this year, allowing an earned run average near 7.00. Blach has yet to post an ERA below 5.54 in any of his three seasons in Colorado. Still, the organization has valued his willingness to work out of the rotation or in long relief and has retained him as a depth arm. He owns a 6.13 ERA across 193 2/3 innings in a Rox uniform.
Blach has pitched well this year in a limited stint in Albuquerque. He has managed a 2.48 ERA through 32 2/3 innings despite the extremely hitter-friendly setting. While he’s never going to miss many bats, Blach throws a ton of strikes and has kept the ball on the ground at a strong 54.2% clip in Triple-A.