The Rockies announced that first baseman on Wednesday Blaine Crim selected for assignment. His spot on the 40-man roster goes to the veteran righty Keegan ThompsonHis contract was selected at Triple-A Albuquerque. Colorado is slated for a right-handed reliever Victor Vodnik on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation of the ulnar nerve in his right arm.
Crim joined the Rockies last August when they said he had quit the Rangers. He went on to rip five homers in just 15 games and 61 plate appearances, though his .295 on-base percentage and massive 36% strikeout rate both dampened the cause for optimism. This season’s .265/.339/.449 slash in Triple-A looks solid at first glance, but in the super-friendly Pacific Coast League, it’s nearly 13% worse than league average (by wRC+ rating).
The 29-year-old Crim played in five Triple-A seasons, slashing .281/.370/.479 in 1882 trips to the plate. It’s about 11% better than average, and Crim has turned in impressive strikeout and walk rates of 18.4% and 11.5%, respectively. Crim, however, has below-average speed (21st percentile in 2025, per Statcast) and is limited to first base and designated hitter. He’s been passed up in multiple Rule 5 Drafts and has now been selected twice in the last eight months, so it seems that many big league clubs are questioning his ability to transfer that production to the big leaguers.
The Rockies may have had a chance to sign Crim earlier this year, but he’s an off-season acquisition. TJ Rumfield (from the Yankees for convenience Angel Chivilli) and Edouard Julien (from Twins for hope Jace Kaminska) pushed him down the depth chart.
Crim’s strong record in the minors may hold some clubs in need of a right-handed pitcher and/or starting/designated hitter help. He’s on the second team for a three-year major league option, so the new club won’t need to put him on the big league roster right away. He will be traded or sidelined in the next five days, and we will know the outcome of his DFA in about a week.
The 31-year-old Thompson, another waiver claim (from the Reds), cleared waivers earlier this season but has now joined the big league roster after a successful run in Albuquerque. He appeared in 11 games, five of them starts, and posted a 3.34 ERA in 32 1/3 innings. He only struck out 13.1% of his opponents, which is a concern, but his 7.1% walk rate is solid and his 43.6% ground ball rate is a hair north of average.
Thompson has logged four major league seasons, all with the Cubs. He owns a career 3.64 ERA, a 23% strikeout rate and an 11.3% walk rate in 227 2/3 major league innings. He’s sitting at 92.2 mph on his four-seamer this season, down from his 93.9 high as a rookie in 2021.
Thompson adds length to a Rockies bullpen that could use more innings. Beginners Chase the Dollar again Ryan Feltner both are on the injured list, which has pushed Tanner Gordonat least it works. Gordon has yet to start a game but has worked after starting the game a few times. However, he is sitting at a 6.59 ERA in 27 1/3 frames this season. I look up and down all around Colorado, Tomoyuki Sugano he is the only starter to average even five innings per start. Michael Lorenzen, Jose Quintana again Kyle Freeland they all averaged 4 2/3 frames per outing, emphasizing the need for a reliever like Thompson who can work several innings at a time.
As for the 26-year-old Vodnik, he has started the season well, giving up just two runs in his first nine innings. However, he was shaken last month. In his last 10 games, he has gone just nine innings and allowed 14 runs on 15 hits with nine walks and 11 strikeouts. The flamethrowing righty has been much better over the past few seasons, logging 124 1/3 innings of 3.76 ERA ball.
Vodnik doesn’t miss as many bats as one would expect for a reliever who averages nearly 99 mph on his heater, but he’s a good righty who has been in the Rox’s lineup as late as 2024. If a trip to the injured list helps him right the ship, he’ll likely return to the nearest committee Antonio Senzatela again Juan Mejia.
