On Sunday afternoon, the Colorado Rockies released right-handed starting pitcher Jhoulys Chacin, according to Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.
This comes as a huge surprise because the 27-year-old was suppose to be the second starter in the rotation behind Jorge De La Rosa. De La Rosa is dealing with a groin injury that he has not been able to fully recover from. After losing both players, this poses a pretty big issue for the organization.
"I'm surprised," Chacin told The Denver Post as he left Salt River Fields. "I was kind of 50-50. I haven't been pitching well. I haven't been doing what I wanted to do. But I didn't expect it. Now I have a chance to find something else."
The one or two open spots will fall to David Hale, Jon Gray, Eddie Butler and Christian Bergman. It seems as Hale has a jump on all the others, but it could go anyones way in the end.
"There were a collection of pitchers who, frankly, outpitched him," Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said of Chacin.
The Denver Post reported: Chacin's fastball velocity, which averaged about 92 mph in 2010, dipped to 88 last year. This spring, Chacin was throwing in the 86 to 88 range. And his mechanics were off, according to some scouts.
We've seen him be effective at that velocity," Rockies manager Walt Weiss said. "We just felt like Jhoulys was behind some of the other guys.
"It's a tough day for us, for me, having to have that conversation with Jhoulys."
The Rockies will be forced to pay the pitcher about $1.3 million, while saving about $4.1 million of the total amount owed to Chacin.
"I will be better with time," Chacin said Sunday. "I'm trying to build my arm up to where it used to be. I'm trying to get my arm speed up.
"I believe in myself. (The Rockies) told me at the beginning of spring training it depended on me. And right there I thought I was going to be fine."
Chacin was signed as a international free agent after defecting from Venezuela in 2004. He made his debut in 2009 with Colorado. He has struggled since coming to America, going 38-48 with a 3.78 ERA.
In January, he agreed to a one-year, $5.5 million contract to avoid arbitration in his final year of being eligible.
The Rockies are currently looking to fill Chacin's old spot, but at the same time, Chacin is trying to find a home for 2015.
"I'm going to keep working and, hopefully, pick up with some other team," he said. "But my heart will always be with the Rockies."