"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Scaling the RocksPebble ReportRockpileRockies Game ThreadsRockies Fan ExperienceRockies Player ReviewsSam Howard’s limited playing time in 2018 showed Rockies’ depthNew Luis Severino Jersey ,2commentsHoward only pitched one inning prior to SeptemberByEric Garcia McKinley@garcia_mckinleyOct 26, 2018,7:00am Sam Howard’s limited playing time in 2018 showed Rockies’ depthYou’re reading the 2018 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at the season had by every player to play for the Rockies in 2018. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the least amount of rWAR and end up with the player with the mos Howard (0.1 rWAR)Despite being called up twice before September, Howard appeared in just one game and threw one inning before rosters expanded. During his third trip to the Rockies, and in the middle of a pennant race, Howard got into three more games and threw three more innings.He didn’t play enough to help or hurt the Rockies in 2018. Looking forward, Howard is still a player who can help the team. He’s a three-pitch lefty starter who could be a serviceable fourth or fifth starter. Or, he could be a Chris Rusin-like swingman out of the bullpen. That was the book on Howard prior to 2018, and it remains the same http://www.yankeesfanproshop.com/authentic-giancarlo-stanton-jersey , despite an ugly 5.16 ERA at Triple-A in 2018. The Rockies currently have a lot of starting pitchers ahead of Howard on the depth chart. At best, he’s probably the Rockies’ number eight guy. His clearer path is to the bullpen, or as a trade chip. But that doesn’t mean Howard won’t get his fair share of starts for the Rockies in the near future. It just means that if he does, something probably went wrong with more than one of the pitchers in front of him. That’s a positive for the Rockies, even if it isn’t one for Howard’s playing time prospects. There was a time not too long ago where a guy like Howard would be somewhere between the fourth and sixth starter on the depth chart. He’s a solid depth option that the Rockies simply didn’t need to turn to in 2018, and unless he takes a step forward as a 26-year-old next spring, 2019 will probably look much the same. Hardy had a tremendous 2018 season, and other teams are taking note."It looks like Nicholas Castellanos isn’t the only Tiger drawing trade interest this offseason. Lefty reliever Blaine Hardy has piqued the interest of the Oakland Athletics, who are looking to bolster their pitching roster with someone who can do double duty as a starter and long reliever.Hardy played that role with aplomb for the Tigers this season, and with the addition of lefty Matt Moore who seems poised to take over that position in 2019, another team might want to snap up Hardy. According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle Aaron Judge Jersey , Hardy is definitely drawing some interest from the A’s. Currently only 31, and with three years of service time remaining before free agency, Hardy would be an appealing get for a team that wants a malleable arm in their rotation. Though the Tigers seem to clearly be eyeing Hardy for a bullpen role this year — the addition of swingmen like Moore and Tyson Ross doesn’t leave much space for him in the starting rotation — Hardy is still one of the most valuable pitchers on the team, and the Tigers shouldn’t take a trade offer lightly. Last season, Hardy did everything he needed to do to prove his value to the team, by adjusting his entire pitching approach, becoming a Triple-A starter, and really helping keep the team afloat as other traditional starters were felled by injury. There are several reasons the Tigers shouldn’t let Hardy go. For one, their bullpen already needs as much help as it can get, with the Tigers willing to let Alex Wilson walk during arbitration. Hardy is a lefty who can fill a long relief role, or anything else the Tigers throw at him Gleyber Torres Jersey , really. Last season he had a 3.56 ERA, a 3.97 FIP, and a 1.17 WHIP, collecting a career-high 66 strikeouts in 86 innings of work.If the Tigers really do plan to consider the “opener” strategy periodically, then Hardy is precisely the kind of pitcher they will most want to have in their arsenal. He can deliver over a long stretch, and has proven himself to be consistent and reliable.So yeah, the A’s might want him, but the Tigers would be wise to walk away and keep Hardy in Detroit.