The Colorado Rockies have signed free agent right-hander José Ureña to a one-year contract that will pay him $3 million for the 2023 season and includes a $4 million club option for the 2024 season or a $500K buyout, Mark Feinsand reports. Robert Murray was the first to report that Ureña had opted to return to the Rockies.
Ureña, 31, is coming off a 2022 season in which he pitched a combined 97 innings -- 17 starts and four relief appearances -- for the Milwaukee Brewers and Rockies. Over that span, he registered an ERA of 5.01 (93 ERA+) with 63 strikeouts and 43 unintentional walks. For his career, Ureña has an ERA+ of 85 and a K/BB ratio of 1.83 over 133 starts and 56 relief appearances spread across parts of eight MLB seasons. While Ureña's numbers aren't strong from a command-and-control standpoint, he throws his sinker-slider combo very hard and uses it to induce ground balls at a strong clip.
This past season, the Brewers designated Ureña for assignment in early May, and the Rockies later claimed him. Back in Colorado, Ureña figures to get a shot at being a part of the rotation.
