Chasen Shreve (briefly) worked out of the Colorado Rockies bullpen in 2024

He was part of the Rockies’ ongoing quest for a lefty reliever.

You’re reading the 2024 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at the season had by every player to play for the Rockies in 2024. 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 most.

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No. 22, Chasen Shreve (0.1 rWAR)

When a new player arrives in an MLB clubhouse, a bit of buzz accompanies them.

The team wonders if perhaps this is the missing piece that will help them get right. The player hopes that perhaps this is the team that will take them to the next stop of their baseball career. And the sports writers see the player as a new story to be told in a season that may be running low on them.

Such was the case when lefty reliever Chasen Shreve arrived at Coors Field on August 6, 2024.

The Rockies had just traded Jalen Beeks to the Pittsburgh Pirates and were looking for lefty bullpen help as Lucas Gilbreath struggled to recover from Tommy John surgery.

By signing a contract with the Colorado Rockies, Shreve’s baseball odyssey continued.

We’ve totally forgotten this. Can you provide some background?

I can do that.

The now-34 year old was an 11th-round pick of the Atlanta Braves in the 2010 Draft. He made his debut in 2014 and saw success. In 12.1 IP, he earned a 0.73 ERA, striking out 15 and walking three.

During the offseason, Shreve was traded to the New York Yankees. He spent four seasons with the organization, pitching 174.2 innings and posting a 3.92 ERA before being traded to St. Louis. Following the 2019 season, he left the Cardinals and declared free agency.

Shreve’s odyssey continued over the next four seasons that saw him signing with four other teams: the New York Mets (twice), Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers, and Cincinnati Reds. In each case, he was either released or granted free agency.

He began 2024 Spring Training with the then-World Series-Champion Texas Rangers. However, his tryout did not go well.

“I had a pretty rough spring,” Shreve said back in August. “My velo was down. The ride on my four-seam was down. My splitter was not great during spring. But I went to Triple-A with the Rangers, and I worked with a coach there who I respect, and he helped me get back to what I’ve been my whole career.”

He start to the 2024 season in Triple-A went well.

“I pitched really great with them for two months, and I just didn’t get the call,” Shreve said. “I went to the Yankees (Triple-A) and pitched well there too, but, with the trade deadline, they pretty much packed their bullpen out.”

That’s when the Rockies called.

How did that go?

Things moved quickly.

Shreve threw one inning with the Isotopes, which did not go especially well. (He allowed three hits – all solo home runs – against the Las Vegas Aviators.)

Still, two days later, he was in Denver, confident that his splitter would play at Coors.

Renee Dechert

“It’s kind of been my pitch for my entire career,” Shreve said. “It goes in and out of how good wants to be. But from what I’ve heard here, it should play pretty well. You don’t rely on spin for a splitter, so the high altitude shouldn’t affect it too much.”

He got his chance that night, throwing one inning in which he faced four batters, giving up one hit against one of his former teams, the New York Mets.

Four days later, he was designated for assignment with the Rockies’ decision to recall Dakota Hudson.

Hudson’s return, then, brought with it the familiar cycle of hope for the team, player, and reporters. (Ultimately, he fared little better than Shreve did.)

Chasen Shreve became a free agent on August 14, but Baseball Reference does not indicate that he played for any other teams in 2024.

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