The Colorado Rockies declined Gerardo Parra’s $12.5 million option, instead spending $1.5 million to free themselves from the contract, and let the 31-year-old outfielder reach the open market, according to the Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders.
Parra’s .284 average ranked fourth on the team, to go along with six homers, 53 RBI and 11 steals. Parra started 97 games but played in 142, oftentimes appearing as a top-tier pinch-hitter, hitting a phenomenal .393 in that role.
An ebullient personality that often kept the tightly wound Rockies loose in the clubhouse, Parra’s ability to play all three outfield positions – and first base – gave manager Bud Black extraordinary flexibility when it came to crafting his lineups.
Parra was arguably the Rockies’ best offensive player in a disastrous postseason that saw the team hit only .174 in their four-game cameo; Parra went 4-for-8 in that span with an OPS of 1.056.