The Miami Marlins swung a trade with the Colorado Rockies on Tuesday morning for right-handed starting pitcher Bradley Blalock, as first reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN. The Rockies are receiving minor league arm Jake Brooks in exchange, according to Francys Romero. Neither team has officially announced the move yet.
Blalock, 25, posted a 9.36 ERA in Denver a season ago throughout 14 appearances, 12 of which were starts. In a similar workload with Triple-A Albuquerque, his strikeout rate was nearly doubled, but his results were also dreadful (8.60 ERA). The 32nd-round pick in the 2019 MLB Draft made his debut in Milwaukee in 2024 before being shipped to the Mile High City in late July of that year.
In terms of a reclamation project, the Loganville, GA, native has appeal. Blalock boasts a five-pitch arsenal—four-seam, slider, splitter, curveball, cutter—and one of the highest arm angles in all of MLB at 62 degrees.
With Edward Cabrera and Ryan Weathers off to the North Side of Chicago and the Bronx, respectively, Blalock will be an interesting follow in spring training. Daniel Moskos and Co. are tasked with tapping into what they did a year ago with low-profile pitching acquisitions like Tyler Phillips, Janson Junk, etc. Blalock has one minor league option remaining.
The Marlins will have to make a corresponding 40-man roster move to finalize this acquisition.
Departing the organization is Brooks, who despite being around six months younger than Blalock, just arrived at the Double-A level in 2025. Selected in the 11th round of the 2023 draft, the former UCLA Bruin was stellar to begin his pro career in Low-A Jupiter, assuming the role as the team’s ace while boasting for a 2.28 ERA on the season. A bump in competition to High-A Beloit and AA Pensacola was unfriendly to Brooks, as evidenced by a ERA spike and opponents batting .274 between both levels, though he continues to show great command of his sinker/slider/changeup mix.