Colorado Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field on Thursday, April 14, 2022. (Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)Photo: Getty Images
The hometown kid is staying home for five more years.
Thursday, the Colorado Rockies and left-hander Kyle Freeland agreed to a five-year contract extension worth a reported $64.5 million. The deal will keep Freeland with the club through at least the 2026 season.
Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported the deal.
Freeland, 28, is in his sixth Big League season and has spent his entire career with the Rockies since they selected him with the eighth overall pick in the 2014 draft.
He played his college baseball at the University of Evansville after prepping at Thomas Jefferson High School in Denver.
This year, Freeland is off to an 0-2 start with a 10.00 ERA in his first couple of outings. In 2021, Freeland suffered a shoulder strain in Spring Training and did not make his first start until May. He would finish 7-8 with a 4.33 ERA. In 120.2 innings, Freeland gave up 133 hits with 38 walks and 105 strikeouts.
Freeland's best year was 2018 when he finished fourth in the National League Cy Young Award voting. Freeland went 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA that season.
COLORADO ROCKIES AGREE TO CONTRACT EXTENSION
WITH LEFT-HANDED PITCHER KYLE FREELAND
DENVER – The Colorado Rockies announced today that they have agreed to a five-year contract extension with left-handed pitcher Kyle Freeland, covering the 2022-26 seasons. The extension includes two arbitration years and three years of free agency.
“We have been in talks with Kyle for a long time and are glad to finalize this deal that secures his future in Denver,” said Rockies Senior Vice President and General Manager Bill Schmidt. “Kyle has been a steady part of this rotation since his debut and we are excited to have him in a Rockies uniform for at least the next five seasons.”
Freeland, 28, debuted for the Rockies in 2017 and through six seasons, has compiled a 40-42 record with a 4.28 ERA (663.0 IP, 315 ER) over 126 games (121 starts) … finished 2021 with a 7-8 record and a 4.33 ERA (120.2 IP, 34 ER), the lowest mark among Rockies starters … in 2018, finished fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting, the second Rockies pitcher to ever finish among the top five in balloting, joining Ubaldo Jiménez (third, 2010), after going 17-7 with a 2.85 ERA (202.1 IP, 64 ER) … his ERA was the lowest in a full season in franchise history and the fifth-lowest in the NL for the season … pitched 8.1 no-hit innings on July 9, 2017 vs. Chicago-AL, the longest no-hit bid for a Rockies pitcher at Coors Field in franchise history … was Colorado’s Opening Day starter in 2019 and 2022 … the Denver native graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School … he was selected by the Rockies in the first round (eighth overall) of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft.
Freeland will be available to the media tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. in the Rockies interview room at Coors Field. He will not be available tonight as he makes his third start of the season against the Philadelphia Phillies.