The Rockies have declined a $12 million club option on outfielder Gerardo Parra for the 2019 season, exercising a $1.5 million buyout on Tuesday to make him a free agent.
Parra appeared in 142 games in 2018 but started only 97 of them as a platoon outfielder, primarily in left field. He hit .284/.342/.372 in the final year of a three-year, $27.5 million contract inked prior to the 2016 season. The two-time National League Gold Glove Award winner lost playing time toward the end of the regular season when David Dahl returned from injury and Matthew Holliday made his return to Colorado in August.
The left-handed-hitting Parra, 31, struggled to live up to expectations in his first year with Colorado in 2016, hitting .253 with a .671 OPS, but he rebounded in '17 with career highs in average (.309) and RBIs (71). He spent the first five-plus seasons of his 10-year career with the D-backs before brief stints with Milwaukee and Baltimore prior to his arrival in Denver.
Still, the Rockies will entertain the idea of agreeing to a less expensive deal with Parra, who showed value as a pinch-hitter this season by batting .393/.433/.536 with one homer, one double and two walks in 30 plate appearances.
Franchise mainstay Carlos Gonzalez and Holliday are also free agents again for the Rockies. Colorado has two starting outfield positions locked up for 2019 between Dahl and three-time All-Star Charlie Blackmon, who in April was extended through the '21 season with player options for '22 and '23.
The crowded Rockies outfield also includes a number of younger players, including Raimel Tapia and Noel Cuevas, who have both contributed at the Major League level, and Mike Tauchman, who registered a .978 OPS with Triple-A Albuquerque this year but struggled in brief big league stints.