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Colorado Rockies Officially Announce Signing of Ian Desmond
It’s official. Ian Desmond is a member of the Colorado Rockies.
The Rockies announced Tuesday that they have agreed to terms on a five-year contract with the 31-year-old free agent infielder/outfielder. A press conference was scheduled later in the day at Coors Field to officially introduce Desmond to the Denver media.
Desmond was on the Opening Day roster for the Texas Rangers in 2016 after signing a one-year contract with the team. In 156 games with the Rangers, he batted .285 with 107 runs, 29 doubles, three triples, 22 home runs, 86 RBI, 21 stolen bases and 44 walks. He earned his second career All-Star selection, his first since 2012 with the Washington Nationals.
Prior to spending the 2016 season as a member of the Rangers, Desmond played parts of seven seasons with Washington.
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Colorado is counting on Desmond to continue his streak of durability. Last season, he played in 156 games, matching his season total from 2015. He has played at least 154 games in each of his last four seasons.
In 2016, Desmond converted to a full-time outfielder and made 128 starts in center field and 27 starts in left field. In his career, he has made 156 starts in the outfield as compared to 894 infield starts (889 at shortstop, five at second base).
Colorado signed him with the intent of Desmond filling the team’s need at first base. It will be his first-ever professional experience at the position.
Originally drafted by the Montreal Expos in the third round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft (the final draft class of the Expos), the Sarasota, Fla., native made his MLB debut with the Washington Nationals on Sept. 10, 2009 against Philadelphia. He has a career batting average of .267 with 214 doubles, 24 triples, 132 home runs, 518 RBI, 143 stolen bases and 276 walks.
In addition to his two All-Star selections, Desmond also earned three consecutive Silver Slugger Awards at shortstop (2012-2014) and has won the MLBPAA Heart and Hustle Award five times in his career for his respective teams (2011, 2013-2015 for Washington and 2016 for Texas).
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