Rockies sign Jason Motte, Chad Qualls to 2-year deals

The reliever market has become even more thin now as the Colorado Rockies have signed both Jason Motte and Chad Qualls to two-year deals.

CORRECTION: #Rockies deals: 2 years, $10MM for Motte. Qualls will make $6MM over 2 years.

— Patrick Saunders (@psaundersdp) December 8, 2015

Motte, who had a bounceback 2015 season, is only two seasons removed from a Tommy John surgery. Despite being on the disabled list since August 24 for a shoulder injury on his pitching side, the Rockies seem to believe in Motte's 2015 with the Chicago Cubs.

While Motte's strikeout rate was down from his years with the St. Louis Cardinals, so too was his walk rate. If Motte can show sustained success in his FIP in this way, then the Rockies will definitely benefit. However, playing in Coors Field could hurt Motte and his 47 percent flyball rate.

Qualls, who is coming to Colorado on a pretty thrifty average annual value of $3 million, had great peripherals last season with the Houston Astros. With a 3.52 FIP and 2.99 xFIP, Qualls' ability to miss bats and keep the ball in the yard proved extremely beneficial.

While his ERA indicates some failures, Qualls' 22.8 strikeout rate combined with a 59.9 groundball rate made him one of the more serviceable relievers in the league. Unlike Motte, Qualls has shown a penchant over his entire career for not generating flyballs; a skill that could play extremely well in Coors Field.

With so many needs in Colorado, addressing the bullpen will by no means make the team a contender in the titan NL West. However, with two relievers on such thrifty deals, it could make for good trade chips in time for the 2016 or 2017 trade deadlines.

Make sure to check our FA tracker daily, as we continue to update it with new signings everyday.