Rockies get reliever prospect Smith from Braves for Kinley

CLEVELAND -- The Rockies traded veteran bullpen leader Tyler Kinley to the Braves on Wednesday for a righty relief prospect -- Austin Smith, an 18th-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.

TRADE DETAILS
Braves acquire: RHP Tyler Kinley
Rockies acquire: RHP Austin Smith

The deal occurred on the eve of the Trade Deadline, which strikes at 4 p.m. MT on Thursday. It’s the Rockies’ second of the Deadline period. On Friday, the Rockies traded third baseman Ryan McMahon to the Yankees for two starting pitching prospects -- lefty Griffin Herring (Rockies No. 5, per MLB Pipeline) and righty Josh Grosz (No. 18).

The two deals are indications that the Rockies will be active at the Trade Deadline as they try to add talent to improve a club that lost 100-plus games the previous two years and is struggling at 28-79.

The club departed with veterans in the first two deals, and other teams continue to scout righty reliever Jake Bird and utility man Orlando Arcia. But scouts also are reported to have interest in younger players -- chief among them closer Seth Halvorsen, but also relievers Victor Vodnik and Juan Mejia, two-time Gold Glove-winning center fielder Brenton Doyle and 2025 All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman. Young outfielder Mickey Moniak also figures to show up on scouts’ reports for their front offices.

Smith, 26, from the University of Arizona, is a combined 0-4 with a 4.31 ERA in 29 games at High-A Rome (11 games) and Double-A Columbus (18) this season -- with strong strikeout numbers. He has struck out 9.77 batters per nine innings with a .219 batting average against this season, and has 10.28 strikeouts per nine in 107 career games. Smith’s best pitch is a fastball in the upper 90s, which he combines with a slider and a curveball.

As the Rockies transitioned to a mostly young bullpen, Kinley, 34, grew into a leadership role.

“He’s been a great leader for our young kids as they broke in here at the Major League level the last few years, teaching those guys how to be professionals,” Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt said. “I think the world of him and his family, and I wish him nothing but the best. It was an opportunity for him to catch on going forward with the Braves and for us to pick up a good arm. We’ll see how Austin does for us.”

The deals add arms and give the Rockies payroll relief. The club saved about $34.2 million on McMahon, who has two years left on his deal, and the Braves will pick up what’s left of Kinley’s $3 million salary for this year (with incentives that kick in should he finish five more games to get to 20), plus the 2026 team option for $5 million or a $750,000 buyout.

In six years with the club, Kinley -- a waiver claim from the Marlins during the 2019 Winter Meetings -- appeared in 253 games and went 11-13 with 20 saves and a 5.05 ERA. He had a 0.75 ERA through 25 games in 2022 before an elbow injury led to season-ending surgery and a lengthy comeback.

In 49 games this year, Kinley was 1-3 with a 5.66 ERA and three saves. In his last 13 games, he posted a 1.98 ERA with 18 strikeouts to three walks.