On Saturday, the independent Long Island Ducks signed former first-round pick Tyler Colvin.
2010 saw Colvin burst on to the scene in his first full MLB season. He hit 20 home runs, drove in 56, and slugged .500. Following a rather strange sophomore year, one that he spent recovering from a freak accident when a splintered bat punctured his lung, he had the best season of his career.
At the end of 2011, Colvin had been dealt by the Chicago Cubs with DJ LeMahieu to the Colorado Rockies for Casey Weathers (minors) and Ian Stewart, but he doesn’t blame the injury for being traded.
“At a certain point a team thinks they’re going to be better off going a different way, so you gotta find a new job,” Tyler said. “You get to meet new people, you get to hear different things about the game maybe you haven’t thought that way. You’re just continuously learning.”
In his first year with the Rockies, Colvin set career highs in batting average (.290), home runs (18), RBI (72) and SLG (.531). Unfortunately he would never again see that kind of success. He suited up for a minimal amount of games (72) with the Rockies and the San Francisco Giants, but spent most of his time in Triple A. Joining the free agent market after being designated by the Giants after the 2015 campaign, he now has the opportunity to take a breather, so to speak, and get back to the fundamentals.
His time in Long Island will be well worth it. At 30 years old, this 10-year veteran could be a leader to the younger guys on the team as well as a legitimate power threat to an always-formidable lineup. Alternatively, this could be a quick hop, skip and a jump back to the pros for someone who’s played at the top level and has prior success.
“Tyler adds a potent bat along with a great deal of experience to our team,” says Ducks President/GM Michael Pfaff. “He has had success at every level, and we look forward to having him on Long Island.”
