The Rockies continued shaping their roster Tuesday by acquiring corner infielder Nolan Jones from Cleveland in exchange for infield prospect Juan Brito.
Jones, 24, made his major-league debut with the Guardians this past season. The left-handed hitter slashed .244/.309/.372 with two home runs in 28 games (94 plate appearances).
“We liked him when he came out of high school and he’s a good athlete with some power,” Rockies general manager Bill Schmidt said. “He gives us a left-handed bat, which we needed. We are a little bit heavy from the right side. He’s a corner infielder with a strong arm and has also played some outfield.”
Plus, Jones still has a minor-league option so he provides some roster flexibility.
A second-round pick out of Philadelphia’s Holy Ghost Prep High School in 2016, Jones was ranked among Baseball America’s top 100 prospects from 2019-21.
The left-handed hitting Jones started this past season at Triple-A for the second time but put up solid numbers. In 248 plate appearances, Jones hit .276/.368/.463 with nine home runs.
Brito, 21, spent the 2022 season with Low-A Fresno, slashing .286/.407/.470 with 11 home runs in 497 plate appearances.
“We really like Brito,” Schmidt said. “But Jones can help us in the near future and Jorge is two or three years away from (the majors).”
