Rockies sign Bernadina to a minor league contract

In a blog that is (mainly) about Dutch baseball, there wasn’t much Dutch baseball news lateley. Finally there is something to mention here.

 Roger Bernadina during the 2013 World Baseball Classic

The Colorado Rockies have signed Dutch/Netherlands Antillian player Roger Bernadina to a minor league contract, according to Baseball America. The club has not confirmed the deal yet.

The sympathetic player from Curacao struggled at the plate last year when he posted a .167 batting average in 53 games with the Reds and the Dodgers. Bernadina drove in nine runs, hit one homerun and stole two bases during the 2014 MLB campaign.
He was about to join the Dutch national team with the European Cup last season, when he got a call up by the Dodgers.

Roger broke into the majors in 2008 with the Nationals when he played 26 games in which he hit .211. In 2009 he played just three games with a .250 batting average. From 2010 to 2013 he spent most of the time at MLB level though he had a few stints at Syracuse (AAA) as well. His best season so far was in 2012 when he played 129 games for the Nationals and posted a .291 batting average.

In 2013, Bernadina was released by the Nationals to make room for David DeJesus, who was acquired from the Cubs. After his release, the Phillies picked him up and he played 27 games and hit .187.

The thirty year old Bernadina is still a great defender, but his hitting numbers are declining.

I hope that he can manage to make the team. I wonder if there isn’t any interest in Japan or  Korea.