Arizona Diamondbacks sign Josh Collmenter to two-year extension

The Arizona Diamondbacks avoided arbitration with right-handed pitcher Josh Collmenter tonight, signing him to a two-year, $2.425 million extension.

Ken Rosenthal reported the deal for Fox Sports:

At age 27, Collmenter has had an interesting career thus far. He does not throw hard, with a fastball that rarely even teases 90 MPH. He relies on an unconventional delivery in which he looks like he’s throwing a tomahawk. That is probably because he grew up throwing tomahawks.

Collmenter broke in with the Diamondbacks in 2011 as a starter. He initially baffled hitters, going 10-10 that season with a 3.38 ERA and finishing 5th in the Rookie of the Year voting.

It appeared that the novelty had worn off, however, and that hitters had adjusted when he struggled at the beginning of the 2012 season. He went 0-2 with a 9.82 ERA in four starts in April, prompting the Diamondbacks to try him out of the bullpen.

That is where he discovered a more sustainable brand of success, working exclusively as a reliever in 2013. He had a 3.13 ERA and an 8.3 K/9 mark in 49 games. Collmenter’s out pitch is a nasty change-up, and by only allowing hitters to see him once in a game, the Diamondbacks seem to have found a way to maximize his value. That likely made the decision to offer him an extension an easy one.