Almonte was added to Colorado's 40-man roster Friday, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports.
Almonte impressed as a starter as he progressed through the Rockies system in 2016, most recently posting a 3.00 ERA in five starts with Double-A Hartford. The 22-year-old's mid- to upper-90s fastball and hard slider may make him more of a reliever going forward, which actually could help him move up the organizational ladder quickly if he can translate his success to the upper levels of the minor leagues. That being said, he'll likely spend a good chunk of time with Double-A Hartford and/or Triple-A Albuquerque in 2017 as he gears up for big league hitters.