MONDAY, 8:27pm: Harding is up with a story now that includes contract details. The Rockies will pay Olivo $2MM in 2010, and then either exercise a club option for $2.5MM in 2011, or go with a $500K buyout.
MONDAY, 4:56pm: MLB.com's Thomas Harding tweets that an agreement has been reached on a one-year deal with a 2011 option.
WEDNESDAY, 7:35pm: Troy Renck of the Denver Post says Olivo's contract is for one year with a club option. Renck also reports that the Rockies and Torrealba solved the issue of the $400K salary gap, but were instead held up by how a reported two-year, $6MM deal would be paid out over 2010 and 2011. Renck outlines the whole situation in a blog post and notes that the Mets and Giants are both interested in Torrealba.
5:25pm: Free-agent catcher Miguel Olivo and the Rockies "are attempting to work out final details" on a deal that would make Olivo the new backup in Colorado, reports Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports.
Olivo hit .249/.292/.490 in 416 plate appearances with Kansas City last season, leading the Royals with 23 home runs. It wouldn't be a surprise to see Olivo earn regular playing time in Colorado given that Iannetta ended up losing the starting job to Yorvit Torrealba down the stretch last season (though, to be fair, Iannetta posted an .804 OPS himself in 2009 and is the clear incumbent given his new contract).
Should Olivo sign with Colorado, it would close the door on any chance of Torrealba re-signing with his former club. Torrealba and the Rockies were in talks earlier this winter, but apparently couldn't close the gap on a $400K difference between Torrealba's demands and what the Rockies wanted to pay him.
Torrealba is going to end up on a 1yr deal as a platoon catcher or backup because he (and his agent) simply cannot gauge the market in any given year.
What an a$s this guy is. He got his money and term, but didn’t like the manner in which it would be paid out (keeping in mind its virtually the same at the end of the two year period).
I will not be surprised if nobody signs Torrealba simply because his character is so obviously flawed.
a great signing for the rockies. if ianetta goes through his 3 month slump again olivo will come to great value
Look, for 2 mil. this really can’t go bad for the Rockies. While I’m a huge supporter of Ianetta and I think he should get full playing time, getting Olivo, who could put up some impressive power numbers in Coors as a backup, is potentially a fantastic deal. O’Dowd continues to impress.
Rockies really look like the front runner for that division.
Like R_y_a_n said…..o’dowd continues to impress….a fantastic signing for the 2 mil for 2010….It wouldnt surpise me if Olivo will contend for the starting job in the Spring….the only reason i see iannetta starts regardless of what happens, is his new extension he just signed….all in all great pick up o’dowd and the rocks!
Olivo will be a hell of a backup Catcher/late game pinch-hitter.
Rockies trash is Giants treasure… Yorvit swallow your pride and come on back to the Giants. Yorvit can stick it to the Rox for 19 games a season. Giants are throwing around cash anyway… offering adam freaking laroche $17 million. Who is dumber the Giants for offering a contract to a below average 1B or laroche for turning down the deal? laroche are you an Allstar…NO…are you a gold glove 1B…hell NO. laroche you dummy.
la roche is probably one of the better defenseive first baseman in the NL..gold gloves are so overrated its not even funny. Freakin Derek Jeter won the gold glove! he has only had 2 (maybe 3) seasons of positive UZR/150 and still wins gold gloves. that has to be the most overrated way to measure defensive ability. with guys pujols and A-Gonz who play a above average defense, and can hit like no other, laroche really doesnt have a chance at the GG, even though he deserves it.
Good arm, calls a good game, awful hitter. This guy will swing at anything within 20 ft of the plate. Despite that, Greinke credited Olivo after every one of his good games last year. Olivo will definitely challenge for that starting job in Colorado. What I liked the most about him when he was with the Royals is that he was not afraid to get in anyone’s face who challenged one of his teammates or himself. He will definitely drop the gloves and throw down at any time. That doesn’t mean he’s a bad guy though. He was a great family guy and he has a very infectious smile. I wish the Royals would have kept him.