O’Dowd On Payroll, De La Rosa, Gonzalez

Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd told readers of the Denver Post that he’d like to trade for top players, but is not willing to sacrifice significant organizational depth to make an acquisition. Fans wanted to know whether Zack Greinke could be pitching in Colorado, but O’Dowd chose not to comment specifically on the Royals ace. Here are some more noteworthy comments from the GM:

• The Rockies are likely to have a similar payroll next year, but they could go a little higher than $85MM.
• The team is “actively engaged” in talks with Jorge de la Rosa’s representatives. It won’t be long before the lefty can negotiate with all 30 teams.
• The Rockies would like to lock Carlos Gonzalez up long-term, but O’Dowd pointed out that it’s a “two-way street.” Scott Boras represents Gonzalez, so it probably won't be easy for the Rockies to sign him to an extension. There's no rush though – Gonzalez is under team control through 2014.