Jon Garland, Hiroki Kuroda and Jake Westbrook were three of the top names on Colorado's wish list of free agent starters, but all three signed elsewhere. Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter links) chimes in about some other arms that have caught the Rockies' interest.
- The Rockies could join the Cubs and at least four other teams in the Brandon Webb sweepstakes. Renck says Colorado "might check in on Webb later."
- There's no better than a "50-50" chance that Jeff Francis re-signs with the Rockies. Francis is looking for a "one-year deal, [with] guaranteed money," so it may just be a case of whether or not the Rockies want to outbid other interested teams.
- Tampa Bay is "in holding mode" with its pitchers right now, which may be preventing Colorado from making a serious bid for Matt Garza or James Shields.
- Some of Colorado's "secondary targets" include Jeremy Bonderman, Dave Bush, Aaron Harang and Kevin Millwood. Renck specifies that Bush and Harang would be offered minor league contracts, but if no veteran pitchers are signed, then Esmil Rogers and the newly-acquired Felipe Paulino "would both get a shot in the rotation."
I seriously think that Jeff Francis is one of the most interesting players on the market. Every off-season there are one of two players who have about every team interested them for so many reasons…Price, upside, comeback candidate, whatever the reason is…Jeff Francis is that guy. Javier Vazquez is in the same category, but I really think that 20-25 teams want Francis and many, as well as me see him as a strong comeback candidate for the upcoming season. Mets/Marlins/Astros are teams I think would make sense for Francis, but again, I can think of 20 other teams who would make perfect sense for his services as well.
Javier Vazquez is toast with dead arm issues…any team would be desperate to give him guaranteed money
Jeff Francis should intrigued alot of teams
I like the look of the Rockies….get another solid rotation arm and a impact bat,and they could own the NL
sure thing about the Rockies, but I disagree about Vazquez…If he could sign the Marlins, he could be comeback player of the year. Think about it…He’s going to a pressureless situation and the NL, a manager who he knows well…No fans on his back, and the left field fence is a ways away.
He would be a solid addition, heck he’s just a season removed from finishing 4th in the NL in Cy Young voting, thats the National League.
Matt Garza. Gimme!
Lol Harang would have whiplash pitching in Coors…
I think Harang would fit best on a non-contender. He’s far from a sure thing and the only way he ends up on a contender is as a 6th starter, or they are down to him and Suppan for fifth starter (I ‘d take my chances with Jeff). Come opening day he’ll be with a team such as the Pirates or Orioles. Padres and Nationals are the wild cards.
I think Harang would fit best on the Padres.
Seems like an nice fit for both sides.
Lol Harang would have whiplash pitching in Coors…
Please do not get Harang or Bush. Millwood would be a decent option but I really like the idea of bringing Brandon Webb out for a shot. if he turns out healthy he, ubaldo, chacin, cook and maybe millwood or Vazquez?
Please do not get Harang or Bush. Millwood would be a decent option but I really like the idea of bringing Brandon Webb out for a shot. if he turns out healthy he, ubaldo, chacin, cook and maybe millwood or Vazquez?
I think the likelihood of Jeff Francis returning to the Rockies went up significantly with Garland off the market.
If they take an injury flier I wouldn’t mind seeing Bedard brought in.
I’m pretty sure you would agree BobbyJohn, hearing the names Harang, Bush, and Millwood is pretty disappointing compared to the names we discussed last week (DLR, Garland etc.)
I’m not sure why I’m so bummed out about the Rox not getting a solid arm and a solid RH bat for that matter and i know there is a lot of offseason left but its definitely turning into just another Colorado Rockies offseason.
sigh maybe they will pull the trigger on a difference maker. we almost made the playoffs with MELVIN MORA as our primary 5 hole hitter and secondary source of righty power
Trade for Justin Upton! I can dream…
We can all dream my friend.
I believe Justin Upton is worth 2/3 of our top prospects but i know many will disagree with me but he would definitely be that impact bat in the middle of our lineup and not a single ball would fall in the gaps at Coors with Cargo/Dex/Upton. But also it could help in keeping Cargo and Tulo in Rockies’ uniforms if the team can produce some success with those 3 in the middle of the lineup. Because he is so young and talented, he is the kind of player that could put this team over the hump.
Out of all the players’s that are “available” through trades this year Upton would be the one guy i, personally would push the hardest for.
I love your positivity! Our lineup isn’t what worries me, i think that some of these young guys (Stewart, Fowler, Smith, Iannetta) with turn the corner in 2011, well basically they HAVE to for us to become a real contender especially if we don’t get a RH bat, Cargo and Tulo can only carry us for so long.
Our pitching staff is what really worries me. There are a whole lot of question marks and if it stays the way it is now, after Ubaldo and Chacin the last 3 guys in the rotation will have a whole lot of pressure on their shoulders. Cook has to have a huge bounce back year, Hammel has to win at least 11/12 games and if no one is signed were looking at Esmil Rogers or newly acquired Felipe Paulino as our #5 starter….that scares me.
sigh maybe they will pull the trigger on a difference maker. we almost made the playoffs with MELVIN MORA as our primary 5 hole hitter and secondary source of righty power
I’m pretty sure you would agree BobbyJohn, hearing the names Harang, Bush, and Millwood is pretty disappointing compared to the names we discussed last week (DLR, Garland etc.)
I’m not sure why I’m so bummed out about the Rox not getting a solid arm and a solid RH bat for that matter and i know there is a lot of offseason left but its definitely turning into just another Colorado Rockies offseason.
I’ve been hearing that the Rockies might be outbid for Jeff Francis. I’m curious why they would be in a better position for Brandon Webb?
With the finances right….either of those guys would be good signings for the Rockies. Webb certainly has kept the ball on the ground over his career.
I’d be shocked if Harang and Millwood don’t land major league deals. While they’re nothing special, they’d still be respectable pitchers in the #5 spot of almost any rotation.
Millwood will land one, but its a stretch to say Harang is a lock. He gets one if he signs with a non contender but, he’s a back-up, 6th starter type for a contending team. He could have a bounce back year, but unlikely he’ll post anything under a 4.90- 5.00 ERA.
Rockies should trade for Juan Rivera…If the Angels get Crawford
The Angels would keep Rivera, they’d probally deal Abreu though.
doubt it
They should also be in on Mike Napoli.
At the worst, you guys are not in a bad position to have Felipe Paulino as a backup plan for your #5. As a Houston fan, Paulino really started to put together some killer starts before getting injured. 5 out of 6 starts before his injury were quality i believe and a couple of those were like 8 inning shutout dominant performances (one against the Rox if I remember). For a backup #5, he’s got some high upside and could potentially turn out to be a #2!
Paulino wasn’t terrible as a starter last year prior to being injured:
14 starts, 86 IP, 4.40 ERA, 1.512 WHIP, 1.77 K/BB
Not spectacular, but definitely passable for a #5 starter.