The Rockies are interested in Jake Westbrook, Jon Garland and Hiroki Kuroda and will be in touch with the representatives for all three starters, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). Free agent left-handers Jeff Francis and Jorge de la Rosa may not return to Colorado, so the Rockies are exploring the open market in case they have to look elsewhere to solidify their rotation.
The Dodgers may also have interest in Westbrook, Garland and Kuroda, according to the LA Times. The pitchers figure to be looking for multi-year deals. Last week Garland turned down his side of a $6.75MM option with the Padres, which suggests he'll look for a longer term contract. The Cardinals were discussing an extension with Westbrook last month, but the sides didn't reach a deal.
None of the Rockies' three potential targets will cost a compensation pick; Garland and Kuroda are Type B free agents and Westbrook is not ranked. They are among the more attractive free agent starters other than Cliff Lee, De La Rosa and Carl Pavano. Click here for details on the free agent market for righty and lefty starters.
Vasquez in Coors with that thin air and the diminished fastball? I don’t know.
Westbrook is leaving Duncan. Is that wise?
Mississippi river: The farthest west of anywhere Vasquez will pitch.
Why is that? I don’t get what he has against the West.
he wants to be close to his home, I think in Puerto Rico
If it’s his choice, that is. He was forced to spend a year in AZ, but whined his way to the White Sox that off-season.
To be honest, I’m getting tired of hearing about being scared to see so and so pitch at Coors. Its definitely not a pitchers park, I’m definitely not saying that and hitters have an extreme advantage at Coors but pitchers have found ways to be successful here. Ubaldo has clearly proven it in being one of the best pitchers in the Majors but Aaron Cook has made a living here (not this past year) but prior to the 2010 season many said Cook had one of the best Sinkers in baseball and thats starting half his games at Coors. JDLR(when healthy) has been able to pitch extremely well at Coors and not just gassing guys up with his fastball but mixing in a hard slider and deceiving changeup. You can definitely pitch at Coors Field, it does take some adjusting but saying the Rox should avoid particular names ONLY because of the thin air is really not that great of an arguement.
The problem is that the balls don’t break as much as they do in other parks from the air. The ball will stay up and it’ll likely be sent out of the park. Just keep pitching down and you won’t run into problems as much.
Like i said there is an adjustment that needs to be made to pitch at Coors but its not something that can’t be done just like your stating by keeping the pitches down in the zone. Some do and will continue to struggle at Coors but their is a huge difference in making a couple trips to Denver on a visiting team each year and actually playing half your games here.
Like i said there is an adjustment that needs to be made to pitch at Coors but its not something that can’t be done just like your stating by keeping the pitches down in the zone. Some do and will continue to struggle at Coors but their is a huge difference in making a couple trips to Denver on a visiting team each year and actually playing half your games here.
The key to pitching at Coors is the same as anywhere else: Being able to locate the fastball.
Looks like Jon Garland is becoming the go-to rent-an-arm for the NL West. Arizona, L.A. (both L.A. teams, actually), San Diego, and now Colorado? Heck, all that needs to happen now is Lincecum’s back giving out in the middle of Garland’s contract year for the Rox (to give the Giants their first rotational hole in what seems like the last decade) and have them pick him up for a dozen starts. That would be a REAL journeyman career.
What doesn’t anyone talk about the Dodgers converting Jonathan Broxton from a closer to a 5th starter? Let’s face it, Broxton lots his marbles as a closer. But he has good stuff. The Dodgers need another starter maybe Broxton good give them five good innings every fifth game. Then the Dodgers would just need, pitching-wise, an extra quality middle reliever, or two, with Kuo, Belisario and Jensen closing games out.
Jonathon Broxton would start throwing meatballs after the 3rd inning, Make him lose some pounds and get him on a conditioning program, then MAYBE.
What, you saying not every closer can be a John Smoltz. Lol
To be serious, the guy has already had major arm fatigue issues and thats in throwing closer-type innings. There is a reason he is in the role that he is and changing him into something that he is not and never will be, is not a very wise idea.
Avi: I wanted them to go get Vazquez prior to the start of the 2010 season. I thought that Brad Hawpe could have helped the Braves and that Javier would have helped the Rockies. Their salaries were close enough that it would have made sense a couple of different ways.
If they can bring him in for a reasonable base salary and incentives tied to innings then I’m all for it.
Kuroda would also make a lot of sense if the money and length of contract aren’t ridiculous.
Westbrook is probably priced too high, and I’m pretty confident that he will return to STL. He was actually initially drafted by the Rockies, though, so having him (and his outstanding GB rate) come back where he got his professional start would be sort of neat.
The one thing working against all of these guys is that the rest of the likely 2011 rotation (Jimenez, Chacin, Hammel, Cook) is all right-handed. That is really creating the perception among a lot of my fellow Rockies fans that they “need” to go get a lefty.
I really like Garland, Vazquez, or Penny on the Rockies…
I say Garland/Cubs although I’d like to see him on the Rockies.
Kuroda is one of my favorite free agents on the market. He had the best splitter in Baseball this season according to fangraphs and the one thing I like. I could see at least half of the teams in Baseball have interest in him and the great thing is the interest will definetly be mutual!!
Vasquez has repeatedly said he doesnt want to play on the west coast
Garland had a ~51% Groundball rate last year…that’s exactly the kind of pitcher you want at Coors.
Pineiro seems to be the exception, not the rule.
Garland’s reputation as a fly-baller from his WSox days is dramatically overblown. Sure, he did have his best seasons on the South Side, but his two best single-season GB-Rates have all come within the last three years.
A lot of that has stemmed from his Cutter which he learned 2 years ago. While he was with the White Sox, he threw his 4-seamer about 70% of the time with a slider 15% and a changeup 15%.
The past 2 years, that 4-seam use has gone down to about 50% (last year) while he’s been using his cutter about 15%, and every other pitch less than 10%.
I guess there’s no harm in trying but I doubt hed even sign with a team in the central, let alone the west