Ramon Hernandez ruptured his left distal hamstring tendon and will miss the remainder of the season, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes. The 36-year-old will undergo surgery next week after playing in just 52 games. Here are more Rockies-related notes from Troy Renck of the Denver Post…
- Hernandez would probably have been an offseason trade candidate, Renck writes (on Twitter). Completing a deal will now be more challenging because of Hernandez’s injuries and age. Hernandez will earn $3.2MM in 2013, the final season of the two-year, $6.4MM contract he signed last offseason.
- The Rockies need pitching, but Renck repeated that he wouldn't trade Troy Tulowitzki or Carlos Gonzalez for arms (Twitter link). It's risky to assume pitching performances will translate in Denver, as Renck notes.
“It’s risky to assume pitching performances will translate in Denver”
Understatement. Guthrie latest case in point. While nobody would ever confuse him with an Ace, even a #2, he has had a consistent track record of a solid, innings eating #3-4 in the AL East for years, yet was terrible at Mile High stadium.
It is as difficult to find any SP who can work effectively at that place as it it LH SP at Fenway.
Jimenez was sort of a one year wonder I guess. You have be on, and have filthy stuff to produce they way he did. Although he did tail off as the season went on, it just goes to show you how tough that place is.
Is Rutledge emergence gives them a moveable asset to get pitching? I’m not a Rockies follower but seeing his performances and Tulo at short, he could be on the block?
Not all pitchers fail in Colorado. You have to go for ground ball pitchers. Guthrie was anything but.
I would agree that you can’t go all in on pitchers. What you can do however is mitigate the risk by trading either Cargo or Tulo for a package that includes pitching and bats.
Something like the Mat Latos trade did for the Padres where they got back an established big league pitcher and a low risk bat in Alfonso.
If the Rockies can find a MLB ready power 1B, an experienced but cheap starter and a solid pitching prospect…think you gotta do it.