12:33pm: Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post tweets that the Rockies have put a “strong offer on the table,” with Heyman tweeting there’s “strong optimism” a deal will be finalized.
11:48am: The sides are “just talking” and are not nearing agreement, a source tells MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter).
11:27am: The Rockies are “closing in” on a pact to re-sign closer Greg Holland, according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag (via Twitter). If completed, the deal would leave Colorado with a stunning three-part free agent relief haul from these Winter Meetings.
Within the last twenty hours or so, the Rox have reportedly lined up pacts with righty Bryan Shaw (link) and lefty Jake McGee (link). If all of these deals are finalized, those two hurlers would represent high-quality setup options, with Holland slated to lock up victories for the team.
Clearly, the Rockies’ brief taste of the posteason in 2017 has left the club hungry for more. With a host of young starters and a lot of talent on the position-player side, Colorado turned to the pen as a priority — especially after spending relatively little to add Chris Iannetta behind the dish, rather than committing to a bigger outlay to bring back Jonathan Lucroy.
Creating this would-be late-inning triumvirate won’t come cheap. Details on a possible Holland deal aren’t known, but he’s expected to out-earn the other two handily. And Shaw and McGee appear each to have commanded three-year commitments of about $27MM apiece. Needless to say, the Rockies figure to have quite a pricey relief corps.
While the organization is still in need of bolstering the first-base mix and could tinker in a few other areas, it’s possible it’ll depart the Winter Meetings with most of the boxes checked — and without having parted with any young talent. The Rockies may also reasonably anticipate finding solid value at first, since Coors Field ought to be quite a draw for the many sluggers still floating around the open market.
Thats gonne be a really expensive bullpen..
You got to pony up to get pitching in Denver.
Mark grand said it best. You have to completely change your approach with pitching there or you will suffer
We all remember mike Hampton and what happened to him
Grant *
Woohoo.
They need power arms that miss bats in Colorado so this makes sense. Especially if he builds off of his comeback season in 2017
I thought the theory for pitching in Coors was inducing ground balls.
The whole inducing ground balls in Coors it’s a flawed strategy. The altitude makes it extremely difficult on breaking pitches. So in the end a Jon Gray, Riley Pint type is where it’s at.
Ubaldo Jimenez is the poster child of the ultimate Rockies pitcher….extreme K and ground ball %
The only non-flawed strategy for pitching at Coors is to not pitch at Coors.
They need to develop their own pitchers…thats the only way to be successful.
There is one gigantic flaw in that “non-flawed” strategy.. it’s just not a viable option.
I’ve grown oddly fascinated with this trend of one respected journalist reporting that two sides are “nearing a deal” and then other respected journalists turning around and saying, “a deal is not close.”
Is it:
A. The first journalist spoke too soon?
B. Their sources spoke out of turn or without permission, so someone on either party is trying to save face?
Could be other factors. But it seems that this gets worse every year. Be it more journalists sharing info, the public’s demand for reports, or just journalists trying to do too much too quick, as a fan of journalism, this is an interesting trend.
Yeah, probably just writers wanting to stay on the foremost edge of the scoop-mill; getting sloppy.
Relief is what it is all about. Just ask the Royals and then ask the Nationals.
Fackkkkk
Hey Andres
Shaw, McGee & Holland or Davis. If they get one of those 2 that’s a scary bullpen. Bridich could have got a pretty nice haul for Cargo if he’d of moved him end of 2016. Rox are all-in
The bullpen is going to be in the $50 million range if they sign Holland or Davis.
And it’s the offense that has been holding them back….
Add in Oberg and Estevez with a year of experience, throw in Dunn it adds up to a great pen.
They should make a move for Machado. Story and a young pitcher or two, maybe add Dahl if he is still hurt as a wild card.
Why trade for the second best 3B when you already have the best? Especially when you have to give up a great, cheap SS for a small batting upgrade. That would just kill their farm system