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Minor Moves: Ramirez, Bernadina, Wells, Rapada, Manship

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We'll keep tabs on today's minor moves via updates to this post.

  • Righty J.C. Ramirez joined outfielders Roger Bernadina and Casper Wells as now-former Phillies players who have elected free agency, according to the International League transactions page. The trio was recently outrighted by Philadelphia. Ramirez, 25, struggled mightily in his first 24 big league innings this year and has not posted a sub-4.00 ERA campaign in the minors since he was 17. Bernadina, 29, was a major contributor for the Nationals in 2012 (.291/.372/.405 slash in 261 plate appearances) before falling off a cliff this season (.181/.250/.295 in 250 plate appearances). And Wells, 28, saw scant MLB action with three teams in 2013, putting up a sub-zero OPS+ after having been an approximately league average hitter over the first three years of his major league career.
  • Sidearming left-handed reliever Clay Rapada has elected free agency from the Indians, also per the International League transactions page. In his first season as a regular big leaguer in 2012, Rapada posted an impressive 2.82 ERA in 38 1/3 innings over 70 appearances. The 32-year-old didn't surrender a run or a walk in 2013, but that was in large part because he threw just four innings for the Indians. Rapada did, however, put up a stellar 2.14 ERA in 33 2/3 Triple-A innings, though he managed only 6.4 K/9 against 3.5 BB/9. 
  • Righty Jeff Manship has elected free agency rather than accepting an outright assignment from the Rockies, according to the Pacific Coast League transactions page. In eleven appearances, including four starts, Manship threw 30 2/3 innings of 7.04 ERA ball for Colorado's top club, matching the general ineffectiveness the 28-year-old has exhibited throughout his career at the highest level. 
  • Remember to follow MLBTR's DFA Tracker for the latest on players that have been designated for assignment by their clubs. At present, only Alex Castellanos of the Dodgers is stuck in DFA limbo.

Minor Moves: Jeff Manship, Manny Corpas

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Today's minor moves..

  • The Rockies placed right-hander Jeff Manship on waivers, but he's expected to clear and be outrighted to Triple-A, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (via Twitter).  Manship made four starts and three relief appearances for the Rockies this season but spent the bulk of the year in Triple-A.  He posted a 4.85 ERA with 6.1 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 24 games for the Rockies' Triple-A affiliate.
  • The Rockies have outrighted reliever Manny Corpas off of the 40-man roster, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter link).  Renck could see Corpas re-signing with Colorado later this winter and notes that there will be multiple Colorado relievers fighting to keep their jobs this offseason (Sulia link).  The soon-to-be 31-year-old earned $800K last season and pitched to a 4.54 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 3.5 BB/9.  Tim Dierkes predicted earlier this month that Corpas would be deemed expendable by the team.  To read up on Corpas and the rest of the Rockies' arbitration eligible players, you can check out Tim's rundown here.

Rangers Claim Edwar Cabrera From Rockies

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The Rangers have claimed Edwar Cabrera off waivers from the Rockies, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).  Cabrera was expected to be removed from Colorado's 40-man roster this offseason.

Cabrera was sidelined all season with a shoulder injury.  The left-hander made two big league starts for the Rockies in 2012 but spent the rest of the season in the minors.  In 21 combined starts for the club's Triple-A and Double-A affiliates, Cabrera posted a 3.05 ERA with 8.4 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.

The Rockies dropped another pitcher from the 40-man roster earlier today when they outrighted Manny Corpas. 

Rockies Extend Walt Weiss

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The Rockies and manager Walt Weiss have agreed to a three-year contract extension, the team announced on Twitter.

In his first season as their manager, Weiss, a former Rockies shortstop, managed the team to a 74-88 record. The team enjoyed its status as a surprise contender in the first half but faded down the stretch. Weiss was initially helping the Rockies' search committee before quickly becoming a candidate himself.

“I am very excited and grateful to have the opportunity to lead this club as we work toward building a championship level team,” said the skipper, according to the Rockies' official Twitter account.

The 49-year-old Weiss was selected 11th overall by the Athletics in the 1985 draft and enjoyed a 14-year Major League career. He earned Rookie of the Year honors with Oakland in 1988 and totaled a .258/.351/.326 line between the A's, Rockies, Braves and Marlins. Weiss won a World Series with Oakland in 1989 and is a veteran of 13 postseason series as a player. This past season was his first as a Major League manager.

Troy Renck of the Denver Post first reported the agreement (on Twitter).

NL Notes: Rockies, Pirates, Mets, Managerial Searches

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The NLCS is taking a day off as the scene shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 tomorrow night with the Cardinals leading the Dodgers 2-0. Here is the latest news and notes out of the National League today:

  • The Rockies need to improve their talent acquisition via the draft and Latin America in order to overcome the crushing injuries suffered in recent seasons, according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Tim Hudson, whose free agency was profiled this past week by MLBTR's Steve Adams, would make a perfect middle-of-the-rotation starter for the Rockies, Renck opines.
  • The Pirates' payroll will increase significantly in 2014 aiding their efforts to retain free agents Marlon Byrd and A.J. Burnett while also trying to sign Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez to long-term extensions, reports the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Rob Biertempfel.  
  • The Mets will face a dilemma with their 40-man roster when it comes time to protect minor league players from the Rule 5 draft, reports ESPNNewYork.com's Adam Rubin. The Mets' 40-man roster is currently full and will be so again once the eight players on the 60-day disabled list replace the eight pending free agents on the 40-man. Jordany Valdespin headlines Rubin's list of eight Mets who could lose their roster spot.
  • The Reds' managerial search is centered on pitching coach Bryan Price and Triple-A manager Jim Riggleman, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Fay expects Price to get the job; but, if neither candidate impresses ownership in upcoming interviews, the search may be expanded.
  • Nationals third-base coach Trent Jewett has an excellent shot to become the team's next manager, reports ESPN.com's Buster Olney (Insider subscription required).

NL West Notes: Giants, Towers, Rockies, Padres

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Let's start the weekend off with a few notes out of the National League's West division:

  • Don't expect any big news on the Giants' major off-season decisions until after the World Series, says Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Sulia). The team has five days after the end of the post-season to decide whether to pick up Ryan Vogelsong's option and to decide whether to issue Tim Lincecum a qualifying offer. Otherwise, Schulman says, the club is not likely to make reliever Javier Lopez a "pre-emptive offer" and has only engaged in "preliminary" talks with Lincecum to date.
  • Diamondbacks GM Kevin Towers is simply wrong when he says that the team's issues stem from a lack of toughness, writes Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic, who says that the club's mediocrity stems from a lack of talent for which Towers himself is responsible. In support of the latter half of that thesis, Bickley says Towers overvalued reliever Heath Bell, dealt Justin Upton only to say he'll be shopping for power in the corners, and sold low on starter Ian Kennedy.
  • Another front office tandem — Dan O'Dowd and Bill Geivett of the Rockies – have gotten by on mediocrity for too long, says Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post. Nevertheless, he reports, owner Dick Monfort seems to have no intention of making a change. "Continuity here is very important," said Monfort. "I really don't believe that either one of them has done a poor job."
  • Addressing a variety of Padres topics in a fan chat, Bill Center of the San Diego Union-Tribune said that he believes the Friars could be active on the trade market and may look to deal arms like Robbie Erlin, Burch Smith, or possibly Eric Stults given the depth at the back of the team's rotation. He says the club is more interested in adding a big bat in a deal, though it could still tack on some arms via free agency.

NL West Notes: Kemp, Price, CarGo, Tulo, Gray

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The Dodgers announced this week that Matt Kemp underwent surgery to repair the A-C joint in his left shoulder. Kemp, who was ruled out for the postseason due to an ankle injury, is expected to be ready for Spring Training, at which point the Dodgers will possess an interesting outfield logjam due to the presence of Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier. Here's more out of the NL West…

  • On yesterday's Baseball Tonight Podcast, ESPN's Buster Olney told colleague Tim Kurkjian that the Dodgers are expected to be the most aggressive team in pursuing a trade for David Price this offseason. A Price acquisition would give the Dodgers an unthinkably dominant front four of Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke, Price and Hyun-jin Ryu. Olney also names the Mariners and Rangers as possibilities, though he questions whether or not Price would want to sign an extension in Seattle.
  • Rockies owner Dick Monfort says Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki are staying put, writes Troy Renck of the Denver Post. "The plan is to keep them. Next year, yes. And my plan is to always keep them," Monfort said. "Is that the smartest thing in the world to do? I don't know. But for our fans I think it's the best thing to do."
  • Monfort also noted to Renck that the Rockies' payroll is expected to rise from this year's mark of $83.7MM to the $90-95MM range in 2014. He would like the team to add a starting pitcher and another big bat this offseason. MLBTR's Zach Links recently looked at the club's needs in the Colorado installment of the offseason outlook series.
  • MLB.com's Jim Callis called Rockies 2013 first-rounder Jonathan Gray "the class of the 2013 draft," saying that he has a higher ceiling than that of fellow Top 3 picks Mark Appel (Astros) and Kris Bryant (Cubs). Callis notes that the Rockies have had trouble developing pitching, but opines that Gray has clear ace potential and could reach the Majors in a hurry.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Rockies, Weiss Nearing Multiyear Extension

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The Rockies and manager Walt Weiss are closing in on a contract extension, team owner Dick Monfort told Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The deal will be for multiple years and should be finalized by the end of next week, according to Renck.

In his first season as their manager, Weiss, a former Rockies shortstop, managed the team to a 74-88 record. The team enjoyed its status as a surprise contender in the first half but faded down the stretch. As Renck reminds, Weiss was initially helping the Rockies' search committee before quickly becoming a candidate himself. This past season was Weiss' first as a Major League manager. Late in the season, he told Renck:

"There's an expectation around here now, I can sense. Guys are expected to compete at a certain way and at a certain level. That's starting to become the standard. I have really enjoyed the way the guys have fought down the stretch, especially as the season got away from us and we weren't in the race. Usually the true colors show then."

It's been a newsworthy week for the Rockies already, as the team exercised Jorge De La Rosa's option yesterday and are expected to pursue a long-term deal with him this winter as well.

Rockies Expected To Talk Extension With De La Rosa

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Earlier today, the Rockies exercised their 2014 club option on left-hander Jorge De La Rosa. That decision will keep De La Rosa under contract for a very reasonable $11MM, but Troy Renck of the Denver Post tweets that the Rockies may have eyes on keeping him in Denver longer, as the two sides are expected to discuss a multiyear deal in the offseason (Twitter link).

Renck elaborates (via Sulia), opining that Colorado should be aggressive because De La Rosa is one of few successful pitchers in franchise history who have expressed interest in remaining in Denver despite the hitters' paradise that is Coors Field.  De La Rosa likes pitching for the Rockies, and his preference is to stay there, according to Renck.

De La Rosa, who will turn 33 next season, pitched to a 3.49 ERA with 6.0 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 in his first year back from Tommy John surgery.  He was also comfortable at high altitude this year and allowed a lower OPS at home (.695) than on the road (.746).  However, his lifetime body of work doesn't quite jive with those numbers.  For his career, the left-hander owns a 4.70 ERA with 7.6 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9.  

As MLBTR's offseason outlook for the Rockies explains, Colorado has a great deal of question marks in their rotation beyond De La Rosa, Tyler Chatwood, and Jhoulys Chacin.  Locking De La Rosa up beyond 2014 would help stabilize their rotation over the next few years.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Rockies Exercise 2014 Option For Jorge De La Rosa

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The Rockies announced, via Twitter, that they have officially exercised their $11MM club option on Jorge De La Rosa for the 2014 season.

The move comes as no surprise, given De La Rosa's strong 2013 season. In his first full season since 2011 Tommy John surgery the 32-year-old De La Rosa pitched to a 3.49 ERA with 6.0 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 47.3 percent ground-ball rate in 167 2/3 innings.  De-la-rosa-jorge

De La Rosa's strikeout rate is down quite a bit from its peak levels, but perhaps that's to be expected given his proximity to Tommy John surgery; his average fastball velocity checked in at 91.1 mph in 2013 — two full miles an hour slower than when he averaged 93.3 mph from 2009-10. In spite of his decrease in punchouts, it's hard to argue with his results. Fangraphs valued his contribution at 2.9 wins above replacement, while Baseball-Reference pegged him at 4.3 WAR.

De La Rosa's agent, Paul Cohen of TWC Sports, originally negotiated a two-year, $21.5MM contract that contained a $11MM player option for a third season. De La Rosa exercised that option after pitching just 10 2/3 innings last season while recovering from his surgery. In doing so, he triggered a clause that gave the Rockies a club option for a fourth year at the same $11MM rate.

De La Rosa figures to front a pitching staff that will also include right-hander Jhoulys Chacin and Tyler Chatwood based on their own success in 2013, but beyond that, there's little certainty in the Rockies' rotation. Pitching should once again be a major offseason priority for director of Major League operations Bill Geivett and GM Dan O'Dowd. Colorado's current internal options include Drew Pomeranz, Juan Nicasio and Chad Bettis. First-rounders Jonathan Gray, Eddie Butler and Tyler Anderson are all on the horizon as well, though each will require more time in the minors before being ready to join Colorado's rotation.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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