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The Rockies And Cody Ross

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WEDNESDAY, 12:05pm: "There is absolutely no truth to the Cody Ross stories," an excellent Rockies source told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post.  The source also told Saunders, "The Rockies have always liked Cody as a player but we have no fit at all in our outfield."  Yesterday, Olney explained that the team's interest in Ross is conditional, based on whether they trade Smith.

MONDAY, 9:04am: The Rockies are in contract talks with Cody Ross, according to Buster Olney of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Ross would presumably help the club create depth if they make a long-expected trade involving Seth Smith.

The outfielder was said to be seeking a three-year deal for some time but is now willing to sign a two-year pact. Earlier this month the Rockies seemed to have mild interest in Ross but it appears that they have ramped up their pursuit.

There's no shortage of suitors for Smith as he is drawing interest from the A's, Rays, Mariners, Braves, and Mets. Even though the talks that would have sent Martin Prado to the Rockies have gone cold, we learned over the weekend that Atlanta is still in on Smith.

Quick Hits: Theriot, Smith, Athletics, Dodgers

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It’s been a quiet day from a transactions standpoint, but we’ve got some late night links to pass along as Tuesday turns into Wednesday…

  • The Rockies have some interest in free agent infielder Ryan Theriot, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (Twitter links). The Rockies are considering many options at second base and there’s no indication that the team is seriously pursuing Theriot at the moment, but it’s the first time he’s been linked to Colorado since the Cardinals non-tendered him earlier this month.
  • It’s “very likely” that the Rockies will trade Seth Smith before Opening Day, Renck writes.
  • Athletics managing partner Lew Wolff told Jane Lee and Barry M. Bloom of MLB.com that the club isn't any closer to moving to San Jose to his knowledge. "We're still looking for a 'yes' or 'no' answer," he said. USA Today recently reported that the A’s may soon obtain permission to move.
  • Free agent infielder Omar Vizquel suggested on Twitter that he wouldn't consider signing with the Mets. The 44-year-old has indicated that he would be interested in signing with the Giants.
  • Billionaire Steven Cohen is bidding for the Dodgers, according to Bill Shaikin of the LA Times. Agent Arn Tellem and former deputy commissioner Steve Greenberg are allies with Cohen, who has already met with some MLB owners, according to Shaikin.

Quick Hits: Beltran, Corpas, Dickey, Ross

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Six years ago today, the Diamondbacks officially traded third baseman Troy Glaus and shortstop prospect Sergio Santos to the Blue Jays for righty Miguel Batista and second baseman Orlando Hudson.  Josh Byrnes and J.P. Ricciardi were the respective GMs.  Glaus' retirement came with little fanfare despite 320 career home runs and four All-Star Game appearances.  Santos eventually found his way to the White Sox, who helped him become a successful reliever and recently traded him back to Toronto.  Batista is a 40-year-old free agent with 101 career wins to his name.  Hudson, a four-time Gold Glove winner, is a trade candidate for the Padres, the team Byrnes now heads up.  Ricciardi now serves as a special assistant to Mets GM Sandy Alderson, who appears to have interest in re-signing Batista.

MLBTR was less than two months old at the time of the Glaus trade; you can read my paragraph on it here.  Back then the site was a one-man show with gray text against a black background, and Twitter did not exist.  We've come a long way!  On to today's links…

Quick Hits: Dobbs, Pitching, Floyd, Marshall, NPB

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On this date in 1994, the owners implemented a salary cap and revenue sharing as the players were on strike. Those provisions were never put in place though, as the judge who ended the labor dispute ruled that the next two seasons must be played under the previously existing labor conditions. We do have revenue sharing nowadays, but a salary cap isn't going to happen anytime soon. Here's the latest from around the league…

  • The Nationals are now focused on improving their bench, but MLB.com's Bill Ladson says (on Twitter) that it seems as though they are unlikely to sign Greg Dobbs. Washington expressed interest in Dobbs last week.
  • Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com listed (on Twitter) the Rockies, Marlins, Tigers, Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles, and Blue Jays as clubs looking to add a starting pitcher. Earlier today we heard that both the Yankees and Red Sox are pursuing Hiroki Kuroda.
  • Even after signing John Danks to an extension, Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com reports that the White Sox could look to trade Gavin Floyd this offseason. The Red Sox expressed interest in the righty during the winter meetings. Floyd will make $7MM in 2012, then a $9.5MM club option for 2013 comes into play.
  • In an Insider-only column, ESPN's Keith Law calls the Sean Marshall trade a win for the Cubs. "The Reds, meanwhile, continue what I can only assume is a rapid emptying of their farm system to try to win again in the two years before Joey Votto reaches free agency," he added.
  • With several Japanese players slated to join MLB next season, Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker takes a look at the players who will replace them on their former club in Japan.

Rockies Seek Pitching; Kuroda, Saunders Unlikely

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The Rockies continue to seek pitching help according to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter), but they're unlikely to land either Joe Saunders or Hiroki Kuroda unless their asking prices come way down. Troy Renck of The Denver Post adds (on Twitter) that they did call the Athletics about Gio Gonzalez before he was traded to the Nationals, but they were unwilling to surrender four top prospects for the left-hander.

Colorado acquired Kevin Slowey from the Twins and Tyler Chatwood from the Angels earlier this offseason, who figure to compete with Jhoulys Chacin, Alex White, Drew Pomeranz, and Esmil Rogers for rotation spots in Spring Training. Jorge De La Rosa will return from Tommy John surgery at midseason, and Juan Nicasio has recently started throwing bullpen sessions after a batted ball fractured his C-1 vertebrae in August. After spending big on Michael Cuddyer, the Rockies figure to have some spending limitations going forward.

Pitching Rumors: Red Sox, Felix, Giants, Jurrjens

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The Nationals, Red Sox, Marlins, Blue Jays, Royals, Tigers, Mariners, Yankees and Orioles are among the teams still looking to add one or more starting pitchers this offseason, according to Danny Knobler of CBSSports.com. Here are more details on the market for starting pitching:

  • The Red Sox are “in on everybody,” Knobler reports. Peter Gammons of MLB Network confirms that the Red Sox are still looking for starters (Twitter link).
  • Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports makes the case that the Mariners should trade Felix Hernandez this offseason, but Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik disagrees. “I still say, as I’ve said all along, we’ve still got the best young pitcher in the game, and that’s pretty darned good,” Zduriencik said. Rosenthal pointed to the prospects the Padres obtained for Mat Latos and the fact that the AL West has become tougher this offseason.
  • The Giants aren’t looking for a free agent to replace Jonathan Sanchez, but are interested in adding pitchers who are willing to accept minor league contracts, tweets Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
  • The Orioles, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Rockies, Tigers and Rangers are among the teams that have expressed some interest in Jair Jurrjens, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The Braves have suggested they won’t trade the right-hander within their division.

NL West Notes: Cuddyer, Belisario, MacDougal, Ross

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A few items of note to pass along out of the NL West …

  • Newly signed Rockies outfielder Michael Cuddyer will earn a base salary of $10.5MM in each year of his three-year contract, although he can earn an additional $1.5MM in incentives in the deal's final year, 2014, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post. 
  • Cuddyer will man right field for the Rox, while Carlos Gonzalez shifts over to center, tweets Thomas Harding of MLB.com.
  • Dodgers reliever Ronald Belisario, who missed the entire 2011 season due to visa issues, has secured a visa and is expected to be in camp on time for the start of Spring Training, according to Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times. 
  • However, Belisario will have to serve a 25-game suspension, which are typically doled out when players fail to comply with treatment programs, according to Ken Gurnick of MLB.com. Belisario had issues with substance abuse in 2010 and 2011, which is in part why he had trouble obtaining a visa.
  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says he's still in the market for another reliever despite re-adding Belisario to the bullpen picture, tweets Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles. Gurnick reports the Dodgers remain in negotiations to bring back right-hander Mike MacDougal.
  • Free agent outfielder Cody Ross, who spent the past season and a half with the Giants, is now seeking a two-year contract, tweets David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. Ross was originally looking for a three-year pact, but that was only to remain in pitcher-friendly San Francisco, according to O'Brien.

Rockies Sign Carlos Torres

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The Rockies have signed right-hander Carlos Torres to a minor league contract, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned.

Torres, who spent 2011 with the Yomiuri Giants organization of NPB, last appeared in the Major Leagues with the White Sox in 2010. The 29-year-old has logged 42 innings in his big league career, fanning 7.5 batters per nine innings but struggling with his control at 5.93 BB/9.

Rockies To Sign Casey Blake

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The Rockies have agreed to sign Casey Blake to a one-year deal, pending a physical, Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd announced (Twitter link). The sides agreed to a non-guaranteed contract worth $2MM plus $1MM in performance bonuses, according to MLB.com's Thomas Harding (on Twitter).

Blake hit .252/.342/.371 in 239 plate appearances for the Dodgers in 2011, spending considerable time on the DL with a cervical strain. He had surgery in September and the Dodgers declined his $6MM option for 2012 after the season. The Indians were among nine teams with some interest in Blake, who should be ready to play in 2012, agent Jim McDowell told MLBTR.

The move provides the Rockies with depth at third base to go along with Jordan Pacheco and Chris Nelson. Nolan Arenado, a 20-year-old third base prospect in the Rockies' system, has yet to play in Double-A.

Hiroki Kuroda May Be Nearing Deal

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Yahoo’s Tim Brown heard yesterday that Hiroki Kuroda was close to agreeing to a new contract. However, it’s not clear which team is nearing a deal with the right-hander. Here are the details and more of Brown’s links from around MLB:

  • The Mariners, Diamondbacks, Rockies, Rangers, Red Sox and Yankees were among the teams that informed Brown they were not the team nearing a deal with Kuroda.
  • The Dodgers didn’t scout Yoenis Cespedes in earnest or consider bidding on Yu Darvish, Brown reports. It cost the Rangers $51.7MM for the rights to negotiate with Darvish and Cespedes figures to cost tens of millions as well, so the players are too expensive for the cash-strapped Dodgers to consider.
  • Carlos Beltran figures to agree to terms by Sunday. His market includes the Cardinals, Blue Jays, Red Sox and a fourth team, possibly the Rays. Beltran is weighing two and three-year offers, Brown reports.
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