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Rockies Rumors: De La Rosa, Mora, Tulowitzki

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When Ted Lilly finalized his three-year $33MM deal, he established a standard for other free agent left-handers. The agreement may not impact Cliff Lee, who figures to be in his own tier, but it could be a point of reference for Jorge de la Rosa's contract negotiations this winter. Here's the latest on de la Rosa and the Rockies:

Odds & Ends: Wilson, Twins, Greinke, Dodgers

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As the Giants take a 2-1 lead in the NLCS, let's look at some news from around the baseball world…

  • Though C.J. Wilson will get a big arbitration raise, ESPN's Jason A. Churchill thinks the Rangers are more likely to keep the southpaw rather than put him on the trade market.
  • The Twins need another top-flight starter, and Jim Souhan of the Minneapolis Star Tribune thinks the team should try to acquire Zack Greinke.  His proposed offer of Delmon Young, Kevin Slowey and a prospect won't be enough to get it done, especially since Kansas City would be sending Greinke to a division rival.
  • Dodgers GM Ned Colletti says the club's payroll will increase in 2011, according to Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times.  (Twitter link)
  • Detroit "will make [a] strong push" to sign Victor Martinez this winter, tweets The Denver Post's Troy Renck.  The Rockies, meanwhile, are a "longshot" to sign the free agent catcher.
  • Also from Renck (via Twitter), Troy Tulowitzki isn't likely to give the Rockies a discount on his next contract since the six-year, $31MM deal he signed before the 2008 season has already proven to be very team-friendly.  Tulowitzki is locked up through 2013 and the Rockies have a team option (for $15MM) on him for 2014, so it'll be at least a couple of years before Colorado thinks about extending the star shortstop.
  • PGP of the DRaysBay.com blog looks at why Tampa Bay might think about trading Matt Garza and what he could fetch in a deal.
  • If Cliff Lee signs a six-year contract with the Yankees this winter, he could earn close to $200MM in salary and endorsement deals, estimates Forbes Magazine's Patrick Rishe.
  • Magic Johnson owning the Dodgers?  ESPN.com's J.A. Adande wants to see it happen.
  • Padres assistant GM Fred Uhlman Jr. will remain with the club, tweets MLB.com's Corey Brock.  There were rumors that Uhlman could head to Arizona to work with former Padres general manager Kevin Towers.
  • The Cardinals need to patch up the "rift" that has developed in the front office in recent years, writes Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  Gordon also looks at the Cardinals' minor league system and the team's last several drafts. 
  • Fangraphs' Pat Andriola looks at which teams did and didn't benefit from "the old guy discount" last winter.

Tankersley, Others Hit Free Agency

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Taylor Tankersley and a number of others with big league experience recently hit free agency, as Baseball America's Matt Eddy reports. Joining the left-hander on the open market are Bobby Scales (Cubs), Justin Lehr (Reds), Paul Phillips (Rockies), Juan Rincon (Rockies), Hector Luna (Marlins), Anderson Hernandez (Astros), Adam Stern (Brewers), Denny Bautista (Giants), Brandon Medders (Giants), Willie Eyre (Rangers) and Sean Henn (Blue Jays).

Tankersley, the Marlins' first round pick in the 2004 draft, succeeded early in his career, but has since struggled. Still just 27, Tankersley brings a career 8.8 K/9 to the free agent market and could become a lefty specialist. He missed all of 2009 with a stress fracture in his elbow, but it wouldn't be surprising to see a team like the Diamondbacks take a flier on the former prospect.

Bautista, who turns 28 this weekend, is another interesting arm. He posted a 3.74 ERA with the Giants this year and struck out (11.8 K/9) and walked (7.2 BB/9) tons of batters in 33.2 innings. The right-hander has always walked lots of hitters, but his mid-90s fastball and ability to induce strikeouts may tempt teams looking to buy low on live arms.

Arbitration Eligibles: Colorado Rockies

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The Rockies are next in our arbitration eligibles series.

The Rockies have two non-tender candidates: Delcarmen and Barmes.  They have to decide if Delcarmen is worth a $1MM+ gamble for 2011 after his struggles in 2009-10.  The righty dealt with a forearm strain prior to his August 31st trade from Boston.  Barmes, operating from a $3.325MM salary this year, is almost certain to be cut loose.  He'll improve the free agent market for second basemen, though he'd like to return to the Rockies if he can't find an everyday job.

Stewart's playing time was limited this year due to an oblique injury and the occasional benching against a lefty.  He won't be too expensive, and will be retained.  Hammel had a solid year, better than his 4.81 ERA suggests.  He'll still provide value in 2011.  The Rockies' decision to tender Belisle a contract last winter paid off, as he led MLB with 92 relief innings.  Belisle posted a 2.93 ERA with strong peripherals, and the Rockies will be glad to have him back.

Olney On Greinke, De La Rosa, Alderson, Blue Jays

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Yesterday, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported that the Royals would listen to offers for Zack Greinke. Today, Olney's blog entry (Insider required) focuses on which teams make sense as potential suitors for the Kansas City ace. According to Olney, there are at least ten teams who have a need for Greinke and would have the prospects necessary to acquire him. Here are a few other rumors from Olney, via Twitter:

  • Negotiations are moving slowly between Jorge de la Rosa and the Rockies. The team would like to re-sign the left-hander before he hits free agency, but it won't be cheap. As Troy Renck of the Denver Post points out (via Twitter), Ted Lilly's three-year deal with the Dodgers should directly influence de la Rosa's contract negotiations.
  • The Mets will meet this week for a second time with Sandy Alderson, who is regarded as the frontrunner for the team's GM opening. For what it's worth, we can add Tony La Russa to the list of people who think Alderson would be a great choice for the Mets, as Dan Martin of the New York Post writes.
  • The Blue Jays are interviewing a wide range of candidates for their managerial position, but may end up promoting an internal option: Brian Butterfield.

Cafardo’s Latest: Stairs, Pierzynski, Inge, Berkman

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Let's round up the highlights from Nick Cafardo's Sunday column for the Boston Globe….

  • One AL executive tells Cafardo that he's never seen so many candidates interviewed for managerial openings: "It’s amazing to me that you wouldn’t know within, say, two or three candidates who you want. But I guess in some cases the GM’s job is also on the line if he picks the wrong guy."
  • Matt Stairs would like to play for at least one more season. While he says he'd like to return to Boston, he concedes that he'd probably play "anywhere."
  • An NL scout was positive about A.J. Pierzynski, suggesting that he'll be one of the most attractive catching options on the free agent market, behind Victor Martinez and John Buck. "With A.J., you know he’s not going to throw people out," said the scout. "But there’s nothing wrong with his receiving and he can still hit. I know the fire he has can rub people the wrong way, but I think that’s great for a team."
  • Brandon Inge has a good chance of landing a starting role this winter, given the lack of free agent third base options after Adrian Beltre. However, Cafardo wonders if Inge could eventually become a Bill Hall-esque utility player, given his ability to play a few different positions.
  • Possible bullpen targets for the Red Sox include Joaquin Benoit, Jesse Crain, Matt Guerrier, Jason Frasor, Scott Downs, and Brian Fuentes.
  • A market appears to be developing for Lance Berkman. Teams like the Rockies, Orioles, Mets, Blue Jays, and Diamondbacks could have interest.
  • Carlos Delgado underwent another hip procedure two and a half weeks ago, but is rehabbing the hip and feels like he'll be able to play in 2011.

GM/Manager Rumors: Pirates, Valentine, Marlins, Avila

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With the reports that Seattle has hired Eric Wedge, one spot on the managerial carousel has been filled.  Here's a look at some other management rumors…

  • Wedge wasn't just Seattle's first choice, but he was also "seen as the favorite" in Pittsburgh according to Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated (Twitter link).  Heyman says the "job seems wide, wide open" even though the Pirates have interviewed a half-dozen other candidates.
  • Bobby Valentine spoke to SIRIUS XM's Chris Russo today and Tom Haudricourt of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has some transcribed highlights.  Valentine says he doesn't have a "burning desire" to manage again, but rather a desire that has to be "cultivated" by an interested suitor.  Valentine also noted that he doesn't expect to hear back from the Blue Jays, and that he has had "conversations" about the Brewers job but not a formal interview.
  • The Miami Herald's Clark Spencer says the Marlins might wait 7-10 days before even starting the interview process.  Jon Paul Morosi of FOXSports.com tweets that Bo Porter is the favorite of some Florida officials.
  • The Mets have asked the Tigers for permission to interview Detroit assistant GM Al Avila, reports John Lowe of the Detroit Free Press (and passed on by Newsday's Ken Davidoff).
  • Don Baylor has been replaced as Colorado's batting coach, reports The Denver Post's Troy Renck.  Baylor, who's a candidate for at least one managerial job (Toronto), has been offered a new position with the Rockies as a special assistant to GM Dan O'Dowd.
  • Nolan Ryan "would be shocked" if Rangers GM Jon Daniels exercised the opt-out clause in his contract this winter, tweets the New York Post's Joel Sherman.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Dodgers, Nationals, Rasmus

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On this date back in 1988, a hobbling Kirk Gibson pinch hit for reliever Alejandro Pena with two outs in the bottom of the ninth and the Dodgers down by one to the Athletics in Game One of the World Series. Dennis Eckersley, who finished second in the Cy Young voting that year, recorded two quick outs before walking the light hitting Mike Davis (.196/.260/.270 that year) in front of Gibson. You all know what happened next. Gibson battled Eck for six pitches before the Oakland reliever finally hung a slider, a pitch that resulted in one of the most famous home runs in World Series history.

Injuries limited Gibson to just that one plate appearance in the Fall Classic, which the Dodgers went on to win four games to one. Joe Posnanski ranked Jack Buck's and Vin Scully's call of the play the fifth greatest in sports history. These links might not be all-time greats, but they're still the best from the past week of the internet…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Odds & Ends: Lee, Astros, Hermida, Rockies

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As Cliff Lee prepares to face the Yankees in the ALCS, he's trying not to think about his impending free agency, according to T.R. Sullivan and Bill Ladson. Still, Lee hinted to the MLB.com writers that winning the World Series with the Rangers this year would make it that much harder to leave Texas. Here are a few other links from around the league, as we count down the final 24 hours until the ALCS gets underway….

Mutual Interest Between Francis, Rockies

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The Rockies have interest in bringing Jeff Francis back next year and the left-hander would like to re-sign in Colorado, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The Rockies, who are expected to decline their $7.5MM option for Francis, told his agent they still want to work out a deal.

"They have made it clear they want Jeff to stay," Jim Lindell said. "Jeff loves Denver, loves the guys in the clubhouse. And if everything's equal, Jeff would love to be back."

ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark recently heard indications that the Rockies won’t offer Francis more than a modest one-year deal with incentives. The team’s pursuit of Francis could depend, in part, on negotiations with another Rockies lefty. Jorge de la Rosa hits free agency this offseason and he may have started discussing a contract with Colorado.

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