Rockies Rumors

Twins Claim Randy Flores

By Tim Dierkes | August 25, 2010 at 1:57pm CDT

The Twins claimed lefty reliever Randy Flores off waivers from the Rockies, according to a press release. The 35-year-old posted a 2.96 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 27.1 innings for the Rockies this year, but the Rockies designated him for assignment last week. He earns a total of $650K this year and hits free agency after the season, so the Twins make only a minor financial commitment.

The Twins transferred another lefty reliever, Ron Mahay to the 60-day DL in a corresponding move. With Mahay and Jose Mijares injured, the Twins had a clear need for left-handed relief and it didn't take long for GM Bill Smith to address it cheaply.

Padres Interested In Brad Hawpe

By Tim Dierkes | August 25, 2010 at 1:44pm CDT

Brad Hawpe will clear waivers tomorrow, reports Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, and the Padres "have genuine interest." Renck mentions the Rangers as another potential suitor. The White Sox, Rays, and Phillies are other speculative matches. MLBTR readers went with the White Sox by a thin margin in our Friday poll, though it was later revealed that they intend to claim Manny Ramirez.

Hawpe would have to play left field for the Padres, who have Ryan Ludwick manning the other outfield corner. Will Venable, Chris Denorfia, and Scott Hairston have been handling left field lately. Padres left fielders have just a .213/.306/.327 line on the season.

What’s Next For Jorge De La Rosa?

By Tim Dierkes | August 25, 2010 at 9:35am CDT

In March, Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd explained the double-edged sword of Jorge de la Rosa's 2010 performance, talking to Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post:

"I'm not that concerned that we wouldn't have a shot to keep him at the end of the year. Now, if he goes out and wins 17 or 18 games, that's going to be somewhat problematic. But I hope he does, because that means we're going to be in pretty good shape."

O'Dowd did not face that good kind of problem in 2010, as De La Rosa missed ten weeks with a torn tendon in his finger. The lefty still hopes to re-sign with the Rockies, as he told Jim Armstrong and Troy E. Renck:

"I would love to come back. I really like it here. But I don't know if it makes sense for them to bring me back."

From the Rockies' point of view, it's still difficult to know what to expect from De La Rosa moving forward. Since returning from the DL on July 9th, he's got a 4.82 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, and eight home runs allowed in 52.3 innings. His groundball rate remains high, so his home run rate should come down.

In March Armstrong said the Rockies offered three years and about $11MM to cover the 2010-12 seasons. Now he and Renck say De La Rosa actually rejected a two-year offer in the $9MM range, with a club option for '12. The pitcher earned over 60% of that amount in 2010 alone, so his agent at TWC Sports was right to advise turning down the Rockies' offer.

David Price, Francisco Liriano, and C.C. Sabathia – those are the only other lefty starters who have a harder average fastball than De La Rosa this year (70 inning minimum). De La Rosa doesn't turn 30 until April, and he'll rival polar opposite Ted Lilly as the best free agent southpaw available after Cliff Lee. De La Rosa could find upwards of a three-year, $24MM offer, but it's always scary to sign a guy walking a batter every other inning.

Randy Flores Clears Waivers

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 23, 2010 at 7:25pm CDT

Rockies left-hander Randy Flores cleared waivers, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter). The Rockies designated the reliever for assignment Friday, so they still have the rest of this week to work out a trade. If teams aren't interested in trading for Flores, the Rockies will likely release him.

Flores makes $650K this year before hitting free agency this offseason. Just $150K remains on his salary, so you won’t find cheaper options out there. The 35-year-old has a 2.96 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 4.3 BB/9 in 27.1 innings for the Rockies.

Non-Tender Candidate: Clint Barmes

By Tim Dierkes | August 23, 2010 at 8:28am CDT

Rockies second baseman Clint Barmes will be eligible for arbitration one last time this winter. He's already earning $3.325MM this year; will the team tender a contract and potentially give him a raise for 2011?

Barmes, 31, lost most of his power this year en route to a .241/.307/.360 line through 400 plate appearances. By measure of UZR Barmes has played average defense at second base the last few years and as a bonus he has significant experience at shortstop.

The Rockies flirted with the idea of acquiring Dan Uggla as far back as the offseason, reportedly discussing offering Barmes and a prospect with the Marlins. Nonetheless, the Rockies made a multiyear offer to Barmes that would've guaranteed his 2010-11 salaries and included a club option for 2012. Instead, the Rockies now have the flexibility to cut him. Sometimes the looming possibility of a non-tender can kill offseason trade value, as in the case of Matt Capps last winter. If the Rockies don't intend to retain Barmes, it may make sense to move him now. Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post wrote on Thursday that a handful of teams are waiting for the Rockies to put Barmes on waivers.

If Uggla can't be had in the offseason, the Rockies could consider free agents such as Orlando Hudson or Juan Uribe to play second base. Internal options may include Jonathan Herrera, Eric Young Jr., and Chris Nelson.

Less than a year ago Barmes was coming off a 23 home run season and the Rockies wanted to lock him up. Assuming Barmes does not change teams this month, they must decide whether to even tender a contract for 2011. Click here to predict the Rockies' decision, and here to see the results.

Rangers Interested In Hawpe

By Zachary Links | August 21, 2010 at 2:39pm CDT

With right fielder Nelson Cruz on the disabled list, the Rangers are interested in acquiring Brad Hawpe to fill-in, writes Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram. Cruz will be sidelined until at least August 30th with a hamstring injury.

Rangers GM Jon Daniels wouldn't comment on Hawpe specifically but said that he would consider bringing someone aboard who could help fill the gap.

"We've looked around while Nellie's been out," the GM said. "For the most part, what we've got is what we've got. But we're always open to adding a guy who might be able to help us fill a role."

Hawpe, a Fort Worth native, was originally linked to the Rangers because of his relationship with hitting coach Clint Hurdle. Last night we learned that the Giants are also exploring the possibility of acquiring the 31-year-old.

Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Dobbs, Paulino, Hawpe

By Luke Adams 2 | August 21, 2010 at 1:46pm CDT

Links for Saturday, as Ubaldo Jimenez prepares for his third attempt at his 18th win….

Alex Speier of WEEI spoke to Red Sox draftees Anthony Ranaudo and Brandon Workman about their down to the wire negotiations.
Greg Dobbs has cleared waivers and accepted a minor league assignment, tweets Matt Gelb of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The Phillies designated Dobbs for assignment earlier this week.
After sending Conor Jackson back to the disabled list, the Athletics could use another bat, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Rosenthal notes that the market for right-handed hitters is fairly thin.
Despite being suspended 50 games for a drug policy violation, Ronny Paulino could be back with the Marlins next year, writes Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald.
As Jim Tracy tells Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post, Brad Hawpe's DFA doesn't mean the 31-year-old will never be a Rockie again.
A few Reds who spoke to MLB.com's Mark Sheldon are hoping Dusty Baker will accept the team's extension offer.
Recently-acquired Joe Saunders is excited about the future in Arizona, according to Jim Gintonio of the Arizona Republic.

Odds & Ends: Mets, Reds, Helton, Darvish, Harper

By Zachary Links | August 20, 2010 at 10:28pm CDT

Friday Night Links..

Despite a published report to the contrary, Phillies scouting director Marti Wolever is not headed to the Mets, according to Andy Martino of the New York Daily News.
MLB.com's Mark Sheldon spoke to a few members of the Reds who would like to see Dusty Baker sign an extension with the club.
Brandon Inge and Johnny Damon are both okay with having been put on waivers, writes Mark Snyder of the Detroit Free Press.
Reds manager Dusty Baker dismissed questions about him possibly becoming the Dodgers manager if Joe Torre retires, writes John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Mark Kizla of The Denver Post urges Todd Helton to call it quits.
The Padres don't have much interest in outfielder Cody Ross, tweets Corey Brock of MLB.com.
The Pirates will send Luis Heredia to their affiliate in Bradenton not to pitch, but to familiarize himself with the program, writes Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Patrick Newman of NPB Tracker (via Twitter) passes along a report from Japanese outlet Sponichi that the Yankees sent Damon Oppenheimer and scout Billy Eppler to watch Yu Darvish.
Adam McCalvy of MLB.com (via Twitter) wonders aloud if the Brewers might make a deal in order to free a roster spot for the returning Carlos Gomez.
Nats GM Mike Rizzo says that Bryce Harper won't be playing in any games for their Gulf Coast League affiliate this season, according to Ben Goessling of MASNSports.com.

Giants Interested In Hawpe

By Zachary Links | August 20, 2010 at 5:42pm CDT

The Giants are exploring the possibility of acquiring Rockies outfielder Brad Hawpe, according to Mychael Urban of CSNBayArea.com. Bobby Evans, the club's vice president of baseball operations, said the team is "open-minded" about Hawpe, who was designated for assignment last night.

However, Evans stressed that San Francisco may have trouble adding Hawpe to its roster. At present, the Giants seem to be set at both first base and right field. The 31-year-old is owed $2.2MM for the remainder of the season. Hawpe has had a down year in 2010, hitting .255/.343/.432 with seven homers in 300 plate appearances.

Troy Renck of the Denver Post first reported the Giants' "potential interest" in the slugger last night. A source told Renck that the Rangers, Rays, White Sox, and Red Sox are all possible suitors as well.

Odds & Ends: Inge, Damon, Draft, Lilly, Manny

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | August 20, 2010 at 1:10pm CDT

One year ago today, the Mets released Livan Hernandez. So far in 2010, Hernandez has a 3.06 ERA and ranks in the top ten in the NL in innings pitched and complete games. He doesn't strike anybody out, but his walk rate is low and he's headed for the 200 IP plateau once again. Here are some links for Friday as we contemplate Hernandez's surprising season…

Brandon Inge and Johnny Damon are now on waivers, according to ESPN.com's Buster Olney (on Twitter). We should soon know if the two Tigers clear.
Baseball America presents the compensation picks in the 2011 draft and total bonuses from 2008-10. The Nationals, Pirates and Blue Jays have have spent the most on bonuses.
This doesn't count towards their draft spending, but the Pirates signed Colombian shortstop Dilson Herrera for $220K, according to Dejan Kovacevic of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
ESPN.com's Buster Olney doubts that Ted Lilly would clear waivers this month. The left-hander, who tossed a two-hitter last night, would likely be claimed by a contending team.
Jamey Newberg lists the hurdles the Rangers will face if they want to acquire Manny Ramirez from the Dodgers this month. As Newberg explains on MLB.com, a lot would have to fall into place for the Rangers to acquire the slugger.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out that the Mets' decision to let Darren O'Day go at the beginning of last year has not worked out for New York.
Mark Kiszla of the the Denver Post says Todd Helton “needs to hang up his No. 17 Colorado uniform and retire.”
Joe Beimel, a free agent after the season, would like to keep playing in Colorado, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post (on Twitter).

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