Rockies Rumors

Yankees Claim Shane Lindsay

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | May 14, 2010 at 3:31pm CDT

The Yankees claimed right-hander Shane Lindsay from the Rockies, according to Chad Jennings of the Journal News. The Yankees released injured prospect Christian Garcia to make room for Lindsay on their 40-man roster.

Lindsay, a 25-year-old Australian, has a 6.59 ERA in 13.2 Triple A innings this year with 12.5 K/9 and 11.2 BB/9. The righty has always walked and struck out lots of batters, though his walk rate has never been this extreme. Baseball America praised Lindsay's mid-90s fastball and knuckle-curve in their 2010 handbook, suggesting he could appear in the majors this year if he finally stays healthy. Lindsay will report to the Yankees' minor league complex, where he'll no doubt attempt to regain his command.

Rockies Release Tim Redding

By Tim Dierkes | May 12, 2010 at 11:26am CDT

The Rockies released pitcher Tim Redding from their Triple A club, reports Tracy Ringolsby of Inside The Rockies. The 32-year-old righty posted a 4.32 ERA, 7.6 K/9, and 1.8 BB/9 in 25 innings for the Colorado Springs Sky Sox.

The Rockies had signed Redding to a minor league deal in January after he'd been non-tendered by the Mets in December. Since Redding signed with the Rockies he's reportedly been monitored by the Phillies and Mariners.

Odds & Ends: Huff, Posey, Lewis, Yankees, Johnson

By Zachary Links | May 9, 2010 at 9:58pm CDT

Congratulations to Dallas Braden on throwing the 19th perfect game in MLB history. Let's check out some links from around the web..

Aubrey Huff is playing well defensively, writes Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Catcher Buster Posey remains in Triple-A Fresno because Giants officials are not convinced that he is ready to catch in the majors, GM Brian Sabean told Andrew Baggarly of The Mercury News. Sabean insists that the decision has nothing to do with service-time concerns. MLBTR's Luke Adams led a discussion post that touched on the issue over the weekend.
Jordan Bastian of MLB.com tweets a quote from Fred Lewis, who says that he's happy to be on a team that never quits. Lewis was traded from San Francisco to Toronto roughly three weeks ago.
Steve at River Ave. Blues takes a look at the Yankees' offseason targets and how they've fared in the early stages of the 2010 season.
Cue the scary organ music. Jeff Zrebiec tells us that Orioles reliever Jim Johnson was placed on the disabled list with a strained ulnar collateral ligament and is seeking a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews. MLB.com's Britt Ghiroli has comments from O's president Andy MacPhail and manager Dave Trembley.
According to a team press release, the Mariners have relieved hitting coach Alan Cockrell of his duties. Alonzo Powell has been promoted from Triple-A Tacoma in his place.
In his latest mailbag, Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News writes that the Reds' next manager will not be a high-priced guy with star power. That includes Lou Piniella, who plans on making Chicago his last stop as a manager.
David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution points out that ex-Braves Kelly Johnson and Adam LaRoche are mashing in Arizona.
Jason Marquis could be as little as two rehab assignments away from rejoining the Nationals, tweets Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post. Marquis inked a two-year, $15MM deal with the club this offseason but was sidelined after three outings in April.
Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post implores the Rockies to make a big trade.

Odds & Ends: Marlins, Pena, Jeter, Angels, Prior

By Zachary Links | May 6, 2010 at 5:20pm CDT

Links for Thursday..

The Marlins will likely need bullpen help before the trade deadline, writes Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports.
Until closer Huston Street returns, the Rockies' late-inning relievers need improvement, writes Troy E. Renck of The Denver Post.
After Carl Crawford was quoted as saying that he and Carlos Pena would not be returning to the Rays, Pena reiterated his desire to remain in Tampa Bay, writes Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times.
Joel Sherman of the New York Post wonders how long of a contract the Yankees should offer Derek Jeter this offseason. Mr. November will celebrate his 36th birthday in June.
The Angels will try to turn things around with the pieces that they have, writes Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
Chris Jenkins of the Union Tribune spoke to Mark Prior, who sees similarities between himself and Stephen Strasburg,
Baseball's highest-ranking executives are absurdly underpaid, says Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. Most general managers earn between $500K and $2MM annually.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa called the late Robin Roberts a "real gentleman" and a "great man", writes MLB.com's Zach Schonbrun. The legendary Phillies pitcher passed away at the age of 83.

The Rockies’ Approach To Trade Clauses

By Tim Dierkes | May 6, 2010 at 8:29am CDT

The Rockies, known for producing their own talent, have taken an interesting approach to the no-trade clause in several recent contracts. Four examples:

Aaron Cook's annual salaries increase by $1MM if traded. Many players have one-time assignment bonuses if traded, usually less than a million bucks. Mark Buehrle is one pitcher with a better trade inhibitor than Cook – he gets an extra $1MM per year and an additional year at $15MM is added to his contract.
Brad Hawpe has a $10MM club option for 2011 with a $500K buyout, but he can void the option if traded. A GM may like the idea of controlling Hawpe through 2011, but only the Rockies have the privilege.
Chris Iannetta can void his 2013 club option if he's traded before that season. Iannetta is only controlled through '13 if he remains a Rockie, something to keep in mind when tossing around trade scenarios.
Troy Tulowitzki can void the remainder of his contract if he's traded. His team-friendly deal won't be transferred to another club without his permission. It's probably a moot point, as GM Dan O'Dowd told Tyler Kepner of the New York Times in March he hopes Tulo retires a Rockie.

2011 Contract Issues: Colorado Rockies

By Tim Dierkes | May 4, 2010 at 4:41pm CDT

The Rockies face three contractual options after the season:

Right fielder Brad Hawpe has a $10MM club option with a $500K buyout. Hawpe has been a consistent offensive producer, so the option is not out of line if you're OK with his defense. The Rockies, boasting the game's best outfield depth, still could decline.
Starter Jeff Francis has a $7MM club option. Francis is set to toss a Double A rehab game Thursday as he makes his way back from shoulder surgery. The Rockies are likely to decline the option.
Catcher Miguel Olivo has a $2.5MM club option with a $500K buyout, though the option may become mutual based on games played. Back in November of '08, Olivo and the Royals pulled off one of the rare instances of both sides exercising a mutual option. If he stays, Chris Iannetta's future will remain murky.

The Rockies have five other free agents: Jorge de la Rosa, Jason Giambi, Melvin Mora, Joe Beimel, and Randy Flores. The group earns $10.125MM in 2010. The Rockies also gain $6MM with Todd Helton's restructured contract and $750K in buyouts they won't be paying next year for Yorvit Torrealba and Alan Embree. Assuming Francis, De La Rosa, Giambi, Mora, Beimel, and Flores leave, that's $22.625MM off the books.

On the increase side, we'll assume Hawpe and Olivo stay. Ubaldo Jimenez, Troy Tulowitzki, and others get minor raises, for a total of $9.1MM extra. They'll also have to pay Ian Stewart as a first-time arbitration-eligible player, Jason Hammel for his second time, and Clint Barmes, Taylor Buchholz, and Matt Belisle as third-timers.

If the Rockies retain all the arbitration-eligibles and follow the other scenarios laid out above, they'll have over $7MM to work with without raising payroll. They could put that money toward De La Rosa, or else figure out a way to replace him as they're doing now.

Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the info.

Has Justin Speier Retired?

By Zachary Links | May 1, 2010 at 3:36pm CDT

The Rockies are operating under the assumption that reliever Justin Speier has retired, tweets Troy Renck of the Denver Post.

Colorado signed the 36-year-old to a minor league deal in January and cut him loose on April 3rd. Upon being released, Speier said that he would retire if he could not land a major league gig even though the Rockies had offered him a spot in Triple-A. Because he never reported to Colorado Springs, the organization assumes that he is done with baseball.

According to Baseball Reference, Speier has earned more than $20MM for his career, not including the $5.25MM he is owed by the Angels this season. In twelve big league seasons, the righthander has posted a 4.11 ERA with 7.8 K/9 and 3.4 BB/9.

Rockies Designate Rincon For Assignment

By Mike Axisa | May 1, 2010 at 12:24pm CDT

12:24pm: Renck tweets that Rincon has in fact been designated for assignment.

12:11pm: The Rockies are calling up righthander Esmil Rogers to start today's game against the Giants, and it appears that reliever Juan Rincon may lose his 40-man roster spot according to The Denver Post's Troy Renck (via Twitter). Rincon's name was not included on the pre-game lineup card.

The 31-year-old Rincon has appeared in just one game for the Rockies this year, giving up one run in one inning of work. Colorado re-signed him to a minor league contract over the winter.

Odds & Ends: Red Sox, Howard, Francisco, Mendoza

By Tim Dierkes | April 30, 2010 at 5:28pm CDT

Links to check out as we await Cliff Lee's Mariners debut…

BoSox manager Terry Francona says that the upcoming player move to make room on the roster for Daisuke Matsuzaka will almost certainly involve a pitcher, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.
If you play fantasy baseball, be sure to follow our @closernews feed on Twitter. We've got instant news on all closer situations, enabling you to conquer the save category.
Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports takes a behind-the-scenes look at the Ryan Howard extension negotiations, speaking to Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. and Howard's agent, Casey Close.
In an MLB.com mailbag, T.R. Sullivan suggests that Frank Francisco could be a prime trade candidate in July, particularly if the Rangers are slipping from playoff contention.
Luis Mendoza cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Omaha, tweets Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star. Mendoza was designated for assignment by the Royals last week.
GM Jim Hendry says prospect Starlin Castro will join the Cubs at some point this season, but he won't say how soon, according to ESPNChicago. A source told Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago earlier in the week that Castro's promotion could be right around the corner.
ESPN.com's Rob Neyer doesn't think the White Sox have any need for Jermaine Dye. We heard earlier today that Dye believes he'd be a fit for the South Siders.
Talking to Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse, Brewers outfielder Jody Gerut explained why the Padres should retain Adrian Gonzalez.
Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez answered questions from Denver Post readers, explaining that "it's a really bad feeling when you get traded" and he'd like to sign a contract "for a few years." Gonzalez is not arbitration-eligible until after the 2011 season, and he's represented by Scott Boras.
The Yankees are not typically inclined to sign young players to long-term deals. It makes sense to maintain flexibility, as they did going year-to-year with Chien-Ming Wang. On the other hand, Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out that Robinson Cano's extension has worked out quite well. Will the Yankees exercise his $14MM club option for 2012, or choose the $2MM buyout?
Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald believes that the future of the Red Sox catching position points more toward Adalberto Ibarra than Victor Martinez.

The Market For Chris Iannetta

By Howard Megdal | April 30, 2010 at 7:51am CDT

Most of the attention this week went to the signing of Ryan Howard, but the strangest move may have been Colorado's decision to send Chris Iannetta to the minor leagues.

Iannetta, 27, had a tremendous 2008, hitting .264/.390/.505 in 407 plate appearances. His numbers dipped somewhat in 2009, falling to .228/.344/.460, but that was still good for an OPS+ of 103, which put him in the upper echelon of hitting catchers. The Rockies clearly thought highly of his future as well, signing him to a three-year, $8.35MM contract this winter, with a 2013 club option.

So why would the team send Iannetta down on the strength of 34 poor plate appearances? And what's more, they did so in favor of Miguel Olivo, who is nearly five years older and has never had a season that approached Iannetta's 2008. It boggles the mind.

But with Iannetta out of favor in Colorado, it is hard to imagine the Rockies wanting to spend $8.35MM over the next three years on their Triple-A catcher. So which teams should have the most interest in Iannetta?

The Mets make a whole lot of sense as a landing spot. With Rod Barajas and Henry Blanco as the current major league catchers, the future is not planned for behind the plate with either one. Josh Thole is a promising catcher at Triple-A (though off to a slow start), but Iannetta projects to be the far better hitter than Thole, and hitting is Thole's ticket to the big leagues. And the Mets have the money to take a chance on Iannetta's long-term deal: even if he pans out as a backup, that salary doesn't kill them.
The Red Sox could be a strong contender for Iannetta's services. Obviously, Jason Varitek doesn't figure to be on the roster for the long-term, and the throwing skills of Victor Martinez (just 2 of 29 base stealers thrown out) makes his future at catcher tenuous at best. Martinez is also a free agent after the season. The Red Sox can also afford to take on his salary, even as a backup; Varitek, the backup this season, makes $3MM. But as ESPN's Jayson Stark noted yesterday, the roster becomes a mess if the Sox add a catcher.
The Royals have Wil Myers as their catcher of the future, but he's currently in Low A ball. Iannetta could bridge the gap, even with Jason Kendall signed through next year.

Of course, plenty of other teams could benefit from the addition of Iannetta. Whoever ends up with Iannetta, the only one likely to regret it is the team trading him.

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