Rockies Rumors

Odds & Ends: Grudzielanek, Royals, Fielder, Calero

By Luke Adams 2 | March 7, 2010 at 10:31pm CDT

Links for Sunday….

In his latest mailbag, MLB.com's Jim Street writes that he could see Chad Cordero hooking on with a major league club if he continues to stay healthy and perform well in Spring Training. Cordero is in camp with the Mariners and competing for a job, but is unlikely to make the team as the bullpen is already stocked with quality right-handers.
Mark Grudzielanek is eager to hook on with the Indians, writes Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com. The 39-year-old second baseman, who was absent from the majors in 2009, says he has his eye on the starting job.
MLB.com's Dick Kaegel reports that Royals shortstop prospect Jeff Bianchi will miss the 2010 season with elbow surgery. Danny Duffy, a left-handed pitcher and the organization's #8 prospect according to Baseball America, will be shut down as well for the time being due to elbow stiffness.
Michael Hunt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel talks to Brewers GM Doug Melvin about Prince Fielder's future. Melvin reiterates that the team hopes to keep Fielder around for many years, and revisits an instance during his stint as the Rangers' GM when he had to trade a heavy hitter.
Questions about Kiko Calero's health might have kept him on the market longer than expected this winter, but Adam Rubin of the New York Daily News says that the righty has been throwing off a mound and looks okay for now. "Conditioning-wise he's pretty good," pitching coach Dan Warthen said. "He just hasn't seen hitters."
Newly-acquired Melvin Mora could end up playing nearly every position on the diamond for the Rockies this year, writes Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post.
WEEI's Alex Speier reports that Brian Shouse's minor league contract will earn him $800K if he makes the Red Sox' major league roster.

Jorge De La Rosa Enters Walk Year

By Tim Dierkes | March 3, 2010 at 8:37am CDT

Between big league stops with the Brewers, Royals, and Rockies, lefty Jorge de la Rosa has managed to rack up more than five years of service time. It follows that he'll be eligible for free agency after this season, at age 29.

De La Rosa's overall work for the Rockies last year was solid – 4.38 ERA, 9.4 K/9, 4.0 BB/9. His control needs polish, but an under-30 southpaw averaging 93 mph and a strikeout per inning should be a hot commodity on the free agent market.

Will De La Rosa join a 2011 free agent market that's projected to include Josh Beckett, Cliff Lee, Ted Lilly, Javier Vazquez, and Brandon Webb? Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd had discussions this offseason with De La Rosa's agent Bobby Barrett, but O'Dowd told Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post:

"We were just light years apart on where they saw him at this stage of his career and what our risk tolerance was. That's not something we think is out of our reach. It's just that we would be a lot more comfortable seeing it again."

Armstrong says the Rockies' offer was in the three-year, $11MM range. The offer seems pretty light, since the arbitration-eligible De La Rosa commanded half of that amount in 2010 alone. However, De La Rosa feels gratitiude for the opportunity the Rockies provided him, and he wants to return. As O'Dowd notes, a huge 2010 for De La Rosa is a double-edged sword in that it'll help the Rockies now but make retaining him "somewhat problematic."

Minor League Signings: Van Benschoten, Bourgeois

By Tim Dierkes | March 2, 2010 at 8:25am CDT

Matt Eddy of Baseball America has the latest minor league transactions. A few highlights:

The Yankees signed pitcher John Van Benschoten, former eighth overall pick by the Pirates in '01. JvB posted a 6.35 ERA, 7.7 K/9, 3.5 BB/9, and tons of hits allowed in 78 innings for the White Sox Triple A club last year.
The Astros signed 28-year-old outfielder Jason Bourgeois, who they claimed off waivers from the Brewers in October but designated for assignment later to make room for Brett Myers. Bourgeois hit .316/.354/.401 in Triple A last year while playing all three outfield positions.
The Rockies added a few familiar names in first baseman Brad Eldred and third baseman Travis Metcalf. Eldred, 29, has made five stops at Triple A, last year with the Nationals' affiliate. Metcalf, 27, has 242 big league plate appearances with the Rangers under his belt but has yet to master Triple A.
The Dodgers signed Robin Yount's son Dustin, formerly of the Tucson Toros.
The Rangers signed corner infielder Wes Bankston. The 26-year-old hasn't done much in his four Triple A stints.

Odds & Ends: Thames, Manzella, Royals, Marlins

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 26, 2010 at 4:03pm CDT

Links for Friday…

Chad Jennings of The Journal News reports that Marcus Thames can opt out of his contract with the Yankees if he doesn't make the team out of Spring Training. Thames signed a minor league deal earlier this month that would pay him $900K in the big leagues.
Alyson Footer, the Astros' Sr. Director of Social Media, tweets that the team has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with infielder Tommy Manzella worth $400K. He's expected to be the team's regular shortstop in 2010, and he has less than a month's worth of service time.
Mike Aviles and Anthony Lerew agreed to terms with the Royals according to a team press release. Bob Dutton of The Kansas City Star tweets that both deals are expected to be worth less than $500K. Both players are not yet eligible for arbitration.
Meanwhile, the Marlins also agreed to terms with six of their pre-arbitration eligible players, reports MLB.com's Joe Frisaro.
Jeff Zrebiec of The Baltimore Sun reports that Orioles' lefty Brian Matusz has changed agents, and is now represented by CAA Sports. He had a 4.63 ERA in 44.2 innings last year, and is widely considered to be one of the two or three best pitching prospects in the game.
Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo spoke about the Livan Hernandez signing to MASNSports.com's Ben Goessling, and said that the righty isn't guaranteed a rotation spot.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports polled nearly 20 baseball people about Carl Crawford's next contract. Many of the agents and executives expect Crawford to command a five-year deal worth $12-16MM per season, but some think the left fielder could make as much as $18MM per year when he hits the open market, probably after 2010.
Scott Rolen was happy to restructure his contract so the Reds could "free up some money to go out and be more competitive," according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Nationals pitcher Rafael Martin tells MLB.com's Bill Ladson that he agreed to his deal on February 8th (Twitter link).
Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd told Tracy Ringolsby of FOX Sports that he wants his players to be driven by "more than money." O'Dowd also told Ringolsby that he did not shop Brad Hawpe this winter.
The Mets are still looking at lefty and righty relievers, according to Newsday's Ken Davidoff (via Twitter).
Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt tells Scott Lauber of the News Journal that he expects Placido Polanco to make a smooth transition to third base.
Marlon Byrd tells USA Today's Bob Nightengale that he's uncomfortable being compared to friend and former teammate Milton Bradley.
Big market clubs sent $433MM to small market clubs last year, according to Maury Brown of the Biz of Baseball.
The Red Sox don't generally use insurance on their long-term deals. Principal owner John Henry tells Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that "it isn't always easy to get paid," even once players are injured.
Jose Julio Ruiz may be close to signing, but it won't be with the Nationals, according to Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
Astros owner Drayton McLane, who has "a huge amount of confidence" in GM Ed Wade, would consider selling his team for $600MM or more, according to Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle.

Odds & Ends: Halladay, House, Felipe Lopez

By Tim Dierkes | February 24, 2010 at 2:42pm CDT

Links for Wednesday…

Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports says the White Sox and Blue Jays discussed Dan Hudson and Tyler Flowers in a potential Roy Halladay deal, but the Sox weren't on Doc's list.
The Braves signed J.R. House to a minor league deal, reports Dave O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. House, 30, hit .251/.297/.352 for the Royals' Triple A club in '09 while catching 101 games.
Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports explores Felipe Lopez's reputation as a lazy player, something former teammate Mike Rivera denies.
Baseball America's Ben Badler has four Dominican signings, by the Rockies, Cardinals, Angels, and Rangers.
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa and GM John Mozeliak are signed only through 2010, but neither seems concerned (Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporting).

Jose Julio Ruiz Close To Signing

By Mike Axisa | February 24, 2010 at 4:50am CDT

FEBRUARY 24, 4:50am: Jesus Gallo, trainer for Ruiz, tells Rangel at the Nuevo Herald that Ruiz has received bids from six major league teams and "concrete proposals" from at least three. All of the offers exceeded $1MM, but none have been sufficient to ink the 25-year-old first baseman. Last Thursday, ESPN.com's Jorge Arangure, Jr. wrote that some teams view Ruiz as being ready to join major league rosters immediately.

Gallo labels the Cuban defector's most recent try-out, on Monday against members of the Blue Jays, "his last before signing." He says Ruiz will make a decision between Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

FEBRUARY 14: Cuban first baseman Jose Julio Ruiz may be close to signing according to a report from Luis E. Rangel of the Miami-based Nuevo Herald, which was passed along by MLBTR's resident translator Nick Collias. Here are some quotes from Ruiz's agent, Jorge Luis Toca…

“In the coming week he should be signed. Perhaps we’ll be announcing something on Wednesday.”

“Toronto, Texas, Boston, San Francisco, Tampa Bay and Colorado are the ones who have shown the most interest. We are also expecting an offer from the Yankees.”

“The idea is to find a team where there is the most opportunity to rise quickly.”

With regards to the last point, Toca noted that the Yankees are the least appealing team because of the presence of Mark Teixeira. Despite that, Ruiz is currently working out at the Yanks' complex in the Dominican Republic, and Toca indicated that "millions" of dollars were being discussed with teams, as well as an invitation to Spring Training.

The 25-year-old Ruiz hit .305/.408/.467 over 52 games in the Serie Nacional last season before suddenly defecting to the Dominican. ESPN's Jorge Arangure noted that he was more than just a masher relegated to first base, offering speed and athleticism.

Minor League Transactions: Bierbrodt, Jimerson, Cintron

By Tim Dierkes | February 23, 2010 at 8:14am CDT

The latest minor league transactions, from Baseball America's Matt Eddy…

The Reds signed Aaron Harang's brother Daryl out of the Atlantic League.
The Rockies signed lefty Nick Bierbrodt, the Diamondbacks' first-ever draft pick in '96. Bierbrodt, 31, sat out the '09 season.
The Twins signed outfielder Charlton Jimerson out of the Atlantic League. He put up big numbers there in '09.
The Mets inked second baseman Alex Cintron, who hit .285/.303/.387 in Triple A last year.

Odds & Ends: De La Rosa, Halladay, Astros, Molina

By Luke Adams 2 | February 19, 2010 at 9:02pm CDT

Let's round up the last of the leftover links from the work week….

MLB.com's Thomas Harding shares a few Rockies notes from Spring Training. According to Harding, 2011 free agent Jorge de la Rosa would like to stay in Colorado beyond this season.
After watching Roy Halladay dominate the AL East for years, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark is eager to see what the Phillies' new ace is capable of in the Senior Circuit.
Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports that the Astros agreed to terms with three Minor Leaguers on their 40-man roster today: infielder Jose Vallejo and right-handers Matt Nevarez and Henry Villar. The trio signed one-year contracts with corresponding Major League values of $400K.
Bruce Bochy's plan to give Bengie Molina a few more days off this season could hurt Molina financially, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News. Molina has multiple games-started incentives in his contract, and will not maximize his earnings if he starts fewer than 115 times.
GM Alex Anthopoulos wants to focus on speed, athleticism, and strong baserunning throughout the Blue Jays' organization, writes MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.
Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post says that the Marlins are optimistic about their chances in 2010, despite being the only team not to sign a Major League free agent this winter.
Maury Brown of The Biz of Baseball updates his arbitration scorecard following Jeff Mathis' win over the Angels. The only remaining arbitration case is Ryan Theriot's.

Odds & Ends: Cardinals, Burnett, Chapman, Reyes

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 18, 2010 at 9:32pm CDT

Links for Thursday…

GM John Mozeliak and manager Tony LaRussa both mentioned to MLB.com's Matthew Leach that the Cardinals are not in a rush to add an infielder despite Brendan Ryan's recent wrist surgery.
Rangers GM Jon Daniels knows that it's far from a foregone conclusion that his team will win 87 games again, according to ESPNDallas.com reporter Richard Durrett.
Reds GM Walt Jocketty tells MLB.com's Mark Sheldon that Aroldis Chapman has looked "very impressive" so far.
Jose Reyes tells Kevin Kernan of the New York Post that he wants to finish his career with the Mets. Reyes says he's not thinking about the $11MM option the Mets have for his services in 2011.
The Nats outrighted Doug Slaten to Triple A, according to the team's Twitter. They designated him for assignment two days ago.
The Rockies and Mariners offered Mark McGwire hitting coach positions, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Mariners made their offer in 2003; the Rockies made theirs a few years ago.
Victor Martinez tells Alex Speier of WEEI.com that he'd "obviously" like to stay in Boston. The catcher says the negotiations are now under the team's control.
Carlos Zambrano tells Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald that he would have vetoed a trade had the Cubs approached him about one this offseason.
Andrew Friedman says he and his front office have assembled "the most talented team in Rays history," according to the Tampa Tribune (via Twitter).
USA Today's Peter Barzilai looks back at some historically good free agent signings.
Greg Burke cleared waivers, tweets Dan Hayes of the North County Times. The club placed Burke on unconditional waivers ten days ago.
Dodgers GM Ned Colletti tells ESPN.com's Buster Olney that the club find its fifth starter outside of the organization. "We'd love to have a bona fide No. 5 starter," Colletti said.
Mariano Rivera tells MLB.com's Brian Hoch that he doesn't know how long he's going to continue playing (Twitter link).
Rockies manager Jim Tracy told Denver Post readers that he helps Dan O'Dowd make personnel decisions when the GM is looking for input.
In anticipation of the club's scheduled arbitration hearing with Ryan Theriot, Cubs GM Jim Hendry tells Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times that the arbitration process is sometimes unavoidable.
The Braves signed 17-year-old infield prospect Alejandro Sanchez Martinez to a seven-year contract out of Spain earlier in the winter, according to David Menayo of Marca.com. Thanks to Nick Collias for the translation.

Rockies Offer Eric Gagne Minor League Deal

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | February 18, 2010 at 4:24pm CDT

Eric Gagne has an offer for a minor league deal from the Rockies, according to MLB.com's Thomas Harding (via Twitter). We heard earlier in the week that the Rockies were in the mix, with the Dodgers involved, too. Gagne threw for Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd and Jim Tracy, his former manager, but he has also thrown in front of the Dodgers, who are still in the mix.

Gagne, 34, hasn't been effective in the majors since the first part of the 2007 season. He pitched in the Can-Am league last year and is looking to return to the big leagues.

« Previous Page

Load More Posts

Show all

Headlines

Rockies Rumors

Navigation

MLBTR INFO

Connect