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Rockies Decline Option On Rafael Betancourt

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The Rockies declined their $5.4MM club option on reliever Rafael Betancourt, tweets Ed Price of AOL FanHouse.  Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post he'll continue to negotiate with Betancourt.

Betancourt, 35 in April, found the NL to his liking after coming over in a trade with the Indians.  He posted a 1.78 ERA with 29 strikeouts and five walks in 25.3 innings for the Rockies.  Betancourt is a Type A free agent, and if he gets to December 1st unsigned it'll be interesting to see if the Rockies offer arbitration.  Other teams would find Betancourt much less appealing with a draft pick cost attached.  Troy Renck of the Denver Post feels that the Rockies will offer, as does Tracy Ringolsby of Inside the Rockies.

Saunders also mentions that the Rockies will "explore re-signing" Jose Contreras and Joe Beimel.

Odds & Ends: Griffey, Tigers, Torrealba

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Let's have a look at another handful of evening links….

  • MLB.com's Corey Brock reports that new Padres GM Jed Hoyer will sit down with Adrian Gonzalez next week to discuss the first baseman's future.
  • Keith Law of ESPN.com shares his thoughts on the trades that have transpired so far during the hot stove season.
  • Scott Miller of CBS Sports wraps up his observations from the GM meetings, and includes a quote from Angels GM Tony Reagins, saying the team will try their best to retain both John Lackey and Chone Figgins. I think they'd be doing very well if they were able to bring back even one of the two.
  • What do the Cleveland Indians need to do to improve in 2010? The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Paul Hoynes suggests that, considering the team's lack of payroll flexibility, the Indians just have to hope for better performances from many of their players.
  • In comments relayed by Larry Stone of the Seattle Times, Seattle GM Jack Zduriencik was vague when asked about Ken Griffey Jr.'s playing time in 2010. Griffey and the Mariners reached an agreement earlier today, but it sounds like Junior could have a lesser role next season — particularly if the team is able to retain Russell Branyan and add another bat or two.
  • Despite recent rumors about the availability of Curtis Granderson and Edwin Jackson, the Detroit Tigers don't intend to have a fire sale, according to MLB.com's Jason Beck (via Twitter).
  • Phil Rogers of the Chicago Tribune says that if Granderson is available, the Cubs need to pursue him.
  • Troy Renck of the Denver Post has additional details on Yorvit Torrealba's possible future with the Colorado Rockies.
  • After hearing Scott Boras compare Matt Holliday to last winter's big free agent prize, Mark Teixeira, Dave Cameron of FanGraphs takes a detailed look at how the two players' values compare.
  • ESPN.com's Buster Olney tweets that a few GMs came away from this week's meetings thinking that the market for the elite free agents this year will be "very, very limited."
  • Ever the optimist, Scott Boras disagrees with this assessment of the market, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. Boras argues that "we hear this every year" and predicts that the top free agents will still receive "mega-contracts."

Rockies Rumors: Hawpe, Atkins, Barmes, Street

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Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post has the Rockies hot stove chatter; let's take a look.

  • GM Dan O'Dowd explained that, "There is a difference between listening and attempting to move a player."  Brad Hawpe falls squarely into the "listening" category.  Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports say the Rockies would probably seek a right-handed hitting outfielder and a reliever for Hawpe.
  • New contracts for O'Dowd and manager Jim Tracy are still pending a few small details.
  • The Rockies are trying to trade Garrett Atkins.  If and when they fail, they'll release him.  So rather than wait until the December 12th non-tender deadline, Atkins should join the free agent ranks by November 20th at the latest.  The Rangers have "moderate interest" in Atkins, according to Jeff Wilson of the Dallas Morning News.
  • The Rockies will attempt to sign arbitration-eligible players Clint Barmes and Huston Street to multiyear deals, but if that doesn't work they'll simply get one-year contracts.
  • Catcher Paul Phillips who had 54 plate appearances with the big club this year, is expected to be designated for assignment re-signed to a minor league deal to create 40-man roster space.
  • Click here to read Monday's Rockies rumors.

Odds & Ends: Chapman, Felix, Jays, Valentine

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Some links for Tuesday morning…

Rockies Rumors: Hawpe, Betancourt, Torrealba

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8:34pm: SI.com's Jon Heyman is reporting that Torrealba declined a Colorado offer of two years, $4.5MM.

3:57pm: Joel Sherman of The NY Post has a slew of Rockies' rumors from the GM meetings, so let's recap…

  • The Rockies are willing to listen to trade offers for outfielder Brad Hawpe. Just last month, GM Dan O'Dowd said "We have no desire to move [Hawpe] at all." 
  • The team's top priority at the moment is to retain reliever Rafael Betancourt, who they've already approached about a multi-year deal.
  • Yorvit Torrealba turned down an offer to return to the team after they declined his option. They'll look elsewhere for a backup catcher.
  • The Rockies do not plan to tender Garrett Atkins a contract, and intend to use Ian Stewart at third base.
  • They'd like to add a righty bat to be a reserve outfielder or first baseman.
  • The team has received "glowing reports" about Jeff Francis, who is battling back from shoulder surgery and missed all of 2009.

Rosenthal On Gonzalez, Beckett, De La Rosa

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new column up today, in which he discusses a variety of topics from around the league. Let's recap a few of the highlights….

  • Although the Boston Red Sox have been the team most frequently linked to Adrian Gonzalez, it's unclear whether they have the pieces to work out a trade. Rosenthal suggests the Padres will want some major-league talent in return, and quotes one baseball executive who says he can't imagine how the Sox get a deal done.
  • Rosenthal says the Padres should be more inclined to move closer Heath Bell than Gonzalez.
  • When Josh Beckett discusses a contract extension with the Red Sox, Rosenthal advises him to point to the deal A.J. Burnett signed last winter as a starting point, since Beckett's track record is even stronger than Burnett's. He thinks if the Red Sox were to balk at a long-term commitment, plenty of other teams would be interested.
  • A source indicates that when Jorge De La Rosa hits free agency in a year, he would like a contract similar to Oliver Perez's three-year, $36MM deal. It's hard to see him demanding that much unless he has a breakout year in 2010, but his impending raise could prompt the Rockies to field trade offers for the lefty.
  • Ken Griffey Jr. will likely decide in a couple weeks whether he wants to keep playing.
  • According to Rosenthal, "some who know [Matt] Holliday say he would prefer not to play in New York."
  • We heard from Troy Renck yesterday that the Rockies were talking to Rafael Betancourt about an extension. Rosenthal reports that Betancourt apparently turned down a two-year deal worth up to about $7MM.
  • Rosenthal opines that Garrett Atkins is unlikely to be traded because of his price tag, and will almost certainly be non-tendered.

Rockies Negotiating With Betancourt, Won’t Retain Fogg

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The Colorado Rockies are attempting to bring back setup man Rafael Betancourt, but will not re-sign righty Josh Fogg, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.

Renck doesn't have any specific details on the talks with Betancourt, but writes that the Rockies has approached the reliever about a multi-year deal. Betancourt has a $5.4MM option for 2010. However, we heard previously that the club would like to sign him to a restructured deal that pays him less in 2010, but locks him up past next season.

Fogg, meanwhile, signed a minor-league deal with the Rockies before the season, and earned a mop-up spot in the team's bullpen. He compiled a 3.74 ERA in 24 appearances. According to Renck though, the team told the right-hander that they're "moving in a different direction."

Rockies Decline Options For Torrealba, Embree

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Troy Renck of The Denver Post reports that the Rockies have declined the 2010 options for catcher Yorvit Torrealba and reliever Alan Embree. Torrealba's option was worth $4MM, Embree's $3MM. Instead, the players will receive buyouts worth $500K and $250K, respectively.

Torrealba's agent indicated that his client has not ruled out returning to the club, but the Rockies are committed to Chris Iannetta as their starter. Yorvit hit .291/.351/.380 in 242 plate appearances on the year, while Embree threw just 24.2 innings in 2009 before a liner broke his leg and forced him to miss the rest of the season.

Colorado Re-Signs Matt Belisle, Randy Flores

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8:42 PM: The Denver Post's Troy Renck has an update on the contract details. 

6:25 PM: The Rockies re-signed relievers Matt Belisle and Randy Flores to one-year contracts on Thursday.  Terms of the deals weren't announced, though both pitchers were eligible for salary arbitration.  Belisle, a right-hander, posted a 5.52 ERA but a strong 4.4:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 24 appearances last year with Colorado after spending his first five big-league seasons in Cincinnati.  Southpaw Flores appeared in 27 games for the Rockies last season, recording a strong 10.5 K/9.

Tracy Ringolsby believes that with Belisle and Flores back in the fold, Joe Beimel is the odd man out in the Rockies' bullpen.  Beimel had a 4.02 ERA in 26 games with Colorado after being acquired from Washington at the trade deadline, but Ringolsby thinks that Colorado will stick with Flores and Franklin Morales as their main left-handed relief options.

In other Rockies news from Thursday, the club outrighted reliever Joel Peralta and infielder Omar Quintanilla,  Peralta (who is now a free agent) is still being pursued for a minor-league contract while Quintanilla is on the Triple-A Colorado Springs roster.

Odds & Ends: Giants, Bay, Rockies, Padres

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Here are a few Sunday links to browse, as a huge sports day in Philadelphia begins….

  • John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle wonders if the "desperate-for-pop" San Francisco Giants will try to top the Boston Red Sox rumored four-year offer to Jason Bay (we heard some speculation about this yesterday too). If not, Shea names Garrett Atkins as a cheaper potential target for the Giants.
  • SI.com's Jon Heyman discusses Bay and Matt Holliday in his latest column. Heyman points out that although Bay's agent, Joe Urbon, refers to him as the market's "most complete" player, Urbon keeps tying Bay's value to Holliday's. Scott Boras is avoiding doing the same thing for his client, instead comparing Holliday to the $180MM man, Mark Teixeira.
  • Within the same column, Heyman mentions progress being made on contracts for Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd and manager Jim Tracy, suggesting something could be announced after the World Series.
  • New San Diego GM Jed Hoyer has reportedly offered Red Sox farm director Mike Hazen the Padres' assistant GM position, according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.
  • Baseball Prospectus's John Perrotto reports (via Twitter) that there's no chance Pittsburgh Pirates prospects Pedro Alvarez and Brad Lincoln will be called up to the majors before at least June of next year.
  • DRays Bay looks ahead to this winter's free agent reliever market. If you missed it, check out MLBTR's analysis of the market for closers, as well as for both lefty and righty relievers.
  • Casey Kelly and the Red Sox have to decide soon whether the 20-year-old prospect will continue his career as a pitcher or shortstop, according to Sean McAdam of the Boston Herald. Given Kelly's minor league numbers to date, it seems like a no-brainer that the team will want to move him back to the mound.
  • Roch Kubatko of MASN.com tries to sort out the Baltimore Orioles' 40-man roster.
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