Rockies Negotiating With Betancourt, Won’t Retain Fogg
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
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
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
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.
Olney On Potential Non-Tenders And Bradley
In today's blog post at ESPN.com, Buster Olney indicates that there is belief among general managers that the "financial restructuring that has been occurring across the landscape is about to hit the arbitration-level players like a tidal wave." He mentions underperforming, but well paid players like Garrett Atkins and Kelly Johnson are prime non-tender bait, especially since their clubs have replacements ready and it's unlikely they'll be able to trade them. Make sure you check out MLBTR's list of non-tender candidates.
Olney also talks about some bad contracts the Cubs could acquire in exchange for Milton Bradley, adding that this morning's Vernon Wells rumor "would be a stunner" if it happened. Some of the players he mentions as possible fits include Carlos Silva, Derek Lowe, Gary Matthews Jr. (who said he wants out of Anaheim), Barry Zito, Aaron Rowand, Oliver Perez, and Dontrelle Willis, among others. Any other ideas?
Rockies Rumors: Giambi, Betancourt, Peralta
It sounds like the Rockies will bring back manager Jim Tracy and GM Dan O'Dowd. Here are some more rumors regarding the club's offseason plans:
- Tracy Ringolsby of Inside the Rockies says the team's coaching staff will return in 2010. Jim Tracy works well with his coaches, though he did not hand-pick them.
- Ringolsby expects the Rockies to decline the options for Jason Giambi ($6.5MM), Rafael Betancourt ($5.4MM), Yorvit Torrealba ($4MM, $500K buyout) and Alan Embree ($3MM, $250K buyout).
- Instead of picking up Betancourt's option, the club will try to sign him to a two-year deal that guaranatees less money in 2010.
- If Torrealba returns, it would likely be for about $1MM.
- It seems unlikely that Embree will return and Ringolsby says Giambi doesn't fit the Rockies' needs.
- Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that reliever Joel Peralta has chosen free agency after being outrighted off the team's 40-man roster.
Rockies To Lock Up Tracy, O’Dowd
According to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post, the Rockies are close to agreement on a three-year contract with manager Jim Tracy.
The Rox are expected to hold off on announcing the deal until the World Series has ended. Tracy led the club to a 74-42 record and the NL Wild Card after taking over for Clint Hurdle in late May. He has a 636-616 lifetime managerial record in stints with the Dodgers, Pirates, and now Colorado. GM Dan O'Dowd is expected to receive a similar three-year deal.
Odds & Ends: Mariners, Orioles, Indians
If you're up reading, we're up writing!
- MLB.com's Jim Street takes questions about the Mariners. Among other things, he believes the Mariners will find a veteran catcher to at least split time with prospect Adam Moore.
- Street's Baltimore counterpart, MLB.com's Spencer Fordin, believes the Orioles will move Koji Uehara to short relief and look to acquire another veteran starter.
- The Cleveland Plain-Dealer's Paul Hoynes has very positive things to say about Manny Acta, the new Indians' manager.
- Manny Corpas looks strong in Instructional League play, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com, and Corpas will play winter ball as well. A Corpas revival gives the Rockies some alternatives if they don't want to face a big arbitration number from Huston Street, or pick up the $5.4MM option of Rafael Betancourt.
Odds & Ends: Rockies, Orioles, Mets
A few more links to peruse while the baseball world waits for tonight's game in the Bronx….
- Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post discusses Colorado Rockies manager Jim Tracy and GM Dan O'Dowd, and the deals they'll likely sign this week. Renck praises O'Dowd's recent acquisitions and suggests that this winter the GM will be looking for starting pitching and a right-handed bat.
- MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez reports that the Baltimore Orioles' potential corner infielders of the future, Josh Bell and Brandon Snyder, are currently tearing up the Arizona Fall League.
- In the first part of a feature, Viva El Birdos takes a look at the "untradeable" Kyle Lohse.
- Michael Baron at MetsBlog summarizes a few opinion pieces on the Mets from around the internet, including one by Mike Silva of the New York Baseball Digest about inexpensive free agents.
Odds & Ends: Johjima, Rockies, Kikuchi
Links for Tuesday…
- Chat today, 2pm CST.
- The Hanshin Tigers are interested in Kenji Johjima, according to Kyodo News.
- The Rockies are expected to re-sign GM Dan O'Dowd and manager Jim Tracy this week, according to Patrick Saunders and Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.
- Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times says the Dodgers "are mindful that [signing Yusei Kikuchi] could harm the club's long-standing ties in Japan." Kikuchi told Kyodo News that interviewing with 12 NPB and eight MLB clubs made his decision even more difficult. NPB Tracker has more.
- Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle says Brad Lidge for Michael Bourn has been "the perfect trade." In that November 2007 deal, the Phillies also received infielder Eric Bruntlett and the Astros also acquired Geoff Geary and Mike Costanzo (Geary is now a free agent). I'd say the Astros may ultimately win the deal if Bourn's breakout season holds up, since they gave up one year of Lidge for five of Bourn. But, as Justice noted, the Phillies have a ring.
- Always fun…Dave Cameron's 2010 offseason plan for the Mariners at U.S.S. Mariner. My one beef is the John Danks acquisition…I don't think it fits from Chicago's point of view.
- Viva El Birdos takes a look at the Cardinals' 2010 commitments.
- MLB.com's Mychael Urban discusses Justin Duchscherer's future.