Rockies Rumors

Giants Seek Catcher, Reliever

By Tim Dierkes | March 19, 2009 at 9:31am CDT

According to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News:

Scouts are buzzing that the Giants are actively looking to upgrade at backup catcher and long relief. One possibility is catcher Rob Bowen, whom the A's released Tuesday.

Baggarly suggests the Giants' trade chips include pitchers Luis Perdomo and Merkin Valdez, as well as outfielder Eugenio Velez.

A handful of catchers remain on the free agent market, including new member Josh Bard. Tracy Ringolsby wonders if the Rockies will renew their interest in Bard. The Marlins, however, don't appear interested according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. The free agent market also features about a dozen relievers.

Rockies Sign Lew Ford

By Tim Dierkes | March 16, 2009 at 7:03am CDT

We haven’t written about Lew Ford in years. According to Jack Etkin of Inside The Rockies, Colorado signed the outfielder to a minor league deal. Ford spent ’08 in Japan. He seems to have little chance of making the big league team. It seems that Seth Stohs had this news way back on March 4th.

Back in ’04, Ford played regularly for the Twins and hit .299/.381/.446 in 154 games.

Beimel Close To Choosing An Offer

By Ben Nicholson-Smith | March 14, 2009 at 3:44pm CDT

3:44pm: Corey Brock of MLB.com spoke Saturday with Padres GM Kevin Towers, who said plainly that the Friars "are not in the mix" for Beimel. Brock surmises that it’s all "about money."

1:25pm: MLB.com’s Ed Eagle adds the Rockies to the mix of interested teams.

11:15am: According to Buster Olney of ESPN.com Joe Beimel is close to choosing between offers. Oakland and San Diego are apparently in the running for the lefty reliever. The Dodgers were still interested a week ago.

Dennys Reyes, who held lefties to a lower average than Beimel last year, signed a two-year deal worth $3MM with the Cardinals that will likely be comparable to the deal Beimel eventually gets.

Odds & Ends: Darvish, Rockies, Angels, Nats

By Tim Dierkes | March 13, 2009 at 5:19pm CDT

Offseason In Review: Colorado Rockies

By Tim Dierkes | March 13, 2009 at 11:15am CDT

Next up in our Offseason In Review series, the Rockies. Here’s what we wrote about the team on September 22nd. Changes for 2009:

Additions: Huston Street, Greg Smith, Carlos Gonzalez, Alan Embree, Jason Marquis, Matt Murton, Matt Belisle, Randy Flores, Josh Fogg, Glendon Rusch (re-signed), Sal Fasano, Dan Ortmeier, Scott Podsednik (re-signed)

Subtractions: Matt Holliday, Brian Fuentes, Willy Taveras, Luis Vizcaino, Matt Herges, Mark Redman, Livan Hernandez. Midseason: Kip Wells

The Rockies are not a rebuilding club, and I would’ve liked to see them retain Holliday for an ’09 run or at least swap him for something better. GM Dan O’Dowd did not bring back star-level talent in return. The Fuentes loss I understand, and the others were negligible.

The ’08 Rockies ranked 8th of 16 NL clubs with 4.61 runs per game. As crazy as it sounds, though, it’s possible the Rockies improve to 4.86 runs per game in ’09 despite the loss of Holliday (using the trusty lineup analysis tool and CHONE projections). Here’s why: Atkins and Tulo bouncing back, no more Taveras, and more Iannetta/Helton/Stewart/Spilborghs/Smith. Even 4.81 runs per game would’ve ranked fourth in the NL last year.

The Rockies’ defense was poor last year – 14th in the NL according to The Fielding Bible II. The hope is that a healthy Tulo recreates his ’07 wizardry and Hawpe is less brutal in right.

Ah, pitching. Obviously Rockies pitchers are in a rough situation with Coors Field, but they did have strong showings from Aaron Cook and Ubaldo Jimenez. Jeff Francis went under the knife, so it’ll be up to guys like Marquis, Jorge de la Rosa, Smith, Jason Hirsh, and Franklin Morales to post ERAs under 5.00 from the #3-5 slots. The bullpen will need Street to fill Fuentes’ void, a healthy Taylor Buchholz, and a resurgent Manny Corpas.

If the Rockies pitch and play defense like they did last year, I have them around 77 wins for ’09. Even if they prevent runs like they did in ’07 (their best effort of the decade) it’s still an 83 win team.

Bottom line: O’Dowd may have been right in assuming that the Rockies’ offense can withstand the loss of Holliday, but he failed to obtain the quality starting pitching the team requires.

Rockies Not Looking To Add Pitching

By Nat Boyle | March 8, 2009 at 10:18am CDT

According to Troy E. Renck, set up man Taylor Buchholz’s elbow injury that has him out an expected four-to-six weeks has not sparked the need to find a replacement from the outside. The Rockies contacted lefty Joe Beimel’s agent; however, it seems the Rockies want to spend a lot less than Beimel is seeking.

Odds & Ends: Gload, Pierre, Beimel

By Tim Dierkes | March 6, 2009 at 11:09am CDT

Links for Friday…

The Dodgers designated Justin Orenduff for assignment to make room for Manny Ramirez, according to Tony Jackson.
The A's contracts with Orlando Cabrera and Nomar Garciaparra are official.
WEEI's Alex Speier talked to Marlins prospect Mike Stanton and manager Fredi Gonzalez about the near-acquisition of Manny last summer.
In another column, Speier looks at the players the Red Sox and Yankees have battled for in recent years.
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says a bunch of relievers are vying for one bullpen spot for the Cardinals, now that they've signed Dennys Reyes.
Bob Dutton of the Kansas City Star suggests there's a chance the Royals release first baseman Ross Gload and eat the $1.9MM owed to him in 2009. Rany Jazayerli talks about Gload as well as the chances of the Royals competing this year.
Tom Tango says Juan Pierre would have to defer his contract for 50 years to be worth acquiring.
Tracy Ringolsby of Inside The Rockies says the Rox offered Joe Beimel more than $1MM but so far he's passed. Beimel's home run prevention trend might be challenged at Coors Field. Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle says the A's are in on Beimel but "have not yet have substantive talks" with his agent.
Check out a Giants Spring Training preview from the guys behind El Lefty Malo and McCovey Chronicles.

A-Rod Has Torn Labrum In Hip

By Tim Dierkes | March 5, 2009 at 7:12pm CDT

7:12pm: All A-Rod, All the time…Tom Verducci notes that the A-Rod injury is a sign of a bigger problem, that the Yankees are getting old. Verducci also notes that Mark Teixeira is the player that will be most impacted without A-Rod’s protection and the pressure to live up to the new contract…The New York Post has another comprehensive list of possible A-Rod replacements. The two intradivisional options at the top of their list seem like a long-shot…Ken Davidoff wonders if some time away will help Yankees fans appreciate what they have with A-Rod…Rob Neyer can’t help but wonder if the Yankees are going to have to eat a good chunk of the $178MM they still owe A-Rod.

5:30pm: Even more from Abraham with special bonus audio of Brian Cashman: Abraham says surgery is necessary at some point, but that the Yankees are hoping that rest and rehab will be enough to hold off the surgery until after the season. Abraham notes that Mike Lowell tried the same tactic last season after his injury was discovered in June, but the injury got so bad he was held off the playoff roster.

3:27pm: More details from Abraham: A-Rod has a torn hip labrum that would take four months to repair surgically. He won’t play in the WBC and he’ll play less in Spring Training to try to return soon. Marc Craig of the Star-Ledger writes that A-Rod’s out indefinitely and could still need surgery. The New York Daily News offers more, including analysis from various doctors.

2:40pm: Peter Abraham of The Journal News talked to Yankees GM Brian Cashman, who said Rodriguez’s cyst was drained and they will attempt rest and rehab rather than surgery.

12:59pm: Joel Sherman of the New York Post offers other ideas for third base if A-Rod is to be out for a considerable length of time: Scott Rolen, Melvin Mora, Brandon Inge, Hank Blalock, Chone Figgins, Adrian Beltre, Blake DeWitt, Martin Prado, and Mark Teahen.

12:17pm: ESPN’s Peter Gammons comments about the injury, wondering if mid-May is a best case scenario. Gammons speculates that Garrett Atkins or Chad Tracy could be fits for the Yanks, but the price for Atkins could be high. River Ave. Blues likes Mark Grudzielanek or possibly Bobby Crosby as other external options, while ESPN’s Buster Olney speculates on Bill Hall (who is recovering from a torn calf). Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle wonders if Bobby Crosby could fit.

ESPN’s Stephania Bell suggests ten weeks could be a light estimate, if Rodriguez has a labral tear.

10:40am: ESPN’s Enrique Rojas talked to Alex Rodriguez’s brother, who says the Yankees third baseman will miss about ten weeks due to hip surgery to remove a cyst. A ten week rehab would put A-Rod at a mid-May return, so he could miss a quarter of the season. A-Rod’s brother told MLB.com the operation will be performed Monday. The Yankees haven’t confirmed anything yet though. It probably makes sense to hold off on replacement speculation until we get official word on the injury.

Check out my instant fantasy take on the situation over at RotoAuthority.

Odds & Ends: Free Agents, Manny, Buchholz

By Tim Dierkes | March 5, 2009 at 12:12pm CDT

Links for Thursday…

A confident Sidney Ponson expects his agent to receive a few calls after he pitches in the WBC Saturday, according to Phil Miller of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
ESPN’s Rob Neyer looks at the most interesting remaining free agents.
Jorge Says No! names their 8 Worst Free Agent Contracts of the offseason.
Former Dodgers GM Fred Claire weighs in on the Manny Ramirez contract, noting the player’s control over the team’s finances. Check out Manny’s comments made to the AP. Juan Pierre doesn’t have much to say about the signing.
Baseball America’s Ben Badler talks about the reactions of Latin American scouts to the Esmailyn Gonzalez scandal.
ESPN’s Jayson Stark looks at the top players who are on Spring Training invites.
Rockies reliever Taylor Buchholz will miss the rest of Spring Training with a sprained elbow.
Carroll Rogers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution says the Braves made room for Tom Glavine on the 40-man roster by outrighting pitcher Anthony Lerew, who cleared waivers.

Carlos Gonzalez, Ryan Spilborghs Switched To Boras

By Tim Dierkes | March 5, 2009 at 9:56am CDT

Two new names for our Scott Boras client list, courtesy of Tracy Ringolsby of Inside The Rockies. Ringolsby says Rockies outfielders Carlos Gonzalez and Ryan Spilborghs switched to Boras during the offseason. Jeff Baker is the Rockies’ third pre-arbitration Boras client. None of the three agreed to terms to 2009 contracts, instead forcing the Rockies to renew them. Says Ringolsby:

The Rockies have a very stringent pay scale for pre-arbitration eligible players, and they are consistent with that approach. Boras does not agree with the philosophy and prefers to have his clients not agree to the contract as a matter of principle.

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