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Renck On De La Rosa, Floyd, Nationals

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Troy Renck of the Denver Post shared a few Rockies-related items and opinions with his Twitter followers today.  All links within quote marks are tweets unless noted otherwise…

  • Renck feels it's "highly unlikely" that Jorge de la Rosa will re-sign with Colorado.  As we heard last week, the Rockies aren't prepared to offer the free agent starter anything more than a three-year contract, and one of the many clubs interested in De La Rosa will offer him at least four years.
  • Renck personally would have pursued De La Rosa had he been the Rockies GM, but he thinks the club should "shift toward" trading for Gavin Floyd and acquiring two of Kevin Kouzmanoff, Jose Lopez or Josh Willingham.  Kouzmanoff and Lopez have drawn some interest from the Rockies already.
  • The White Sox "like Ian Stewart," Renck said in regards to rumors from earlier in the week that Chicago and Colorado had at least discussed swapping the third baseman for Floyd.  Stewart would give the Sox some left-handed pop, possibly in a third base platoon with Dayan Viciedo.
  • Also noted in Renck's previous Twitter link was the fact that the Nationals "want pitching in every trade. Either big league pitching or guys who are close [to the majors]."
  • Type A free agent Carl Pavano will turn 35 in January and would cost the Rockies a draft pick to sign him, but Renck feels Pavano is "worth the risk" if the Rockies can't get Floyd.

Rockies Inquire On Justin Upton, Gavin Floyd

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The Rockies have contacted the Diamondbacks and White Sox to inquire on Justin Upton and Gavin Floyd, respectively, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Both teams are said to be listening to offers for their respective players.

We've rounded up the rest of today's Upton rumors here, with the latest from Jayson Stark indicating that Arizona seems "genuinely open" to moving their young outfielder. According to a team official that spoke to Renck, the D'Backs would be open to dealing Upton within the division, if the return was significant enough.

Meanwhile, we heard today that the White Sox would be willing to discuss trading Floyd, and Renck says the Sox have asked the Rockies about Ian Stewart. Colorado doesn't currently have a third baseman who could replace Stewart, but as Renck reported earlier, the club has interest in a handful of players who could handle the hot corner.

Despite their interest in potential trade candidates, the Rockies may still use free agency to fill their holes, as owner Dick Monfort admits: "We are really (reluctant) about giving up young players (in trades)." According to Renck, the Rockies also have interest in Scott Kazmir and "continue to monitor" the Victor Martinez situation.

Ian Stewart Q&A

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Rockies third baseman Ian Stewart broke out with 25 home runs last year, and he's raking early on in 2010.  The 25-year-old Stewart is Internet-savvy as well – he answered questions for MLBTR's Ben Nicholson-Smith recently and can be followed on Twitter here.

MLB Trade Rumors: You made it to the majors as a 22-year-old. What was the biggest adjustment you've had to make as you've gone from rookie to regular?

Ian Stewart: The biggest adjustment I have had to make is just making sure that I am ready to play every day. Since I got to the big leagues in 2007, I haven't been a starter. I used to come to the field knowing I probably wasn't going to play that day because we had Atkins at third and Helton at first. Todd hurt his back in 2008 so I ended with a lot of playing time toward the end of the year and when Jim Tracy took over last year I played a lot as well. I think those two examples helped me prepare for being the starter during this 2010 season.

MLBTR: It's funny when Dexter Fowler introduces Todd Helton to Twitter in one of the Rockies' new commercials, but seriously – is it distracting to have so much information about you and your teammates online?

Stewart: Personally, I don't think it's that big of a deal. For me, there really hasn't been anything too personal showing up on any website or anything. We have such a good group of guys that I'm not you would find much out about anyone.

MLBTR: What was it like to hear Garrett Atkins come up in trade talks last year, when you would usually be mentioned as the reason for why the Rockies could afford to move on and get younger?

Stewart: Honestly I didn't pay much attention to it. Garrett was a teammate and friend of mine so I hoped he wouldn't have to leave. I realize this is a business though and am grateful for the opportunity the Rockies have given me.

MLBTR: Some people give the Rockies lots of credit for having a homegrown roster. Others doubt that it makes much of a difference in terms of wins and losses. Does the fact that so many players came up through the system together mean the Rockies win more games?

Stewart: This is a tough question to answer because I don't know any different than what the Rockies do here. We have a very special thing going on in Denver. Our whole team has practically all grown up in the minor leagues and big leagues together and I can't begin to explain how awesome that is. Does it give us any kind of an advantage? I don't know. But you definitely won't find a closer-knit group of players anywhere else.

MLBTR: If you were running a major league team, what kind of club would you put together? Lots of pitching? Lots of speed? Lots of power?

Stewart: You forgot defense. I would say a mix of pitching and defense. I feel that pitching and defense wins championships.

Rockies Notes: Crosby, Lowry, Hawkins

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The Denver Post's Troy Renck recaps Colorado's arbitration moves and also fills us in on some of the club's possible free agent moves this winter….

  • The Rockies have some interest in Bobby Crosby as a utilityman and as a right-handed option at third base if starter Ian Stewart continues to struggle against lefties (.178/.278/.386 against LHP in 2009).
  • Noah Lowry, who became a free agent in October, may be brought to spring training on a minor-league contract.  Lowry hasn't thrown a major league pitch since 2007 due to injuries, but was a solid starter (4.03 ERA) in four seasons in San Francisco.  He has a 9.10 ERA in six career starts at Coors Field.
  • Colorado is "expected to call" free agent reliever LaTroy Hawkins, who was a major part of the Rockies' bullpen during their run to the 2007 National League pennant.  The club's interest in Hawkins will only increase if Rafael Betancourt turns down Colorado's arbitration offer and signs elsewhere.  Hawkins should be more appealing also because he did not receive an arbitration offer from the Astros and therefore will not cost a draft pick.

Odds & Ends: DeRosa, Smoltz, Indians

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Some news and notes from around the majors….

  • It was previously reported that eight teams were interested in veteran utilityman Mark DeRosa.  According to Dylan Hernandez of the LA Times, you can add the Mets, Braves and Twins to the list, as well as DeRosa's most recent team, the Cardinals.  With so many interested parties, DeRosa's agent Keith Grunewald believes his client should have no problem getting his desired multi-year contract.
  • In that same article, Hernandez notes that the Dodgers talked to Grunewald about both DeRosa and another of the agent's clients, pitcher John Smoltz.  The Dodgers were previously cited as one of seven clubs looking at Smoltz, with Los Angeles being one of the teams looking at the veteran right-hander as a starter.
  • Speaking of Smoltz, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart (via Twitter) says the Astros aren't interested in the future Hall-of-Famer.
  • Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com breaks down what Cleveland might do with the back-end of their 40-man roster and with some of their top minor-league prospects.
  • Tracy Ringolsby, in a response to a reader's e-mail, doesn't believe the Rockies will pursue a free-agent infielder given the team's satisfaction with Ian Stewart and Clint Barmes.  Ringolsby also thinks that the return of Jeff Francis from injury will preclude Colorado from chasing a free-agent starter.
  • Cardinals GM John Mozeliak all but confirmed that Troy Glaus won't be back in St. Louis next season, says MLB.com's Matthew Leach.  Leach also notes that Mozeliak was non-committal about Jason LaRue returning as the Cards' backup catcher in 2010.

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.

Roy Halladay Rumors: Sunday

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Tired of Roy Halladay rumors yet? Have some more.

  • Joel Sherman of the New York Post has listed 10 do's and dont's for blockbuster deals.
  • Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times says Frank McCourt can make World Series champions out of the Dodgers if by acquiring Halladay and he could start by offering Russell Martin in a package with prospects Devaris Gordon and Josh Lindblom. Shaikin concedes, "This is not to say the Jays would accept Martin, Gordon and Lindblom for Halladay, or even that the Dodgers would offer that package. The coaching staff would be reluctant to lose Martin at this point of the season, and the organization has all but deemed Gordon untouchable."
  • The Philadelphia Inquirer's Bob Ford says Citizens Bank Park wouldn't deter Halladay from going to the Phillies.
  • Troy E. Renck says the Rockies won't change their business model to acquire Halladay. They are committed to building from within and that a seven-year, $150MM contract after 2010 would not happen. If they can't retain him, then Renck can't advocate giving up a hypothetical package of Ubaldo Jimenez, Ian Stewart, and two top prospects to get him. Dave Krieger of the Denver Post agrees.
  • In the same piece, Renck says the Dodgers could land Halladay if they will part with Clayton Kershaw, and that the Phillies remain the favorites. Still, Renck expects Toronto to take Halladay off the block and to instead cut payroll by dealing Alex Rios.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Rangers, Rays, Mulder

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Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports has a new column up with plenty of rumors:

  • The Rangers think they can trade Frank Catalanotto if they pick up a considerable portion of the $6MM he's owed or if they accept a similar sized contract in return. They just aren't sure it's worth making room for Andruw Jones, who's making progress with his swing.
  • Ian Stewart's emergence means Jeff Baker's become expendable for the Rockies.  
  • Rosenthal doesn't expect the A's to sign a free agent starter even though Justin Duchscherer needs surgery and will likely miss six weeks. Instead Rosenthal suggests the A's could trade for Jason Hammel or Jeff Niemann, both of whom are out of options. 
  • The A's can't afford Mark Mulder. 
  • Kris Benson could claim a spot in the Texas rotation and Rosenthal wouldn't be surprised to see Neftali Feliz or Derek Holland there before the All-Star break. 
  • They signed Cesar Izturis for now, but the Orioles hope to find a long-term solution at short.

Rockies Want To Add A Starter This Winter

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Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd says the young kids didn’t come through in 2008, so this winter he may go shopping for an ace.

"One of the bigger holes we still have is a pure No. 1," O’Dowd says. "Whether that can ever be accomplished without developing it ourselves, I still have doubts about. But in light of not having that, I think we obviously need to have another quality pitcher in our rotation, and not somebody that’s a bottom-of-the-rotation guy.

O’Dowd doesn’t make any promises, and speculates that a pitcher could come "through trade, free agents or somebody internally stepping up." There will be a couple of top-of-the-rotation guys available via free agency in CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets, but both may be too expensive for the Rockies. There is lots of speculation that Matt Holliday could be dealt, and he could potentially bring a starting pitcher in a trade. Or the Rockies could dangle Garrett Atkins and hope that Todd Helton is able to return to play first base next season. But leaning too hard on Helton, who has seen his power numbers drop precipitously and who has been out since July 2 with back problems, is a real gamble.

Coley Ward writes for Umpbump.com. He can be reached here.

Rosenthal’s Latest: Burrell, Rockies

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Ken Rosenthal over at FOX Sports has up a new Full Count video up:

  • The Phillies want Pat Burrell back, and they feel they have a better than 50-50 chance of re-signing him because Burrell has mutual interest. Rosenthal thinks Burrell should command somewhere between $14MM and $17MM per season.
  • Rosenthal discusses the Rockies’ offseason, throwing out the usual suspects (Matt Holliday, Garrett Atkins, and Todd Helton) as possible trade pieces. Rosenthal points out Helton’s salary makes him difficult, and also proposes a scenario in which the Rockies trade both Atkins and Holliday, sign Burrell to play left field, and move Ian Stewart to third base full-time.
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