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Jorge de la Rosa

Odds & Ends: Mets, Giants, Gregg, Pujols, Webb

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Links for tonight as we remember Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson, who passed away today at the age of 76.  MLB.com's Marty Noble penned a great article today looking back at the life and career of the universally beloved skipper.

Odds & Ends: Ortiz, Girardi, Molina, Werth

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On the eve of the World Series, here are some news items to tide you over until the big Lee/Lincecum battle tomorrow night…

De La Rosa Will Test Free Agent Market

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Lefty Jorge de la Rosa will test the free agent market, reports Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.  Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd still plans to make an aggressive multiyear offer, saying, "We continue to have a strong desire to bring him back. The conversations have been great."

In Renck's estimation, De La Rosa is seeking a four or five-year contract.  The southpaw, 30 in April, is one of the better free agent starters available despite never reaching 200 innings and a career walk rate of 4.5 per nine.  De La Rosa's case was strengthened when the Dodgers re-signed Ted Lilly at three years and $33MM earlier this month.  De La Rosa is represented by TWC Sports.

Our reverse-engineered Elias rankings suggest De La Rosa barely made the Type A cutoff.  He'll likely turn down an arbitration offer from the Rockies on November 30th, allowing Colorado to snag two draft picks if another team signs him.  Only one of those picks would come from the signing team.  Note that at 74.092 points, De La Rosa is the sixth-lowest rated of the 29 Type A free agents.  If a team signs De La Rosa and another higher-rated Type A who also turned down arbitration, one of the Rockies' picks could be pushed to the second or third round of the draft.  Renck expects the Rockies to pursue another free agent starter if De La Rosa departs.

Renck adds that the Rockies' decision on catcher Miguel Olivo's $2.5MM mutual option is due three days after the World Series.  He says they're leaning against exercising their side due to Carney Lansford's success working with Chris Iannetta.

Rockies Rumors: De La Rosa, Mora, Tulowitzki

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When Ted Lilly finalized his three-year $33MM deal, he established a standard for other free agent left-handers. The agreement may not impact Cliff Lee, who figures to be in his own tier, but it could be a point of reference for Jorge de la Rosa's contract negotiations this winter. Here's the latest on de la Rosa and the Rockies:

Olney On Greinke, De La Rosa, Alderson, Blue Jays

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Yesterday, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reported that the Royals would listen to offers for Zack Greinke. Today, Olney's blog entry (Insider required) focuses on which teams make sense as potential suitors for the Kansas City ace. According to Olney, there are at least ten teams who have a need for Greinke and would have the prospects necessary to acquire him. Here are a few other rumors from Olney, via Twitter:

  • Negotiations are moving slowly between Jorge de la Rosa and the Rockies. The team would like to re-sign the left-hander before he hits free agency, but it won't be cheap. As Troy Renck of the Denver Post points out (via Twitter), Ted Lilly's three-year deal with the Dodgers should directly influence de la Rosa's contract negotiations.
  • The Mets will meet this week for a second time with Sandy Alderson, who is regarded as the frontrunner for the team's GM opening. For what it's worth, we can add Tony La Russa to the list of people who think Alderson would be a great choice for the Mets, as Dan Martin of the New York Post writes.
  • The Blue Jays are interviewing a wide range of candidates for their managerial position, but may end up promoting an internal option: Brian Butterfield.

Rockies May Be Talking Contract With De La Rosa

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There are strong indications that the Rockies started discussing a contract with Jorge De La Rosa this week, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post. The left-hander hits free agency this offseason, but the Rockies have exclusive negotiating rights until shortly after the World Series ends. 

De La Rosa missed two months with a torn tendon in his finger and walks 4.1 batters per nine innings. That will hurt his market value, but his age (29), strikeout rate (8.4 K/9) and groundball rate (52.3%) will likely entice potential suitors.

He doesn’t have to convince the Rockies – they’re interested. Not only did Colorado offer De La Rosa a two-year deal worth $8.75MM in the offseason, GM Dan O’Dowd recently said that re-signing him is a priority. De La Rosa won't cost the Rockies a draft pick, but if he turns down arbitration to sign elsewhere, Colorado will obtain a top pick for losing a Type A free agent.

Odds & Ends: Halladay, Dodgers, De La Rosa

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Links for Thursday, as we await another day of playoff games. It will be nearly impossible to match the show Roy Halladay put on in his playoff debut last night, but October baseball is always worth following…

  • Former Blue Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi told Rob Bradford of WEEI.com that he was surprised not to see better offers for Halladay when the right-hander was on the market last year. "We kept sitting there saying, ‘This is Roy Freaking Halladay! Do people know?’ Not only will you have him for this year, but you’ll have him for next year."
  • Dodgers executive De Jon Watson told Tom Krasovic of AOL FanHouse that Zach Lee and James Baldwin are two farmhands to watch. The 2010 draftees are impressing their new organization with their play so far. (Baldwin, the son of former MLB pitcher James Baldwin, is an outfielder.)
  • Krasovic also says the Rockies “likely will lose” Jorge de la Rosa to free agency this winter. GM Dan O’Dowd recently said re-signing the left-hander is an offseason priority for the team.
  • The Marlins outrighted Brett Carroll, Hector Luna, Mike Rivera, Taylor Tankersley and Tim Wood, which means those five players are no longer on the team’s 40-man roster.

O’Dowd: Re-Signing De La Rosa Is “A Priority”

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The Rockies made a valiant late season charge at a playoff spot, but they ultimately fell short and will miss the postseason for the second time in four years. We've already heard that GM Dan O'Dowd wants to acquire an impact bat this offseason, but he now tells Troy Renck of The Denver Post that re-signing Jorge de la Rosa is a priority.

"He is a priority. I don't know how to gauge that yet," O'Dowd said. "Adding a middle-of-the-rotation starter is a priority. And we would certainly like that to be Jorge."

De La Rosa missed close to three months with a torn flexor band on his left middle finger, but he was rock solid in the 20 starts he was able to make: 121.2 innings, 4.22 ERA, 8.4 K/9, 4.1 BB/9. Aside from a drop in strikeout rate (9.4 K/9 in 2009), the southpaw was able to repeat his 2009 breakout performance.

The Rockies tried to lock De La Rosa up last winter to a two-year, $8.75MM contract with an option for a third year, but he instead opted for a one-year deal that paid him $5.6MM in 2010 and allows him to hit the open market after the season. The 29-year-old could be in line for an annual salary of $7MM or more on a multi-year deal, so he likely made himself some extra money by passing on Colorado's offer. 

Tim looked at De La Rosa's free agent stock back in April, but more recently one unnamed GM cautioned that he could be "the next Oliver Perez."

Stark On Manny, Rockies, Napoli, Phillies

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An official of a team that once had interest in Manny Ramirez tells Jayson Stark of ESPN.com that he doesn’t think the slugger has much left. Ramirez, who hits free agency this offseason, hasn’t picked up an extra base hit since joining the White Sox and the official says that’s “a major indication he might not have a whole lot left in the tank." Here are the rest of Stark’s rumors.

  • There are indications that the Rockies wouldn’t offer Jeff Francis more than a modest one-year deal with incentives. The Rockies seem likely to decline the $7MM option they have for the lefty.
  • One GM says any team with interest in Jorge de la Rosa needs to do its homework. "He could be [the next] Oliver Perez," the GM said.  MLBTR's Tim Dierkes drew that comparison in an April article, but noted De Le Rosa's higher groundball rate. 
  • There are “vibes” that the Angels will make Mike Napoli available this winter.
  • The Phillies could combine Domonic Brown with a right-handed hitting veteran, but GM Ruben Amaro Jr. says that’s just one possible solution. Brown doesn't have a guaranteed everyday job on next year’s team, even if Jayson Werth signs elsewhere, as expected.
  • One scout who covered Royals prospect and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Pat White in high school, says we shouldn’t be surprised if Dayton Moore’s gamble pays off and White’s athleticism translates well to pro baseball.

What’s Next For Jorge De La Rosa?

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In March, Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd explained the double-edged sword of Jorge de la Rosa's 2010 performance, talking to Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post:

"I'm not that concerned that we wouldn't have a shot to keep him at the end of the year. Now, if he goes out and wins 17 or 18 games, that's going to be somewhat problematic. But I hope he does, because that means we're going to be in pretty good shape."

O'Dowd did not face that good kind of problem in 2010, as De La Rosa missed ten weeks with a torn tendon in his finger.  The lefty still hopes to re-sign with the Rockies, as he told Jim Armstrong and Troy E. Renck:

"I would love to come back. I really like it here.  But I don't know if it makes sense for them to bring me back."

From the Rockies' point of view, it's still difficult to know what to expect from De La Rosa moving forward.  Since returning from the DL on July 9th, he's got a 4.82 ERA, 8.1 K/9, 4.3 BB/9, and eight home runs allowed in 52.3 innings.  His groundball rate remains high, so his home run rate should come down. 

In March Armstrong said the Rockies offered three years and about $11MM to cover the 2010-12 seasons.  Now he and Renck say De La Rosa actually rejected a two-year offer in the $9MM range, with a club option for '12.  The pitcher earned over 60% of that amount in 2010 alone, so his agent at TWC Sports was right to advise turning down the Rockies' offer.

David Price, Francisco Liriano, and C.C. Sabathia – those are the only other lefty starters who have a harder average fastball than De La Rosa this year (70 inning minimum).  De La Rosa doesn't turn 30 until April, and he'll rival polar opposite Ted Lilly as the best free agent southpaw available after Cliff Lee.  De La Rosa could find upwards of a three-year, $24MM offer, but it's always scary to sign a guy walking a batter every other inning.

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