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Rockies Considering Selling, Shopping Cook

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2:54pm: The Rockies had feelers out a week ago on names ranging from Adam Dunn to Dan Haren, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post.  Sherman says the Rockies are now "quietly shopping" Aaron Cook and are willing to help make the financial aspect work.  Cook is still owed $3.75MM this year if traded, plus $10.25MM for 2011, a $500K buyout for '12, and $125K per year if he reaches 200 innings.

7:51am: The Rockies are preparing for the possibility of becoming sellers, reports Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.  They've not yet committed to that course, but they're eight games back in the NL West.  But at 4.5 games out of the wild card, the Rockies still appear to have a legitimate playoff shot.  Baseball Prospectus' postseason odds report puts their chances at a healthy 23.4% despite a recent losing streak.

Rosenthal says the Rockies are still eyeing Jorge Cantu and could move Melvin Mora, Ryan Spilborghs, and/or Brad Hawpe regardless of their direction.  If the team's rough week continues and they start thinking about 2011, Jorge de la Rosa would be an interesting addition to the trade block.  Rosenthal names Aaron Cook, Rafael Betancourt, and Joe Beimel as other possibilities.

De La Rosa has made three starts since returning from the DL for a finger injury.  His last effort was solid, and he takes on the Pirates tonight.  He'll be a free agent after the season and currently profiles as a Type B.

Rockies To Keep “Weathering The Storm”

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Rockies owner Dick Monfort told Troy Renck of the Denver Post that his club probably can’t add a hitter and probably doesn’t need a pitcher. Despite rumblings connecting the Rockies to infielders such as Dan Uggla and Ty Wigginton, Monfort says deals for star hitters are easier discussed than completed.

"I don't think we can add a bat” Monfort said. “I mean, who's going to trade you something you want? It's especially hard to get a right-handed bat. We have plenty of left-handed bats."

Monfort didn’t rule out adding an arm, but said he thinks the Rockies “are good” in terms of pitching, especially since Jorge de la Rosa should return early next month. Taylor Buchholz is also on his way back and Huston Street has joined the club already. Since those pitchers are returning and adding a power bat would be difficult, Monfort thinks the Rockies are “better off weathering the storm.”

It became apparent yesterday that the 38-33 Rockies won't likely acquire infielders soon, even though they're missing a regular until Troy Tulowitzki's wrist heals.

Players Who Were Once Designated For Assignment

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We see it all the time. Most weeks a handful of players are designated for assignment and more often than not casual fans barely notice. A DFA indicates that a team is willing to part with a player – sometimes for nothing. But sometimes those players come back from DFAs to become stars in the major leagues. Here's a list of some current players who have been designated for assignment:

  • David Aardsma – The Red Sox acquired Aardsma after the White Sox designated him for assignment in 2008. A year later, the Mariners traded for Aardsma, who became the team's closer and posted impressive rates of 10.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9.
  • Mike Adams – Adams was designated for assignment in 2006, before he posted absurdly low ERAs and regularly struck out more than a batter per inning.
  • Milton Bradley – The Padres acquired Bradley from the A's after Bradley was designated for assignment in 2007. Bradley hit .313/.414/.590 for the Padres and led them to a one game playoff with the Rockies for the Wild Card spot. Of course Bradley didn't play in game 163, since he tore his ACL while manager Bud Black restrained him during an on-field argument earlier in the month.
  • Russell Branyan – No one claimed Branyan after his 2006 DFA, but the Cardinals traded for him when the Phillies designated him for assignment the next year. He didn't do much for the Cards in his 39 plate appearances in 2007, but Branyan rebounded to hit 31 homers for the Mariners in 2009.
  • Marlon Byrd – The Nationals designated Byrd for assignment in 2006 without losing him and the Rangers did the same in 2007. Byrd recovered from his '07 demotion to post three consecutive productive seasons in Texas.
  • Nelson Cruz – The Rangers designated Cruz for assignment at the beginning of the 2008 season –  usually a good time to sneak players through waivers. The Rangers must be thrilled no one claimed Cruz, who hit 37 homers in the minors that year and added 33 in the majors the following season.
  • Rajai Davis – The A's claimed the outfielder off of waivers from their Bay Area rivals in 2008. Davis was hitting .056/.105/.056 at the time, though he had batted just 19 times. He has gone on to become a useful player, hitting .305/.360/.423 last year with 41 steals and above average defense, according to UZR.
  • Jorge de la Rosa – The Royals designated de la Rosa for assignment in March of 2008, but it wasn't until a month later that the Rockies traded for him. The 29-year-old free agent-to-be has been a productive starter in Colorado since.
  • Ryan Franklin – The Reds acquired Franklin from the Phillies in 2006 after a poor start to the season. Franklin didn't do much better with the Reds, but he has been productive for three-plus seasons in St. Louis since.
  • Jeremy Guthrie – The Orioles claimed the former first round pick from the Indians early in 2007, when Guthrie had just 37 big league innings and a 6.08 ERA to his name. Since, the righty has posted a 4.19 ERA in 610.1 innings.
  • LaTroy Hawkins – The Yankees designated the reliever for assignment in 2008 and traded him to Houston, where Hawkins dominated for 24 appearances. He posted a 0.43 ERA along with 10.7 K/9 and 2.1 BB/9.
  • Bobby Jenks – He has fallen out of favor with the White Sox now, but they deserve credit for picking him up after the 2004 season. Jenks has struck out three times as many batters as he has walked in 301 innings with the White Sox.
  • Ryan Ludwick – The slugger started the 2005 season hitting just .154/.267/.385 so the Indians designated him for assignment. No one claimed Ludwick then, but the Cardinals made a shrewd pickup when they later signed him.
  • Brandon Phillips – The Reds claimed Phillips after the Indians designated him for assignment in 2006. He had just a .206/.246/.310 big league line at the time, but he has averaged 22 homers and 26 steals in his four full seasons with the Reds. UZR rates the 28-year-old as an above average defender at second base, too.
  • Joel Pineiro – The Red Sox designated Pineiro for assignment in 2007 when he had a 5.03 ERA and just 20 strikeouts to go along with 14 walks. Later that summer, the Cardinals acquired Pineiro and he went on to post 426.1 solid innings for the Cards. Under the tutelage of pitching coach Dave Duncan, Pineiro posted a walk rate of 1.6 BB/9 in a Cardinals uniform.
  • Grant Balfour, Ryan Church, Jack Cust, Matt Diaz, Jerry Hairston Jr., Joel Hanrahan, Livan Hernandez, Mike Jacobs, Colby Lewis, Julio Lugo, Mike MacDougal, Evan Meek, Vicente Padilla, Scott Podsednik, J.C. Romero, David Ross, Brian Tallet, Todd Wellemeyer and Randy Wells are among the many big leaguers who have been designated for assignment.

It's worth noting that this group does not include a superstar (Cruz might be the closest thing to one). Teams designate many talented players for assignment because of roster constraints, but few enjoy as much success as the group above.

Thanks to Cot's Baseball Contracts for the information.

Free Agent Stock Watch: Jorge De La Rosa

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29-year-old Rockies lefty Jorge de la Rosa is one of the more interesting names among the 2011 free agent starting pitcher class.  He had a breakout season in '09, winning 16 of 32 starts and whiffing 193 batters.  De La Rosa and the Rockies agreed on a $5.6MM base salary for 2010, as the pitcher wasn't impressed by the team's three-year, $11MM offer.  According to Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd, the sides were "light years apart" on an extension.

The Rockies wanted to know if De La Rosa can repeat or improve upon his 2009 season.  In his first four starts of 2010, he bumped his strikeout rate up to 10.2 per nine and his groundball rate up to 61.4%.  Carried out over a full season, those numbers would make GMs salivate.  On the other hand, De La Rosa's walk rate rose to the danger zone of 5.1 per nine.  Though he never racked up a similar groundball rate, teams might draw an Oliver Perez comparison and keep their distance.

Perez's three-year, $36MM contract did seem to be a reasonable baseline for De La Rosa.  Teams aren't giving out pitching contracts so freely anymore, though, so just to approach $30MM like Randy Wolf might've sufficed.

However, De La Rosa's price will be further depressed because of an injury he suffered on Monday.  It was initially described as a bruised finger, but now he's going to be out "for a while" with a torn flexor tendon band.  Baseball Prospectus' Will Carroll believes De La Rosa could miss at least a month with the finger injury, and even draws a scary Adam Miller comparison (while noting that Miller's "damage was much more extensive.")  Suddenly the free agent hot commodity carries an injury concern, and the pressure is on De La Rosa to come back strong in June.

Jorge De La Rosa Enters Walk Year

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Between big league stops with the Brewers, Royals, and Rockies, lefty Jorge de la Rosa has managed to rack up more than five years of service time.  It follows that he'll be eligible for free agency after this season, at age 29.

De La Rosa's overall work for the Rockies last year was solid – 4.38 ERA, 9.4 K/9, 4.0 BB/9.  His control needs polish, but an under-30 southpaw averaging 93 mph and a strikeout per inning should be a hot commodity on the free agent market.

Will De La Rosa join a 2011 free agent market that's projected to include Josh Beckett, Cliff Lee, Ted Lilly, Javier Vazquez, and Brandon Webb?  Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd had discussions this offseason with De La Rosa's agent Bobby Barrett, but O'Dowd told Jim Armstrong of the Denver Post:

"We were just light years apart on where they saw him at this stage of his career and what our risk tolerance was.  That's not something we think is out of our reach. It's just that we would be a lot more comfortable seeing it again."

Armstrong says the Rockies' offer was in the three-year, $11MM range.  The offer seems pretty light, since the arbitration-eligible De La Rosa commanded half of that amount in 2010 alone.  However, De La Rosa feels gratitiude for the opportunity the Rockies provided him, and he wants to return.  As O'Dowd notes, a huge 2010 for De La Rosa is a double-edged sword in that it'll help the Rockies now but make retaining him "somewhat problematic."

Odds & Ends: De La Rosa, Halladay, Astros, Molina

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Let's round up the last of the leftover links from the work week….

Rockies Avoid Arb With Barmes, Buchholz, De La Rosa

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FRIDAY, 8:13am: Renck reports that the Rockies avoided arbitration and agreed to pay De La Rosa $5.6MM this season. If he pitches 220 innings, De La Rosa can earn $300K in incentives.

THURSDAY, 5:06pm: Renck is now reporting that the Rockies are close to avoiding arbitration with a third player, lefty Jorge De La Rosa. It would be a one-year deal worth $5.6MM.

2:05pm: The Rockies resolved two of their seven arbitration situations today, according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post.  Renck says they agreed to one-year deals with second baseman Clint Barmes and reliever Taylor Buchholz, though terms are not yet available.

Both players are entering their second arbitration years.  Barmes earned $1.625MM in '09, while Buchholz made $1.055MM.

Rox Look To Strengthen Bullpen, Bench

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Rockies manager Jim Tracy doesn't "want to be the organization that pops up every three years or so," according to Troy E. Renck of the Denver Post. Renck offers up a look at the needs the Rockies will need to address at this year's Winter Meetings in order to strengthen the club's chances to be perennial contenders:

  • General manager Dan O'Dowd will meet with Rafael Betancourt's representation today. We've heard that Betancourt may accept arbitration from the Rockies, but with the Red Sox and Phillies interested in his services, that may change. O'Dowd says he wants things to work out with Betancourt, but they've identified alternatives in the event that they don't.
  • Colorado would be interested in bringing LaTroy Hawkins back to Coors Field. Hawkins is coming off a strong year with the Astros in which he posted a 2.13 ERA through 63.1 innings, fanning 45 and walking 17. His FIP checked in at a much more pedestrian 3.97, however.
  • The Rockies have requested Justin Duchscherer's medical records and will meet with his agent today.
  • They've inquired on free agent Chad Tracy in an attempt to add a left-handed bat off the bench. Even without Tracy, however, they could still find a suitable backup to Todd Helton in their own clubhouse, as Brad Hawpe is open to spelling Helton from time to time.
  • O'Dowd will keep the team's struggles against left-handers in mind if teams inquire about names like Brad Hawpe and Jorge De La Rosa.
  • O'Dowd says he'll remain open to anything, but the difference between this year and last year is that he's not specifically looking to move some players.

Odds & Ends: Lackey, Upton, De La Rosa, Wood

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Some more links to check out as you celebrate the end of the work week…

  • MLB.com's Alden Gonzalez confirms that the Red Sox did indeed meet with John Lackey's agent. This morning we learned that Boston expressed preliminary interest in the free agent hurler.
  • ESPN's Buster Olney tweets that the Rangers asked the Rays about outfielder B.J. Upton as part of their offseason routine, but no talks are ongoing.
  • Rockies' GM Dan O'Dowd said that they will only look at a one year deal for the arbitration eligible Jorge De La Rosa, according to Troy Renck of The Denver Post.
  • ESPN's Keith Law writes that Indians' closer Kerry Wood could be a "nice pickup on the cheap for a team unwilling to go multiple years" on some of the free agent closers. Wood is owed $10.5MM in 2010, with an $11MM club option for 2011 that could vest based on games finished.
  • The Pirates intend to be more aggressive in Japan, says MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch. Picking up Akinori Iwamura will help put the team on the radar of Japanese players looking to come to the U.S.
  • ESPN's Peter Gammons writes about the impact of the economy on the free agent market, among other things.
  • Giants' prospect Angel Villalona had his visa revoked by the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, reports Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com. Villalona was charged with killing a man in the Dominican back in September.
  • Ben Kabak at River Ave. Blues takes a look at each of the Yankees' five arbitration eligible players.

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.
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