SB Nation User Blog: theoldgrizzlybear

Saturday Rockpile: Contreras narrowing his choices while the Rockies try to maintain bullpen depth.

theoldgrizzlybear — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 14:49:51 -0000

La Esquina: The numbers show that Jose Contreras might be a valuable closer. - ESPN
Jose Contreras won't be pitching in Japan, but is starting to narrow down his options on where to pitch next season. Contreras still wants to start, but according to his agent he may be willing to pitch out of the 'pen. I'm hoping the Rockies find themselves in the mix for "The Bronze Titan," as he would be of great value to any team's bullpen - especially if he's still able to continue throwing in the upper 90's.

Rincon returning to Rockies | MLB.com: News
The Rox re-signed ~~Satan~~ ~~Josh Fogg~~ Juan Rincon to a minor league deal yesterday. Yippee.

Sources: Jamey Carroll has agreed to terms with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a two-year deal - ESPN
The former Rocktober hero has agreed to terms with the enemy - at two years and just under $4MM.

Rob Neyer: Selecting the top 100 players of the decade - ESPN
I didn't see anybody post this during the week, but I could have overlooked it (if so, my apologies). Anyway, ESPN.com's Rob Neyer has Todd Helton as the 8th-best player of the decade. I'm surprised the Toddfather was placed this high, but he put up some pretty gaudy numbers in pretty much every year of the 00's (with the exception of 2008), particularly in the OBP department.

MLB -- Baseball Prospectus: Hanley Ramirez, Justin Upton, Joe Mauer and Tim Lincecum project as brightest MLB stars of 2010 through 2019 - ESPN
In a related piece, Troy Tulowitzki falls under the "Honorable Mention" section for players who will shape the next decade in Major League Baseball. I may be a homer, but I think it's a crime that Tulo doesn't fall in the Top 20 on this list. It may be an even bigger crime that Clayton Kershaw doesn't, either.

LVBP.com - Liga Venezolana de Beisbol Profesional
The statistics page for the Venezuelan Winter League. Players of note:

Carlos Gonzalez is hitting .289/.325/.526 in 114 at-bats with 7 home runs and 21 RBI's.
Yorvit Torrealba is hitting .314/.419/.471 in 51 at-bats.
Jhoulys Chacin went 1-2 with a 4.73 ERA, allowing 39 hits in 32.1 innings. He struck out 24 and walked 12.
Edgmer Escalona has posted a 2.70 ERA in 6.2 innings, striking out 7 and walking 5
Franklin Morales has walked six batters in four innings of relief.

Oh, and there should be no stock put into any of the above stats, whatsoever.

Saturday Rockpile: Garrett Atkins is officially a free agent today, Holliday gets an offer from the Cardinals, more

theoldgrizzlybear — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 16:05:14 -0000

Rockies part ways with Atkins | ColoradoRockies.com: News
The Rockies have officially non-tendered Garrett Atkins, as expected, and he is now a free agent. I'm sure he will draw plenty of interest on the open market, though he'll probably only receive a one-year deal with the club that eventually signs him. Atkins had a nice rookie season in 2005, leading the club with 89 RBI's and finishing fourth in the NL ROY voting. He then had his breakout year in '06, which saw him post a .965 OPS. However, it's been all downhill from there for Garrett, culminating in (by far) the worst season of his career in 2009. Perhaps the most disturbing thing about Atkins' decline is his walk rate, which has absolutely plummeted since walking more times than he struck out in 2006. It may be worth noting, however, that it was a bit better last year than in 2008.

GM: St. Louis Cardinals made offer to free agent Matt Holliday - ESPN
No details on the terms of the offer have been leaked at this point, but you'd have to think that the offer is better than what the Rockies threw on the table to try to keep in in Colorado. However, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch apparently has a source who says that is not the case.

Orioles, Mariners Interested In Jason Marquis: MLB Rumors - MLBTradeRumors.com
Via Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports. Add those teams to the list that already included the Phillies, Mets, and Nationals.

Inside the Colorado Rockies " Sky Sox pitching coach resigns | Major League Baseball in Denver
According to Jack Etckin, Chuck Kniffin has stepped down from his post as Sky Sox pitching coach in order to attend to his elderly, ailing father. Etkin says the Rockies will probably replace him internally, as Bryan Harvey (Tulsa), Doug Linton (Modesto), and Dave Schuler (Asheville) are all candidates for the job.

Betancourt Set To Accept Arbitration

theoldgrizzlybear — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:29:01 -0000

Betancourt Set To Accept Arbitration

Reported on MLBTR, via Tracy Ringolsby with FoxSports.com. Betancourt will make some pretty serious cheese, but it's only for one year and he should remain a nice addition in the back end of the Rockies' pen.

Saturday Rockpile: The stove is heating up as the Rockies begin to show interest in Free Agents

theoldgrizzlybear — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:27:29 -0000

More photos » by Nam Y Huh - AP

Could the O-Dog be in the Rockies' plans for 2010?

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Rockies show interest in Hudson, hope Betancourt accepts arbitration - Fox Sports on MSN
Although the Rox would net two draft picks and avoid paying $6 million for one year of an aging reliever, they still hope that Rafael Betancourt accepts their arbitration offer. His situation on the market may force him to do just that.

Tracy Ringolsby also reports that the Rockies have began to show interest in free agent second baseman Orlando Hudson. I recall this being something that a lot of fans wished the Rockies paid attention to last offseason. However, to me it sounds like a good move this year as well, rather than it being a year too late. Hudson, 32, just finished a nice season for the Dodgers and could help the Rockies alleviate their need for a right-handed bench bat by simply inserting O-Dog into the starting lineup and using Clint Barmes in the bench/super-utility role. On top of all of that, Hudson wasn't offered arbitration by LA, so signing him will not require draft compensation. This all could be one big moot point, though, as Dan O'Dowd has denied seriously pursuing Hudson.

Rox could shift to Hawkins if Betancourt departs, while keeping an eye on Duchsherer and DeRosa - The Denver Post
In the event that Raffy B does not accept arbitration and decides to bolt for another club, Troy E. Renck says the Rockies have been open about the fact that they would love to bring back LaTroy Hawkins. Hawkins has had a good past few years pitching out of the bullpen for the Astros and Rockies and still throws very hard and has good stuff (although his walk totals are still a bit high), especially for his age. It sounds like the Rockies will definitely be bringing one of these guys back, though, as it could be as late as the middle of 2010 when we'll see Taylor Buchholz return.

Meanwhile, Justin Duchscherer has become a top target for the Rox as well. If he can get past his physical and mental health issues, Duchscherer has proven to be a solid big league starter and would be a good fit to the back of anybody's rotation. Also, Renck mentions that the Rockies have expressed interest in Mark DeRosa, who hits lefties well and could be another option to fill the right-handed void that the Rockies have amongst position players.

Saturday Rockpile: Friedrich and Roling honored, Galarraga on Hall of Fame ballot, more

theoldgrizzlybear — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 16:44:11 -0000

Friedrich, Roling garner MLB.com organzationaly awards | MLB.com: News
MLB.com has named their top minor leaguers for each of baseball's 30 clubs. During the preseason, they predicted Eric Young Jr. would be the Rockies' top hitter, while Jhoulys Chacin was to be the top pitcher. Things changed a bit at the end of the season, as MLB.com has gone with Christian Friedrich as the club's best pitcher and Kiel Roling as the best hitter.

Reign of Cat and Dog may hit Hall | ColoradoRockies.com: News
It's time for the BBWAA to start considering their selections for the Hall Of Fame's class of 2010. Two former Rockies - Ellis Burks and Andres Galarraga - appear on the ballot for the first time while another, Dale Murphy, stays on there for the 11th consecutive year. It's probably farfetched to say that any of these guys have a legitimate chance of getting in at any point.

Inside the Colorado Rockies " Fasano To Manage In Toronto Organization | Major League Baseball in Denver
(Hat tip to mkorpal, who posted this in the Thanksgiving comment thread.) Sal Fasano, who seemed to do a great job in mentoring young Rockies pitchers in Colorado Springs this past season, will be managing Toronto's Class A affiliate in Lansing. Congratulations to Sal, who will hopefully excel in his new role. :C

Rockies Venezuelan League Update
Good news on the VZL front for the Rockies, as it looks like Jhoulys Chacin has shown some improvement over the course of their season. Chacin went five innings and allowed just one hit and one walk and apparently displayed good control. As the author mentions, it was probably Chacin's last start of the VZL season. Also, Edgmer Escalona pitched a perfect inning in his league debut.

Carlos Gonzalez blessed by "La Chinita"
Carlos Gonzalez had a good few days in the Venezuelan League last week, as he hit .454 in 22 at-bats during "Feria de la Chinita." The blurb mentions Gonzalez injured himself sliding last weekend and had to be subbed out, but I imagine it isn't anything serious, as there has been no report from the Rockies.

Saturday Rockpile: Rockies retain Phillips, protect five prospects by adding to 40-man roster

theoldgrizzlybear — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:53:04 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - AP

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Phillips is in the fold - The Denver Post
The Rox signed Paul Phillips to a hefty $13,000/month contract yesterday, which gives the Rockies a contingency plan in the event that Yorvit Torrealba is lost to free agency and Michael McKenry doesn't become superman in Spring Training (which I have a good feeling he won't do, although I'm definitely rooting for it).

McKenry among those added to 40-man roster | All Things Rockies
Speaking of Michael McKenry, the Rox protected five prospects from the Rule 5 Draft. It's good to know that McKenry, Al Alburquerque, Edgmer Escalona, Juan Nicasio, and Chaz Roe won't be leaving the organization without a return. The club still has two open spots to play with.

White Sox add five to 40-man roster | MLB.com: News
Former Colorado farmhand Brandon Hynick was among Chicago's additions.

Law: Ranking the top 50 MLB free agents - ESPN (Insider Only)
Keith Law lists his top free agents, from Matt Holliday at No. 1 to Adam Everett at No. 50. In between, two Rockies players are included - the soon-to-be-gone Jason Marquis (#32) and Rafael Betancourt (#33). Here's what Law had to say about Raffy:

Betancourt throws a lot of fastballs and throws them for strikes. He's at 89-94 mph, mostly 91-93, with a short arm action and good deception because of it, and his stinginess with the walk -- only 85 unintentionals in 435 career innings -- should keep him employed for a while. He'll get ahead with the fastball, and he primarily uses his slider when he's ahead, especially with two strikes, although he's just as likely to keep pumping heat. His 2008 season, whether bad luck or a carryover from the way manager Eric Wedge overused him in 2007, now looks like a fluke, and Betancourt is the rare middle reliever who's worth a multiyear contract.

Final notes from Arizona Fall League - ESPN (Insider Only)
No mention of any Rockies, but there is a story about a bat boy-turned-criminal from ESPN.com's Jason Grey:

Stuff had been disappearing from one of the team's clubhouses for a period of a couple weeks. This situation was apparently resolved when police offers literally went into the dugout during the game and took the team's batboy away in handcuffs. Did I mention this happened during the game? The look on the manager's face was priceless, as in "What the heck are you doing in my dugout?" Lacking a batboy, the club plucked a lucky fan out of the stands to fill the role for the rest of the contest.

Saturday Rockpile: Rockies players young (refining their tools) and old (negotiating their pay) hard at work during the offseason

theoldgrizzlybear — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:18:36 -0000

More photos » by David Zalubowski - ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Rox are still hoping to bring back Betancourt on a more club-friendly deal. Due to MLB's draft pick compensation system, they have the leverage to accomplish just that.

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List of Rockies’ arbitration eligible players | All Things Rockies
Troy Renck of the Denver Post made a blog post that contains a list of the Rockies' arbitration eligible players - one of which is Jorge De La Rosa, who Dan O'Dowd says will likely not be offered a multi-year deal at this point. I think it's fitting that Ryan Spilborghs (accidentally or not) has a smiley face wearing sunglasses next to his name.

Rockies Venezulean League Updates
Carlos Gonzalez has posted two straight "0-fers" to begin his VZL season. He struck out twice against White Sox pitcher Lance Broadway in his first game. Still, I think he'll be alright. A couple of nights ago, Jhoulys Chacin had a decent outing - at least according to Chino Carvajal (the guy who runs the blog). He got knocked around a tad, giving up 2 runs on 7 hits in 4 innings, but supposedly displayed good control during the 65-pitch appearance. Last but not least, Franklin Morales continues to stretch himself out in an effort to get ready for his first start, which will come on December 1st. Let's just hope we don't see any tired arms when next season rolls around...

Arizona Fall League Blog - ESPN (INSIDER ONLY)
Jason Grey posted a recap on each of the middle infielders that participated in the Arizona Fall League. Here's what he had to say about Rockies' shortstop prospect Hector Gomez:

Gomez is a live body with a wiry frame who possesses bat speed and can run, field with a rocket arm, and hit for some pull power. The problem with Gomez is not one of tools but of approach. Gomez likes to hit early and often in the count, and posted just a .310 OBP this year due to a lack of patience after missing most of 2008 due to injuries. He's a fastball hitter who is always looking dead red, and he has a tendency to get himself out by chasing the pitcher's pitch. His swing has been a little bit shorter here at the AFL and he's started to go the other way a bit more, so at just 21 years of age, he's still well worth watching.

No sure deal for Betancourt - The Denver Post
As mentioned in the FanShot below, Rafael Betancourt's option was declined by the Rockies yesterday. Also as mentioned in the comments, I think of this as a complete no-lose situation for the Rockies. They either work out a different deal with him, or offer him arbitration and assuming he declines, they'll get two additional picks in the first two rounds of the draft if he signs with another team. Also mentioned in the piece is that in addition to working on resigning Betancourt, the Rox are exploring bringing back Joe Beimel and Jose Contreras.

Rockies decline option on Betancourt

theoldgrizzlybear — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:35:24 -0000

Rockies decline option on Betancourt

According to Ed Price of AOL FanHouse (thru Twitter/MLB Trade Rumors), the Rox have declined Rafael Betancourt's $5.4 million option.

The club is apparently still trying to work out a deal. We'll be keeping an eye on this up until December, when the Rockies will decide whether or not to offer arbitration.

Dan O'Dowd named The Sporting News' Executive of the Year

theoldgrizzlybear — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:50:40 -0000

SMUG via i.a.cnn.net

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According to The Sporting News' Jeff D'Alessio, Colorado General Manager Dan O'Dowd has won the publication's Executive of the Year award.

The man well known in the past around these parts as "Dealin' Dan," "Dan O'Dud," and "Dan O'Clown" was largely viewed as a genius this season, simply for firing Clint Hurdle and replacing him with Jim Tracy. However, O'Dowd should definitely be more recognized for the string of terrific deals he's made over the past year. Lassoing Huston Street and Carlos Gonzalez for Matt Holliday unexpectedly paid immediate dividends, and will continue to do so for years to come. Plus, when the team started to gain momentum toward a possible postseason berth, DOD went out and picked up relievers Joe Beimel and Rafael Betancourt to shore up the team's biggest weakness. On top of all of that, O'Dowd turned Luis Vizcaino and Aneury Rodriguez into Jason Marquis and Jason Hammel, respectively. Both pitchers largely contributed to what ended up being arguably the best starting rotation the Rox have ever had.

In addition to the aforementioned acquisitions, the Rockies recently completed what was arguably their most successful draft in team history, and certainly the best of any MLB team this season (based on what we know now). With all of those things combined, the future looks very bright for the Rockies and their fans, and as we all know, O'Dowd will soon be (and rightfully so) rewarded with a contract extension and a likely pay raise.

Check out this article for more from D'Alessio, including some great insight by the winner himself (including his admittance of the absurdity of the Chone Figgins/Kimera Bartee deal, and a quote that may make you sad).

Congratulations Dan, and GO ROCKIES!

Sammy Sosa = the new Michael Jackson?

theoldgrizzlybear — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:55:33 -0000

Sammy Sosa = the new Michael Jackson?

Apparently it's not steroids (although the article mentions that one of the side effects is the possible lightening of skin). Rather, Sosa is going through a "skin rejuvenation process."