Rockies Need To Trade Atkins, Holliday

The first step back to the World Series for the Rockies starts with trading Matt Holliday and Garrett Atkins. While some may disagree, the Rockies have several solid prospects nearing the MLB as well as money to spend on the open market. The Yankees are reportedly interested in Matt Holliday, and have the prospects that would entice the Rockies. If they were to package a deal around Phil Hughes, that would be a huge step in getting the Rockies back to the World Series. The Rockies would be smart to target the Rays and their minor league prospects. They have made smart choices in the draft recently, so it makes sense that some of those young pitchers are close to reaching and having success in the MLB.

From there, if they trade Garrett Atkins for a solid position prospect, maybe Shin-Soo Choo of the Indians along with a pitching prospect, they would have a younger, cheaper, and potentially better team in 2009. However this works out, the Rockies need to make sure the prospects they acquire have solid potential and will help them all across the field. Ryan Spilborghs can successfully take over in left in 2009 and probably hit close to what Garrett Atkins did, if not better. Ian Stewart will be at third base, and a Jeff Baker or a free agent will take over at second. The Rockies won't be in the World Series in 2009 (at least not as of right now), but could set themselves up for a serious run down the road by trading Atkins and Holliday.

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Rockies After Beimel, Cruz?

The Rockies are preparing offers for both Joe Beimel and Juan Cruz, according to a source with knowledge of the Rockies plans. Both Beimel and Cruz were effective pitchers this season in the NL West and bringing in dominant relievers would really help their pitching. The Denver Post reported that the Rockies were after Joe Beimel, but had nothing to report on details of an offer. The Rockies, at this point, will hold onto Garrett Atkins and move Ian Stewart to left field, pushing Ryan Spilborghs, Carlos Gonzalez, and Willy Tavarez into a platoon in center field. The Rockies would be smart to move Tavarez, who would likely bring back a solid pitching prospect in return. 

The Rockies are expected to make their offers official sometime this week, and the deal is expected to be two to three years worth about 5-7 million dollars annually. 

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BREAKING NEWS: Athletics Acquire Holliday

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Oakland Athletics are closing in on a deal for Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday. The deal is still a day or two away from being finalized, but sources believe that it will be Carlos Gonzalez, Huston Street, and Greg Smith that will go to the Rockies for Holliday. This trade is really coming out of left field. Not only does it go against the Athletics philosophy of bringing in young talent, but they went after a player whose numbers are extremely slanted by playing in Denver. 

For the Rockies, they acquire a solid closer, and two solid prospects with lots of potential. Let's start with Greg Smith, who went 7-16 with a 4.16 ERA with the Athletics this past season. Smith started off strong, but failed to adjust and it showed after going 2-10 in the final three months of the season. Scouts told me that he failed to make the necessary adjustments to beat teams early, which allowed teams to score early. Not only that, but the bullpen failed to keep leads as well as keep them close after he came out. Playing in the NL and being relatively new to the league, he should get off to a strong start and continue to play well throughout 2009. As for Gonzalez, he will probably need some time in the minors but he has the potential to be force in Colorado. He is a strong lefty who hits to the gaps, but will also hit 20+ homeruns. However, Gonzalez is a lefty (along with Hawpe, Helton, and Stewart), and really struggled against them. Nevertheless, he will see a lot of good at bats hitting in the five spot behind Hawpe or Helton. 

As for the Athletics, they get a power hitting outfielder who will help shape their lineup. We could see guys like Ryan Sweeney or Daric Barton improve by batting behind or in front of him. Not only that, but Holliday will give the Athletics a lot of leverage in negotiating with free agents. They have already made it known that they would like to sign Rafael Furcal to be their leadoff hitter, and he could be intrigued by the A's after the Holliday acquisition.

The Rockies, at least initially, are the winners with this trade. They acquired three solid players with a lot of potential who should help bring the Rockies back to the postseason. Not only that, but they cleared up a lot of payroll that could be used to go after an ace, perhaps CC Sabathia. Holliday is a great player, but he is no guarantee to stay in Oakland after this year and his numbers will likely fall playing away from Denver. We'll see what happens.

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Uggla to Rockies?

The Marlins plan to shop some of their young talent this offseason and the Rockies have already named one of their targets: Dan Uggla. Uggla did pretty well for the Marlins this season hitting .260 with 32 HR in 146 games. He will likely look for 5-6 million in arbitration and the Marlins are not comfortable taking that type of salary on. The Rockies have several attractive players that could improve the Marlins, making a trade very plausible. 

The Marlins could go target Taylor Buchholz in a deal, along with Ryan Spilborghs in the outfield. As for another player in the deal, they could go after a minor league infielder. Someone like Jayson Nix could be available after the Rockies "gave up" on him early on this past season. Uggla is very athletic and could play several different positions for the Rockies - this move seems like a no brainer. 

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Cardinals Make Offer For Holliday

According to Ken Rosenthal, the Cardinals offered Ryan Ludwick, Skip Schumaker, and Mitchell Boggs to the Rockies for Matt Holliday. I can't see why the Rockies wouldn't take this deal. Not only do they get an outfielder who could hit 30 homeruns, but they get two solid players who could start with the Rockies. Holliday, who hit 25 homeruns, would likely see his numbers drop somewhat playing in St. Louis. At the same time though, they could go up batting behind Albert Pujols. This deal will probably help both teams, but the Rockies would definitly have the edge intially.

The Rockies will probably counter, but a deal will probably happen within the next week or so.

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Rockies Fire Hurdle

MLB.com has confirmed that the Rockies have fired manager Clint Hurdle and replaced him with bench coach Jim Tracy. Hurdle led the Rockies to the World Series in 2007, but owns a .465 winning percentage since 2002. The Rockies decided it was best to let him go after the Rockies started 18-28 this year.

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Catcher Grumblings

There are several catchers on the market and it appears a lot of them will be switching homes. Here is the breakdown on these catchers:

C Jorge Posada, Yankees
Posada's negotiations have turned south, and the Yankees are hoping a new contract will change his mind. Most people still believe he will return to the Yankees, but the recent fallout of several players makes me think he will test the market. The Mets are pursuing Yorvit Torrealba, but are keeping Posada at their side. If Posada hits the market, expect the Mets to make a "very aggressive" offer.

C Yorvit Torrealba, Rockies
Torrealba put up solid numbers in the postseason raising his value a little more. He is drawing serious interest from the Marlins and Mets, but the Rockies still hope to hold on to him. Torrealba probably plans to test the waters, and if he does, the Rockies might look elsewhere. According to MLB Rumors Correspondent Brady Yu, they have talked with the representatives of Michael Barrett, and consider him the favorite to land the job if Torrealba walks.

C Michael Barrett, Padres
Barrett will probably get a two to three year deal with annually salary of about 5-6 million. The Padres do not plan to bring him back and all teams are looking at him as an option. The Rockies are most serious about him, I think it is because they know his past numbers and what he could do at Coors Field. The Marlins have expressed interest, along with the Orioles, but only if they trade Ramon Hernandez.

C Jason Kendall, Cubs
The Cubs were very pleased with Geovanny Soto and have said that Kendall is free to test the waters. Although Kendall would love to return, he would love a starting job. The Padres, who have long enamored Kendall, would love to bring him in. Not only would he help some of the Padres pitchers, but he could work with Colt Morton.

C Paul Lo Duca, Mets
If Jorge Posada leaves, the Yankees might go in and sign Paul Lo Duca. But for now, it is up in the air. The Mets, Marlins, and Rockies all look at him as a fall back option, with a dark horse as the Pirates, if they trade Ronny Paulino. The Mets were displeased with the negative attention Lo Duca carried around with him, which is why many think negotiations have stopped. A possibility is the Blue Jays, who would like an upgrade over Greg Zaun.

C Ramon Castro, Mets
Castro put up great numbers as a backup and will probably seek a starting job somewhere. I think a good option is the Nationals, who have yet to find a good catcher and are stuck with Schneider. It is possible he could be the Mets starting catcher in '08, but I think they are looking to make a splash, and will see how the market turns out.

Possible Matt Holliday Destinations

Rockies GM Dan O'Dowd said the Rockies will try to trade Matt Holliday while his value is high. Holliday is set make 13.5 million dollars next season, but will be in a contract year. Boras will definitely send him to the open market, so any team that trades for him will not be forced to give up several top prospects. Furthermore, any team that trades for him would probably ask for exclusive negotiating rights to lock him up long term. Holliday is turning into a solid hitter who can hit for average and power. While he will likely stay in the 25-35 homerun range, he is a good fielder with great speed, so he is fairly valuable. A deal similar to Carlos Beltran's (7/119) would probably get it done. So 17-18 million dollars annually would probably get the job done. Here are a couple teams that may look to trade for him:

Cardinals: The Cardinals are looking for a corner outfielder and could trade for the left fielder. They have a couple solid prospects they could package a deal around, as well as the money to lock him up. Imagine Holliday-Pujols-Ludwick in the 3-4-5 spot.

Phillies: If the Phillies lose Pat Burrell, expect them to be all over the Matt Holliday talks. They have solid prospects and would benefit from Holliday in their lineup. However, Burrell is a clubhouse leader and they might not want to bring on two uncertain contracts (Howard). 

Mets: If the Mets are that desperate, they could go out and trade for Matt Holliay. It would probably cost them John Niese or Fernando Martinez, but it would make them a lot better. They will probably talk with the Rockies, but nothing more than that. They have too many big contracts right now.

Braves: The Braves say they won't trade their top prospects for Peavy, but would they do it for Holliday? Not likely. However, if the Braves could package some low level prospects with someone like Jeff Francoeur or Kelly Johnson, maybe a deal would get done.

Orioles: The Orioles are shopping some of their players around and could target the Rockies to make a big time trade. Dangling George Sherrill and Brian Roberts for Holliday, a prospect, and cash would be a deal that would greatly help both teams.

Yankees: If the Yankees are willing to trade Phil Hughes or Ian Kennedy, they could package a small deal for Holliday. I'm sure they will look into it, but they would like to spend their money elsewhere this year.

Twins: The Twins have one of the best minor league systems in baseball and could afford to make a trade for a power hitter like Holliday. Signing Holliday long term, especially with their new stadium, would put them back on top in that division, especially if their young pitchers keep improving.

The Rockies seemed determine to trade Holliday, so expect this to be the "Winter Meetings Trade" of 2008.

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Rockies Sign Jimenez

The Rockies and Ubaldo Jimenez have agreed to a four year extension worth 10 million dollars, with club options for 2013 and 2014 that would guarantee him 22 million dollars. Jimenez, 25, went 12-12 with a 3.99 ERA in 34 starts last season, but finished with an 8-3 record in his final 14 starts. The Rockies feel that Jimenez could play a huge role in the Rockies future, and locking him up through his prime could turn out to be an excellent signing.

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Buyers and Sellers

Here is a list of teams you should expect to buy, and a list of teams expected to sell:

BUYERS

Yankees
- Without a doubt. Losing Alex Rodriguez hurts, but what hurts even more is stating all season that they will not negotiate once he opts out. We know the Yankees are dieing to talk money with Rodriguez, but have made no indication that they actually will. Because of it, expect the Yankees to basically unload their farm system again for players Miguel Cabrera and possibly Johan Santana. I expect them to get Cabrera, and then go after a solid pitcher to help the rotation now thatPettitte is gone.

Potential Sellers: Marlins, Twins, Mariners, Rockies, and Orioles.

Rangers
- The Rangers have some solid players that are drawing interest. And the Rangers, are looking for solid upgrades around the field. They are looking to find a first baseman, while exploring the market for another infielder and center fielder. They have talked with the RedSox about a potential deal for Coco Crisp, but no real progress has been made. They are also looking into the possibility of acquiring RichieSexson from the Mariners in exchange for Vicente Padilla.

Potential Sellers: Red Sox, Mariners, Cubs, Dodgers, Braves, and White Sox.

Dodgers
- They bought Joe Torre and are already a better team because of it. They are very interested in Alex Rodriguez, Andruw Jones, Hiroki Kuroda, and even Johan Santana. Obviously, they will not get them all, but one, maybe two is a definite possibility. They have the money to spend, and will definitely be spending.

Potential Sellers: Twins, Marlins, White Sox, Cubs, Braves, and Rangers.

Giants
- The Giants have a lot of wholes to fill now that Barry Bonds has left and are already looking at possibilities such as Alex Rodriguez, Carl Crawford, andDelmon Young. All they will be selling some of their pitchers, I think there best bet is signing Rodriguez, and holding on to some of their pitchers for just a little bit longer.

Potential Sellers: Devil Rays and Phillies.

Twins
- They will probably lose both Torii Hunter and Carlos Silva and are exploring all options. They are looking at Rocco Baldelli, Coco, Crisp, and according to MLB Rumors Correspondent Steve Wilson, Felix Pie as well. Not only that, but they are exploring the possibility of trading for Jon Garland, but I doubt that will happen. Despite them trying to trade Johan Santana, more upgrades will come from buying.

Potential Sellers: Devil Rays, Athletics, and Rockies.

SELLERS

White Sox
- They can probably be considered both, but they are definitely selling right now. They are shopping their whole pitching staff in exchange for some solid prospects while looking for a suitor for JoeCrede. They are very interested in Torii Hunter, but I see them taking the trade route to find better upgrades.

Potential Buyers: Yankees, Rockies, Astros, Mariners, Dodgers, Rangers, and Braves.

Marlins
The Marlins have two solid players that they have put on the market, and they are already drawing a lot of interest. I do not expect them to tradeDontrelle Willis, but we could see Miguel Cabrera on the move. The list won't be too long because the Marlins asking price is so high, but there will be interest. Other than Cabrera, expect them to shop Anibal Sanchez, who they have had some problems with over the past year.

Potential Buyers: Yankees, Phillies, Red Sox, Dodgers, and Giants.

Athletics
The Athletics have admitted that their farm system is weak and will probably look to restock this off season. The three players that plan to trade are JoeBlanton, Dan Haren, and Dan Johnson. Blanton and Haren are already drawing interest while Johnson could easily be dumped for some low level players. I expect many teams to be interested in the two pitchers because the market is so weak, so they will probably get a lot in return.

Potential Buyers: Rockies, Mets, Diamondbacks, Cardinals, Phillies, and Reds.

If you have any others, leave me a comment and I will add them.

Rockies Sign Street

The Rockies and Huston Street avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one year deal worth 4.5 million dollars, according to ESPN.com. Street won't be a free agent until after the 2010 season, and will likely be the Rockies closer to start the 2009 season. If Street and Corpas both have success in the late innings, it is possible the Rockies will look to trade Street for prospects. 

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Rockies After Beimel?

With Huston Street and Manny Corpas patrolling the eight and ninth innings, the Rockies would like to bring in Joe Beimel to close up the seventh, according to MLB.com. The Rockies are impressed by Beimel's ability to force ground balls. Over the past two seasons, Beimel has given up just one homerun while playing for the Dodgers. Colorado may appeal to Beimel because he would be playing in the same division as he has for the past three seasons. Beimel has reportedly had discussions with the Tigers and Cardinals, but no contract offers have been exchanged. 

The Rockies are expected to pursue a late inning guy, and could also target Dan Wheeler, Ron Villone, or Trevor Miller. As for starters, they are expected to target Brad Penny, who has also had success in Colorado. 

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Friday Grumblings

Rowand Taking Over In Center For Dodgers?: Free agent outfielder Aaron Rowand is drawing a lot of interest from teams around the league, and his new contract is expected to be big. Although he is asking for fifteen million, one MLB executive tells me he expects the deal to top 90 million dollars. There are several teams interested in Rowand that could take on that kind of contract. The Dodgers, White Sox, Rangers, Cubs, and Astros have all made contact with Rowand, but it appears the Dodgers have the inside track because of Rowand's connections to Southern California.

Tigers Interested In Hernandez: The Tigers are expressing interest in Livan Hernandez. According to MLB Rumors Correspondent Tim Wallace, Livan prefers to play in New York with his half-brother Orlando, but is willing to listen to offers. Look for the Cardinals to inquire about Hernandez before his price goes up.

Brewers Eye Kendall?: The Brewers are interested in Kendall. Not a surprise here. Kendall is known for working with young pitchers well and his experience in the NL Central would make a change much easier.

Yankees Sign Molina, Braves Trade Villarreal: The Yankees signed Jose Molina to back up Posada to a two year contract, worth four million dollars. Not much to say here except it gives Joe Girardi a solid backup behind Posada. Also, the Braves traded Oscar Villarreal to the Astros for Josh Anderson. Anderson, 25, batted .358 with 0 HR and 11 RBI. He is very fast, and gives the Braves another option in center.

Royals Close to Deal with Yasuhiko Yabuta: According to MLB Rumors Correspondent Steve Wilson, the Royals are nearing a deal with Japanese pitcher Yasuhiko Yabuta. He was 4-6 last season with a 2.73 ERA and four saves in 58 games. This probably won't be the last pitcher the Royals sign from Japan. Trey Hillman has first hand knowledge of these guys and will be able to coach them better than some coaches.

UPDATE: Ken Rosenthal has confirmed the report and said it is a two year deal with an option for a third.

Marlins After Barrett, Lo Duca to Rockies?: The Marlins have turned their attention to signing Michael Barrett. If you look at my article back in September, it says that the Marlins might look at him if they have some cash open. However, the Marlins could sign Barrett to a deal similar to Torrealba, and work his annually salary into their budget. A catcher will not come cheap now that the Mets over payed for Torrealba, so they will need to open their wallet. The Rockies have begun talks with Paul Lo Duca, but talks have not gotten far.

Rockies Sign De La Rosa

The Rockies and Jorge De La Rosa have agreed to a one year deal worth 2 million dollars, avoiding arbitration. De La Rosa went 10-8 with a 4.92 ERA in 130 innings for the Rockies last season. He has the potential, if he can command his pitches better, to be a solid back-end of the rotation starter. 

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Rockies Close In Hammel?

AOL Fanhouse is reporting that the Rockies and Rays are working towards a deal that would send Jason Hammel to the Rockies for a minor league prospect. The prospect is expected to be from the Double-A level. Brandon Hynick, Keith Weiser, Adam Bright are all options, among others for the Rays. 

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Nationals Close In On Taveras?

According to MLB.com, the Rockies will include Juan Morillo with Willy Taveras in a trade for Nationals pitcher Tim Redding. Morillo, who is out of options, went 1-0 with a 5.28 ERA in 52 games for the Rockies Triple-A club. While Redding gives the Rockies depth, Redding has not had a winning season since 2001 and tied his career high in wins (10), but still put up a 4.95 ERA. On September 1st, Redding was 10-8 with a 4.55 ERA, but lost his final three starts. 

Taveras will allow the Nationals to move Lastings Milledge to a corner outfield spot and trade Austin Kearns or maybe even Josh Willingham.

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Rockies Could Trade Cook

Rockies ace Aaron Cook is off to a disappointing start since winning 16 games in 2008. He is 3-2 with a 4.82 ERA in 10 starts, including a complete game shutout. Cook is a solid pitcher, but is playing for a struggling ball club in a hitters heaven. Cook has two years and 18.25 million dollars on his contract, with a mutual option for 2012. The Rockies have several strong young pitchers in the minor league system, and it should only get better after June's amateur draft.

While there is talk that Erik Bedard will be traded, Mariners GM Jack Zduriencik has not said they are going to move him. Peavy is expected to be made available, but his price could take a hit if his ankle injury does not heal. Cook will cost a couple prospects, but nothing like Peavy or Bedard. The Phillies would be smart to ask about Cook has only pitched once at Citizens Bank Ballpark, but is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in seven innings.


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Rockies Acquire Hammel

The Rays have traded pitcher Jason Hammel to the Rockies for minor league pitcher Aneury Rodriguez. "It's a new start, and I'm ready to go," Hammel said. "I really didn't have a role there. I bounced back and forth. [The Rockies] traded for me, so they must have something planned for me." Hammel went 4-4 with a 4.60 ERA with the Rays last season, and had a 2.27 ERA this spring. 

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Taveras to Reds?

According to the Rocky Mountain News, the Rockies are still shopping Willy Taveras and believe the Reds are a possible suitor. The Corey Patterson signing did not pay off for the Reds, so bringing in Taveras will give them a solid bat at the top of the order with speed. Taveras hit .251 with 1 HR in 133 games, but stole 68 bases for the Rockies and scored 64 runs. The Rockies would really like to create more opportunities for Ryan Spilborghs, and trading Taveras will clear the way in center.

It may cost the Reds a minor leaguer or two. 

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Hurdle On The Hot Seat?

In Ken Rosenthal's latest installment of the Full Count, he mentions the struggling Rockies manager Clint Hurdle's likeliness of being fired. The Rockies are 6-11 this season - second worst in the National League - and could fire Hurdle, who is in the last year of his contract.

It is still early, so I doubt anything happens just yet. Not only that, but Hurdle is thought of well among the players, and he has a good relationship with GM Dan O'Dowd.  But if the Rockies don't start hitting by the end of next month, Hurdle's job could be up in the air.

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