Rencyk: Rockies kick tires on catcher Schneider

Kelly - Springfield. Schneider - Colorado Springs.

Bracing for the potential loss of starter Yorvit Torrealba, the Rockies have expressed preliminary interest in free agent catcher Brian Schneider.

Schneider suffered through a disappointing 2009 with the Mets, hitting .218 with three home runs and 24 RBIs in 59 games. The veteran profiles as a backup at this point his career, and is a left-handed hitter who could complement Chris Iannetta. Iannetta hasn’t been promised the starting job. He’s enjoying a strong offseason, and will enter camp determined to win back his spot. But the Rockies are protecting themselves. GM Dan O’Dowd has had varying degrees of interest in Schneider for several years.

Torrealba, who turned down a two-year, $4.5-million deal from the Rockies, is expected to receive an offer soon from the clubs that have called about him, including one from the NL West. I haven’t pinned down the NL West team, but the Giants make a lot of sense since they are expected to lose Bengie Molina and need someone they can trust if prospect Buster Posey needs more Triple-A seasoning.