Rockies notes: Rosario plans, Blackmon trade, Shields rumors

Wiln Rosario doesn’t look particularly athletic to me.

General manager Jeff Bridich tells me that the team is confident that catcher Wilin Rosario can make the transition from catcher to first base, and possibly even right field.

Rosario spent a full week at the team’s training complex in Scottsdale, Ariz., earlier this month, working at first base and the outfield. He will also spend time at the team’s academy in the Dominican Republic before reporting for spring training around Feb. 20.

“I think Wilin has the athletic ability to do this, and he certainly has the work ethic,” Bridich said..

Monfort tells NY paper Tulo deal ‘not happening’ | rockies.com

I guess it wouldn’t be prudent at this juncture.

More moves must be made by Rockies before spring training - The Denver Post

Brittle talent.

“It would be easy for somebody in my shoes, a brand-new GM, a young GM, to want to come in and make a splash, do something sexy,” Bridich said this winter. “I fought that urge, but I’m not going to say it wasn’t there.

“We’ve been close-ish to a few things. But it hasn’t happened, hasn’t worked out. We’re not going to panic. ... We have to remember the type of talent that we have here.”

Rockies want Dan Haren even though Haren knows it’s a terrible idea - SBNation.com

What is Jeff Bridich thinking?

Nick Hundley signs two-year deal with the Rockies

Must be the Denver schools.

Free agent catcher Nick Hundley and the Rockies have agreed to a two-year contract worth around $6 million, according to Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun.

Connolly reports that the Orioles made Hundley a two-year offer to remain in Baltimore after acquiring him from the Padres in May, but he opted for more money and the promise of more playing time in Colorado.

Hundley hit .243 with six homers and a .631 OPS in 83 games overall and has a .680 OPS for his career.

Big gap still exists in Mets’ Tulowitzki talks—and Yankees check in on SS - CBSSports.com

Will one of the New York teams ante up?

Tulo focusing on rehab, not trade rumors | rockies.com

Isn’t Tulo always focusing on rehab?

The right — and wrong — way for Mets to get Tulowitzki | New York Post

That’s crazy.

In the Mets’ most recent conversations with the Rockies, during last week’s Winter Meetings, the Rockies wanted three or four top players — some current major leaguers, some prospects still in the minors — and also wanted the Mets to assume the entire $118 million that Tulowitzki has guaranteed through 2020.

Post-Howie Angels Trade for 2B Josh Rutledge - Halos Heaven

The Halos traded relief pitcher Jairo Diaz to the Colorado Rockies for infielder Josh Rutledge and announced the trade about a half-hour after the Kendrick for Andrew Heaney deal with the Dodgers went public.

The Mets’ signing of Michael Cuddyer may mark the first of several front-office moves - MLB - SI.com

Whether Cuddyer is overpaid by a little or a lot is debatable. Suggesting that the 15th pick of the first round isn’t valuable because that particular pick hasn’t produced a plethora of all stars isn’t convincing.

That back-of-the-envelope math is without considering the cost of the lost draft pick. In signing a qualifying offer free agent, the Mets will forfeit the 15th pick of the 2015 draft. While that would seem to be a bad thing for a team on a rebuilding path, the reality is that the slot hasn’t yielded much of value in the past two decades aside from Chase Utley (61.5 WAR since being taken there in 2000). Breaking down the past 21 picks at number 15 dating back to 1994:
• 10 have never played in the majors, including the last five, on whom the jury should quite rightly remain out.

• Six have generated no more than 0.3 WAR for their entire careers, with five of them in the red.

• Two have produced between 4.0 and 5.0 WAR, namely Gabe Gross (2001) and the still-active Devin Mesoraco (2007).

• Two have been worth between 15 and 20 WAR, namely Scott Kazmir (2002, by the Mets) and Stephen Drew (2004).

Mets Sign Michael Cuddyer

Apparently Cuddyer wasn’t too nuts about Colorado… and is confident he’ll be awful in 2015!

The Mets announced that they have signed free agent outfielder Michael Cuddyer to a two-year contract.

Cuddyer, a client of Excel Sports Management’s Casey Close, was the surprise recipient of a qualifying offer last week that caused many to believe that he would be the first to accept the offer. However, Colorado’s decision to extend the QO appears to have been a wise one, as they’ll now net a draft pick at the end of next year’s first round for their loss. The Mets, on the other hand, will forfeit the 15th pick in next year’s draft in order to bring Cuddyer to Queens…

Cuddyer’s contract is a two-year, $21MM pact, reports Jon Heyman of CBS Sports (Twitter link). Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that he’ll earn $8.5MM in 2015 and $12.5MM in 2016. Essentially, by turning down the qualifying offer, Cuddyer guaranteed himself an additional $5.7MM and a second year.

Why Rockies are in major bind with Tulowitzki, Gonzalez | New York Post

I love Tulowitzki. With his contract, though, he’s a tough pickup for any GM. GMs get fired for being wrong on trades like this.

Tulowitzki, in particular, creates difficulty. He is homegrown. He is the most popular player in Rockies history. When right, he is arguably among the five best position players in the game. But here is how many games he has started at shortstop in the past five years: 122, 140, 47, 119 and 88. Those are 516 starts in his age 25-to-29 seasons, barely more than 100 a year on average (Derek Jeter, as a comparison, averaged 135 games starting at short from age 25-to-29).
Now, Tulowitzki is coming back from his worst injury yet – a torn labrum in his hip. This is what Alex Rodriguez has had in both hips. Maybe Tulowitzki can overcome that. But Tulowitzki turned 30 last month. Do you think he is about to go through his healthiest phase?

Trading Tulo isn’t worth it for the Colorado Rockies | SportsonEarth.com

Great player. Can’t stay healthy.

Tulowitzki, meanwhile, is one of the best players in baseball when he’s healthy. He proved that once again this year, posting an absurd .340/.432/.603 batting line with 21 homers and 52 RBIs in 91 games. Ah, but it’s that last part that matters most with Tulo. Is he healthy enough to depend on?

Since 2010, Tulowitzki has averaged 106 games per year. In other words, he’s missed roughly a third of the Rockies’ games over the past five years. But injuries might not even be the biggest obstacle to a team interested in acquiring the All-Star shortstop. That would be his contract.

Tulowitzki, who just turned 30, is owed $20 million per year until 2019. He’s on the books for $14 million in 2020 with either a $15 million option for $4 million buyout in 2021, when he will be 36 years old. So that’s $118 million for six years or $129 million for seven years. Either way you slice it, it’s expensive.

Rockies willing to listen to offers for Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitzki | FOX Sports

They aren’t shopping them; they are just keeping their “eyes and ear open” for potential deals. (Wink, wink.)

For the first time, the Colorado Rockies sound willing to trade shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and/or outfielder Carlos Gonzalez.
The Rockies are telling clubs they are keeping their “eyes and ears open” for potential deals involving both players, according to major-league sources.
The mere willingness to discuss Tulowitzki and Gonzalez is a departure for Colorado, which previously refused to entertain deals for its two stars.
The Rockies, under new general manager Jeff Bridich, are not shopping either player or starting a fire sale, sources say. But team officials finally seem to have persuaded owner Dick Monfort to consider all possibilities.

Defending the Michael Cuddyer Qualifying Offer

It could be worse, right?

Should we assume that there is about a 10% chance that Cuddyer rejects the QO and tests the free agent market, the net value of the QO becomes even closer to zero, even before you consider what Cuddyer might return in a likely midseason trade.

Denver Post: Michael Cuddyer receives qualifying offer

Well I for one was not expecting that.

“Michael is someone who has had a great impact on this organization both on and off the field for the past three years,” Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich in a statement. “After weighing our options, we felt the qualifying offer was in the best interest of the organization.”

Cuddyer, who will turn 36 on March 27, is coming off a three-year, $31.5 million deal with Colorado.

Anderson’s 2015 option not picked up by Rockies | rockies.com

It’s crazy to think he’s only 26 It seems like he’s been hurt a lot longer than that.

Martino: Michael Cuddyer is a perfect free agent fit for NY Mets, who like him

The Mets have a Cuddyer need for an outfield bat:

So where do they find a bat? Well, here’s an idea, one that that’s already been floated in the blogosphere, and turns out to be a concrete possibility: Free agent Michael Cuddyer, the exact sort of piece that fits the offense the Mets hope to construct.

Here’s what we mean by that: While Sandy Alderson has long checked in on the Giancarlo Stantons and Carlos Gonzalezes of the world, he and his staff consider it more likely that the Mets will surround their core of pitchers with a lineup filled veteran, versatile or otherwise interchangeable pieces. Think Tampa Bay Rays, during their good years.

Cuddyer is just such a piece. Thirty-five years old, he was injured much of this season, but hit 10 home runs in 49 games, while batting .332. People familiar with the Mets’ thinking say that the team considers him attractive on a two-year deal.

It is hard to imagine Cuddyer getting more than that, but as one major league executive notes about the Mets’ top free agent target last year, “No one thought Jhonny Peralta was going to get four years, either.” The Cardinals shocked the Mets, and most of baseball, by giving Peralta a four-year, $52 million deal.

If Cuddyer’s market does not inflate in a similar way, he could provide much-needed power for the Mets, a tremendous clubhouse presence to assume some of the leadership burden from his friend David Wright—and all at a commitment that does not require excessive years, or the loss of a pitching prospect.

It’s not that the Mets refuse to trade any of their pitchers not named Gee, Niese or Colon; it’s just that they are highly reluctant. Over the past 12 months, Wheeler went from sort of available, with some in the organization pushing hard to move him, to virtually untouchable. Syndergaard had a disappointing year at Triple-A, but remains young and promising. DeGrom is about to win the National League rookie of the year award, so he isn’t going anywhere.

Scouts rate Montero a notch below the others, but sources say that the Mets are reluctant to part with him, too. He could be had in the right deal (Yoenis Cespedes, perhaps, who the Mets are monitoring?), but is far from on the market.

Dan O’Dowd steps down as the Rockies general manager

It’s the end of an era.

Back pain pulls prospect Butler out of AFL | rockies.com

Butler missed time midseason because of a strained right rotator cuff, which showed up after his Major League debut on June 6. Butler rehabbed, then finished the season at Double-A Tulsa before returning to the Majors for two late-season starts—a six-inning, one-run effort in a win over the D-backs on Sept. 20, and a 4 2/3-inning struggle in a loss to the Dodgers on Sept. 27.
After his final start, Butler reported unusual soreness in his upper back/shoulder area. The Rockies made the decision several days ago to remove him from the AFL club. It came to light Tuesday, the first day of scheduled games.
Butler said he visited with club physicians, who assured him that the upper-back pain was muscle fatigue that could be corrected with rest and rehab, and not a significant injury.

Brisbee: Finding baseball’s most hopeless franchise

The included tweet should guarantee the honor just on principle.

Old teams in large markets with thin farm systems

This is where the Phillies are. This is where the Yankees are. Here be the White Sox… None of these teams will ever qualify for most-screwed status, though… their large-market status will always guarantee that there’s someone in a worse spot.

Older teams in small markets

The Reds might really be screwed… A lot of what makes the Reds a sorta-contender now, though, could still be good in the future… In about a week, the Brewers could be here… A lot of their best players are still 30 or under, though, so I’m not sure if they’re close to an “old” team just yet…

Cursed teams

the Padres… have a respected farm system, for what it’s worth, and they have young talent on the roster. Heck, they’re close to .500 right now because they’ve proven adept at developing pitchers, at least the ones who stay healthy.

They make the list, though, because they’re the Padres…

The Rockies

They get their own category because they win. What are the Rockies? Have you ever seen a team like this, a team so committed to its GM through 90-loss seasons, unless that’s not really the GM? An owner who might be something of a meddler and whose brain might be filled with gestational YouTube comments that he filters through his fingers and shares with fans?

Their franchise players are chronically hurt, and they have a long track record of breaking young pitchers, both in body and spirit. Everything about them is a mess right now, from the top down. That’s all before you get to the worst part: They already start with the biggest disadvantage in baseball, the thin air of Coors Field… It’s one of the Hilbert problems of baseball, except it’s been the same mathematicians working on the problem for the last 15 years, and most of the available evidence suggests they’re using a watch calculator with the “7” key missing.

Rockies, De La Rosa Agree To Two-Year Extension

My heart tells me to snark, but my head tells me not to. He’s no Cy Young candidate, but he’s been pretty good… (Whoops, it slipped in.)

The Rockies announced (via Twitter) that they have agreed to terms with left-hander Jorge De La Rosa on a two-year extension… The deal guarantees De La Rosa $25MM and contains no options, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.

De La Rosa, 33, has fared well in this, his seventh season with the Rockies, pitching to a 4.26 ERA with 6.7 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 51.9 percent ground-ball rate in 160 2/3 innings of work.

Rockies’ Troy Tulowitzki bent on playing shortstop: “I will retire before I move”

Guess who his idol is?

Despite two major surgeries to his left hip and groin area in the past two years, despite the torn left quadriceps he sustained in 2008, Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has no intention of switching positions.

“No, I won’t move,” he said in a phone interview. “I will retire before I move.”

Not to third base? Not to first base, a position that could save him from wear and tear and possibly prolong his career?

“No. It’s just who I am, it’s what I do, it’s what I have dreamed of as a kid,” said Tulowitzki, 29. “It’s all I know and it’s all I’ve ever worked for. So I guess when you have a dream and you accomplish it and someone tries to take it away from you ... it wouldn’t be worth it for me to try and move somewhere else.”

Tulowitzki, considered the game’s best all-round shortstop — when healthy — will be due $118 million after this season on a contract that runs through 2020, with a club option for 2021.

Neyer: Over the hill but still strong on the hill

Hamburger Hill, in Colon’s case.

When the Rockies signed LaTroy Hawkins and said he’€™d be their highest-leverage reliever, we were all like, “Hey, what could go wrong? He’€™s only 41 and hasn’€™t done this job since 2004. And he’€™s got only two seasons in his whole career with more than 14 saves.”

Well, Monday night Hawkins collected his 21st save this season… How does Hawkins do it? Just like [Bartolo] Colon, with lots and lots of fastballs, although Hawkins does throw significantly harder, averaging around 93 miles an hour. And that’€™s the most interesting about him: Hawkins hasn’€™t lost anything off his fastball in a long time now. You’€™re supposed to lose something as you age. That’€™s what they always say, right? But Hawkins threw 93 in 2002 when he was 29, and he throws 93 in 2014 when he’€™s 41. He threw his slider 88 and his curveball 78 in 2004 when he was 31, and he throws his slider 88 and his curveball 78 in 2014 when he’s 41.

One more note about Hawkins ... As you might recall, he began his career as a highly regarded starting pitcher. Except that didn’€™t work out well, at all. After five seasons that included 98 starts and a 6.11 ERA, the Twins finally shifted Hawkins to relief duties, and in 15 years as a fireman—€“ he hasn’€™t started a single game in the last 15 years—€“ he’€™s posted a solid 3.25 ERA. Of course, many failed starters have enjoyed long careers as relievers. But I’€™m not sure many have done it as dramatically as LaTroy Hawkins.

Ringolsby: Helton’s numbers stack up against the best

Percy Helton having a visor is one thing…Todd Helton having an adviser is another.

Hall of Fame type numbers?

“Obviously, that would be a great honor, but there’s nothing I can do about that,” he said. “You have the vote.”

Just one, he was told.

“Well,” he said with a smile, “put in a good word for me.”

...And here’s something else to consider.

As dominant as he was at Coors Field, Helton outplayed the bulk of Hall of Famers on the road.

There are 116 position players in the Hall of Fame who had at least 4,000 plate appearances since 1912, which is how far back the home-road splits extend for Stats Inc. Among those 116 position players:

• Helton’s .287 road batting average is higher than 45.

• Helton’s .386 road on-base percentage is higher than 84.

• Helton’s .469 road slugging percentage is higher than 74.

• And Helton’s .855 road OPS is higher than 78.

And Helton even ranks well among the smaller group of 21 Hall of Fame first basemen who have had at least 4,000 plate appearances since 1912.

Johnny Mize, Stan Musial, Orlando Cepeda, Lou Gehrig, Billy Terry and Jimmie Foxx are the only ones who are ahead of Helton on the road in average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS.

Helton has higher numbers in all four categories than Ernie Banks, Jim Bottomley and Tony Perez.

He has a higher road on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS than Rod Carew and George Kelly.

And a higher on-base percentage, average and OPS than Harmon Killebrew, Willie McCovey and Eddie Murray.

Not that Helton has ever paid that much attention.