Rockies GM: 'No pressure to make a move' at winter meetings

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Published December 7, 2008 at 6 a.m.

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Photo by Joe Mahoney © The Rocky

General manager Dan O'Dowd says the Rockies "have been operating under (budgetary) status quo. There is no pressure to make a move.”

LAS VEGAS — Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd got rid of the heavy lifting early in the offseason, sending Matt Holliday to the Oakland A’s for a package of three players last month and working with manager Clint Hurdle to reshape the coaching staff.

Now, O’Dowd is into fine-tuning a roster for the 2009 season, ownership having given him a bit of a payroll increase that will accommodate the built-in pay raises in multiyear deals signed by a handful of players, and, more importantly, accommodate the expected arbitration increases anticipated for third baseman Garrett Atkins and reliever Huston Street.

Atkins has reassured the Rockies this offseason that he would like to remain with them.

“We have been operating under (budgetary) status quo,” O’Dowd said. “There is no pressure to make a move.”

O’Dowd isn’t looking for status quo, though, in terms of personnel. While he did add former Oakland closer Street along with left-handed starter Greg Smith and promising outfielder Carlos Gonzalez in the Holliday trade, he still has a priority on adding bullpen depth, particularly left-handed relievers.

He is willing to move center fielder Willy Taveras, looking for a way to open up expanded playing time for Ryan Spilborghs, and catcher Yorvit Torrealba, whose $3.75 million salary is a bit out of whack given the fact he will be the backup to Chris Iannetta.

The Rockies are set to fill Taveras’ roster spot by re-signing Scott Podsednik, who would provide a basestealing threat and a left-handed-hitting alternative to Spilborghs. If they dealt Torrealba, the options would include signing Josh Bard, who was let go by San Diego in a cost-cutting move.

But don’t look for him to be making any multiyear overtures to free agents or push for a multiyear deal with Atkins, who is two years removed from free agency.

“You would be foolish in our (financial) environment to not factor the economy into everything we do,” O’Dowd said. “You want to keep as much flexibility as possible while we look to see how things shake out.”

The Rockies also want flexibility in terms of available personnel, which could make them a more active trade partner for an impact deal in the later part of spring training than during the next four days in Las Vegas.

Street has been the subject of a number of inquiries since being acquired by the Rockies, but in light of the free-agent loss of Brian Fuentes, Street has become an alternative if Manny Corpas doesn’t show he is ready to regain the closer role.

Atkins has value as the right-handed run-producer in the middle of the lineup, something even more important in light of the loss of Holliday, and also as protection at first base in case Todd Helton doesn’t recover as expected from back surgery.

Reluctant to comment on those situations, O’Dowd admitted, “when you feel you have a chance to contend, creating depth and options is important.”

STORY LINES

1. Manny Ramirez is man of the hour. Does he accept the high-priced but short-term offer of the Dodgers or does he sit and wait for the five- or six-year deal that he and agent Scott Boras envisioned when Ramirez pouted his way out of Boston and into the Dodgers lineup in August?

2. While future Hall of Famer Greg Maddux has scheduled the announcement of his retirement Monday, LHP Randy Johnson wants a shot at the five wins he needs to reach 300 in his career. Oakland has surfaced as a serious bidder, along with the Dodgers and Giants.

3. LHP CC Sabathia has been offered the richest contract ever for a pitcher — six years and $140 million — but it is with the Yankees, and Sabathia would prefer a more comfortable environment. The only other offer on the table is a five-year, $100 million return to Milwaukee. Sabathia, who grew up in the Bay Area, could be swayed by the Giants if new owners decide to make a splash and provide a middle-ground offer.

4. San Diego is faced with a $30 million payroll cut to get down to the $40 million projection for 2009. The Padres have moved SS Khalil Greene and still want to find a partner for a trade of RHP Jake Peavy. The Cubs have shown interest, but Padres have to face the reality that Peavy has a complete no-trade clause and will want adjustments in his contract to approve a deal. That lessens the package the Padres would receive.

5. 1B Mark Teixeira doesn’t appear likely to get the 10-year deal he originally anticipated, but he’s going to get six or more years and more money than anybody else this free-agent season. He has stirred interest in Baltimore and Boston, and the Angels say re-signing him is their offseason priority. Those are the right teams to push the price.

RUMOR MILL

Five deals that are hot topics:

1. Detroit is finalizing a trade to acquire SS Jack Wilson from Pittsburgh and also is pushing to acquire C Gerald Laird from Texas.

2. Atlanta moved to the front in the pursuit of free-agent RHP A.J. Burnett by making a five-year offer.

3. Cubs have targeted OF Raul Ibañez to fill left-handed-hitting void, which would reunite Ibañez with his former Seattle manager, Lou Piniella.

4. OF Adam Dunn is a fit in Washington, where GM Jim Bowden has good insight into his abilities. Bowden was the GM in Cincinnati when the Reds originally drafted Dunn and persuaded him to pass up college football.

5. 3B Casey Blake most likely will return to the Dodgers, who are willing to make a stronger offer than the Twins, the other team with a multiyear offer on the table.

DONE DEALS

Trades that have been made since the end of the World Series:

Atlanta acquired RHP Javier Vazquez from the White Sox for three prospects.

Boston acquired RHP Ramon Ramirez from Kansas City for OF Coco Crisp.

Cubs acquired RHP Kevin Gregg from Florida for RHP Jose Ceda.

Kansas City acquired 1B Mike Jacobs from Florida for RHP Leo Nuñez.

Oakland acquired OF Matt Holliday from Rockies for OF Carlos Gonzalez, RHP Huston Street and LHP Greg Smith.

Yankees acquired OF/1B Nick Swisher and a prospect from White Sox for three prospects.

St. Louis acquired SS Greene from San Diego for two prospects.

Washington acquired LHP Scott Olsen and OF Josh Willingham from Florida for three prospects.

SIGNED UP

Boston signed RHP Junichi Tawaza of Japan to a three-year, $3.3 million contract.

Houston signed LHP Mike Hampton to a one-year, $2 million contract.

Milwaukee signed RHP Jorge Julio to a one-year, $950,000 contract.

St. Louis signed LHP Trever Miller to one-year, $500,000 million contract.

San Francisco signed SS Edgar Renteria to two-year, $18.5 million contract.

San Francisco signed LHP Jeremy Affeldt to two-year, $8 million contract.

San Francisco signed RHP Bob Howry to one-year, $2.75 million contract.

Seattle signed 1B/3B Russell Branyan to one-year, $1.4 million contract.

• December 7, 2008

  10:06 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  arvada_mark writes:

  “when you feel you have a chance to contend,..." O'Dowd.

  I nearly choked on my Corn Pops when I read that.

• December 8, 2008

  6:42 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  kmeissner writes:

  I'll be surprised if this team turns it around next year. I guess one world series appearance is enough for them. Our GM and Owners are just about as bad as any team has. I'm a Rox fan, but these guys are doing their best to ruin the team.

• December 8, 2008

  8:51 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  dgocoman writes:

  The Rockies are no different than 95% of the other teams. Trying to put together a winning team on a limited budget. Everybody needs pitching and after the Hamptom/Neagle debacle, I don't blame them for not looking at paying a pitcher $120+million. Granted, I would like to see better options than Redman, Towers, Wells, etc. Better off having Morales pitch than those guys as he can catch lightning in a bottle once in a while. Let's see how O'Dowd does in getting rid of Taveras and Torrealba; if he can unload those underperformers and reinvest the savings in a decent reliever or starter then mission accomplished.

• December 8, 2008

  12:08 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  opinionatedcolo writes:

  There are 30 teams and last year only 7 had worse records than the Rockies. So while "95%" of the teams may have limited budgets, most of them do a better job with their budget than O'Dowd. How can a team that has averaged 85 loses for the decade feel no pressure after trading its best offensive player? Those like dgo who think this team is "that close" are fooling themselves. O'Dowd is apparently going to use the Hampton Neagal screw up as an excuse for his inability to find pitching.

• December 8, 2008

  3:04 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  ColoradoSportsFaninTexas writes:

  I am getting tired of the Rockies using the excuse of the OLD "Hampton and Neagle deals" as the reason they wont jump into the free agent market.....

  The reason why the Hampton and Neagle deals didnt work, was because the talent was not suited to the altitude....Case in point is Mike Hampton...He is a curveball pitcher...It is his strength....The Rockies now know that a curveball does not have as much break to it at altitude as it does at lower elevations, thus Hamptons curve would flatten out, and major league hitters would crush it...Thus Hampton had limited success... As for Neagle, he was more of a back end of the rotation guy, and not a #2 guy as the Rockies projected him to be....so, he had limited success as well.

  Therefore, the young Rockies made bad decisions based on TALENT not well suited to Colorado.....They now know better and can use that knowledge to allow them to be more successful... The Rockies have learned since those deals that a sinkerball is more effective in altitude than a curveball....So, sinkerball pitchers have more success in Colorado's altitude....

  Therefore, a quick memo to Monforts and O'Dowd....QUIT USING those ancient deals of Hampton and Neagle as an excuse to stay out of free agency deals today....Use the knowledge learned and go out and acquire a major sinkerball pitcher....

  Beimel is available....His sinkerball is NASTY....Let him come to Colorado where he can get hitters to beat the ball into the ground to Tulo and Atkins.....I dont know what he is asking, but I dont believe it will be Matt Holliday numbers.....

  Monforts...come out with some of that cash you made from the revenue sharing plan, and reinvest it back into Beimel....It will be worth the risk.....

• December 8, 2008

  3:19 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  RDenver writes:

  arvada_mark and akmeissner...do you guys ever have anything nice to say about anything. You guys were in heaven when they signed Helton to that long tern contract and then you started to cry like little school girls when he has been injured on and off for 3 years. As always...you guys stand for nothing at all!

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