Rockies polishing look of roster

Morales, Redman fill out rotation; Nix to play second

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press

Rockies first baseman Todd Helton falls after being hit by a pitch thrown by the Dodgers' Chad Billingsley during their spring training game Sunday in Tucson. The Rockies won 8-2.

With the season-opening game in St. Louis one week from today, the Rockies' season-opening roster is starting to fall into place.

With a series of roster moves Sunday, the Rockies set the stage for Jayson Nix to be the Opening Day second baseman and left-handers Franklin Morales and Mark Redman to fill the fourth and fifth spots in the starting rotation.

Veteran second baseman Marcus Giles, signed to a minor league contract, said he was told Sunday he will not make the team. There were indications he will be given a chance to make another team.

The Los Angeles Dodgers have shown some interest in light of injuries that have sidelined second baseman Jeff Kent (hamstring) and their two third base candidates, Andy LaRoche (torn right wrist ligament) and Nomar Garciaparra (broken bone in his right hand).

The Rockies made no announcement about Giles, and manager Clint Hurdle said after an 8-2 victory against the Dodgers at Hi Corbett Field that nothing had been finalized in terms of Nix's status. But Giles indicated decisions were made.

" 'Nixie' did a great job," Giles said. "He held his own. He had great at-bats. He played good defense. I tip my cap to him. I knew the situation coming in was that it was his job (to lose)."

Hurdle did announce right- hander Kip Wells would start the season in the bullpen, which, ostensibly, leaves Morales, Redman and right-hander Josh Towers. But Morales and Redman are holdovers from the push to the franchise's first National League pennant last year, and if the Rockies get Towers through waivers, they have the ability to send him to the minor leagues.

With that in mind, the Rockies could "maximize their inventory," as general manager Dan O'Dowd frequently says, by going with Morales and Redman and having Towers at Colorado Springs.

With Jason Hirsh starting the season on the disabled list because of a strained right rotator cuff, the Rockies could face another rotation decision as early as the end of April, when Hirsh might be ready to be activated.

The move of Wells to the bullpen - along with closer Manny Corpas, left-hander Brian Fuentes and right-handers Luis Vizcaino, Matt Herges and Taylor Buchholz - means there is one relief spot to be filled from among right-handers Ryan Speier and Ramon Ramirez and left-hander Micah Bowie.

Speier can be sent to the minors, which most likely leaves the spot to Ramirez, who is out of options and would be claimed if the Rockies tried to get him through waivers, or Bowie, who is signed to a minor league contract.

Bowie would give the Rockies a second left-hander in addition to Fuentes.

"Things are starting to crystallize," Hurdle said of roster decisions.

The Rockies did announce they sent right-handed pitchers Darren Clarke and Victor Zambrano, left-handed pitchers Josh Newman and Chris George, infielders Matt Kata and Jonathan Herrera, first baseman Joe

Koshansky and catcher Mike Rose to their minor league camp.

That leaves 37 players on the spring training roster, including Hirsh. The 25-man active roster has to be finalized by 11 a.m. Sunday.

Giles admitted he was disappointed because he was hoping to make the roster but was not upset with the move. He said he appreciated the fact the Rockies not only brought him to spring training but gave him ample chances to play.

Giles hit .321 in 13 games, appearing in more games and making more starts at second base than any of the six candidates for the job except Nix.

Giles made 10 appearances (eight starts) compared with 14 starts and 12 appearances for Nix.

"I can't thank the organization enough for the opportunity," Giles said. "The Rockies did me a favor. My phone was not ringing off the hook. They gave me the opportunity to get into a big-league camp and try to show other teams I have the ability to still play in the big leagues. They were straightforward to me and treated me well."

Wells had success in a brief bullpen assignment for St. Louis last year (1.31 ERA in eight appearances, 231/3 innings), and the Rockies will put him in a long relief role, along with Buchholz, hoping he can get more consistent with adjustments being made in his delivery.

"As you move forward in spring training, you look for ways to help the players and help the team get out of the blocks," Hurdle said. "We're thinking (with Wells), maybe a little less volume (in innings) and a little more opportunity (to pitch in games), more repetitions, will help him."

Rockies 8, Dodgers 2

L.A Dodgers ab r h bi Colorado ab r h bi

Pierre lf 4 0 0 0 Podsednik cf 4 1 1 0

Abreu ss 4 0 1 0 Speier p 0 0 0 0

AChavez 2b 0 0 0 0 Barmes 3b 1 0 0 0

Loney 1b 4 0 3 0 Quintanilla ss 2 1 1 0

Dewitt 3b 0 0 0 0 Herrera ph-ss 2 1 2 1

Kemp cf 4 0 2 0 Helton 1b 2 2 2 1

Ethier rf 3 1 1 0 Bowie p 0 0 0 0

Hu 3b-ss 4 1 1 1 Smith ph 1 0 0 0

Bennett c 3 0 0 1 Newman p 0 0 0 0

Sweeney ph 1 0 1 0 Holliday lf 3 2 2 2

Rivera pr 0 0 0 0 Hawpe rf 3 0 2 4

Mrtnez 2b-1b 4 0 0 0 Spilborghs rf 1 0 0 0

Billingsley p 2 0 0 0 Baker 3b-1b 3 0 0 0

Falkenborg p 0 0 0 0 Torrealba c 4 0 1 0

Loaiza p 1 0 0 0 Nix 2b 3 0 1 0

Young ph 1 0 0 0 Sullivan cf 1 0 0 0

Wells p 1 0 0 0

Iannetta ph 1 0 1 0

Buchholz p 0 0 0 0

MGiles ph-2b 2 1 1 0

Totals 35 2 9 2 Totals 34 8 14 8

L.A. Dodgers020 000 000 - 2 9 0

Colorado101 033 00x - 8 14 0

DP - Los Angeles 3, Colorado 1. LOB - Los Angeles 7, Colorado 7. 2B - Loney, Sweeney, Nix, Iannetta, Quintanilla, Holliday, Hawpe, MGiles. 3B - Hu, Hawpe, Helton. SB - Podsednik. CS - Torrealba. S - Quintanilla.

Los Angeles IP H R ER BB SO

Billingsley, L 4 8 5 5 3 0

Falkenborg 1 0 0 0 0 2

Loaiza 3 6 3 3 0 2

Colorado IP H R ER BB SO

Wells 4 5 2 2 1 4

Buchholz, W 2 2 0 0 0 1

Speier 1 0 0 0 0 1

Bowie 1 1 0 0 0 1

Newman 1 1 0 0 0 0

HBP - by Billingsley (Helton).

T - 2:40. A - 8,613.

FAMILIAR FACE

Former pitcher Kent Bottenfield, who has several places in Rockies history, was at Hi Corbett Field on Sunday, speaking and singing during a postgame Easter celebration for Rockies players and their families.

Bottenfield was the starting and losing pitcher for Montreal in the first game the Rockies played in Denver and was traded to the Rockies and pitched for them in 1993 and 1994.

Bottenfield lives in the Nashville, Tenn., area and travels the country making speaking and singing appearances.

INTERESTED PARTIES

* Detroit remains interested in left-hander Brian Fuentes, but the Tigers are trying to move third baseman Brandon Inge, who does not fit the Rockies' needs. The Rockies are looking to add young arms.

* St. Louis has joined Baltimore and San Francisco in inquiring about shortstop Clint Barmes. The Cardinals have Cesar Izturis as their starting shortstop, with Aaron Miles the backup. The Cardinals are looking to move right-hander Anthony Reyes, who has had problems with pitching coach Dave Duncan.

QUICK HITS

* Brad Hawpe returned to the lineup for the first time in 13 days and went 2-for-3 with a triple, double and four RBI in the Rockies' 8-2 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Hi Corbett Field. Hawpe had been sidelined because of a strained left flexor tendon.

* Right-hander Taylor Buchholz worked two shutout innings, his sixth consecutive scoreless appearance. He has worked 61/3 innings during that stretch, allowing two hits and striking out seven. He has walked none.

* The Rockies had their second sellout thanks to the Dodgers, who are appearing in Tucson this spring training for the first time in 40 years.

* Catcher Yorvit Torrealba increased his hitting streak to nine games with a single in four at-bats. Catcher Chris Iannetta doubled as a pinch hitter. The two are a combined 22-for-61 in spring training.

Today's game

* Rockies (Ubaldo Jimenez) vs. Brewers (Manny Parra), Maryvale (Ariz.) Baseball Park, 2:05 p.m. MDT. FSN Rocky Mountain; no radio.