Roster all but set for opener

Redman, Morales to start; Sullivan will be sent down

By Tracy Ringolsby, Rocky Mountain News

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Barry Gutierrez © The Rocky

Mark Redman

Jeff Gross / Getty Images

Franklin Morales

Ahmad Terry / The Rocky

Jeff Francis

Ed Betz / Associated Press

Aaron Cook

Barry Gutierrez / The Rocky

Ubaldo Jimenez

The Rockies finalized their season-opening rotation Wednesday, including announcing that Mark Redman will start the April 4 home opener.

They also put things in place for the two additional decisions that need to be made to finalize the roster.

Left-handers Redman and Franklin Morales officially were named by manager Clint Hurdle to fill out a rotation that also will include left-hander Jeff Francis and right-handers Aaron Cook and Ubaldo Jimenez.

The Rockies, meanwhile, traded right-handed reliever Ramon Ramirez to Kansas City for a player to be determined, opening a bullpen and roster spot for left-hander Micah Bowie, and decided the budget would allow them to option outfielder Cory Sullivan, who has a $1 million salary, to Triple-A Colorado Springs. That created a fit for Scott Podsednik as the fifth outfielder.

Hurdle declined to confirm the decisions involving the bullpen and 25th roster spot.

"We have our thoughts, but we will ride that out to the end," he said.

The roster has to be finalized Sunday.

But there was no further delay in discussing the rotation. Hurdle said if Josh Towers, who was battling with Redman and Morales, and Jose Capellan clear waivers Friday, they will be sent to Colorado Springs and used in the rotation to create depth in case a need arises.

Towers has a $1.2 million major league salary, which could scare away teams, and Capellan had been out with a sprained ankle this spring training until Monday, limiting the amount of time scouts had to evaluate him.

"We used 12 starters in the second half last season alone," Hurdle said. "You know a need will arise during the season for help."

For the Rockies, it actually arose this spring training. Jason Hirsh, expected to be the No. 4 starter, was sidelined the first week of exhibition games with a strained right rotator cuff. The injury has been slow healing.

Last weekend, Hirsh was backed off a light throwing program. It now appears he most likely will miss the first two months of the season.

Neither Morales nor Redman were especially sharp in spring training, but both got the nod over Towers, who also had his struggles, because of the way they pitched for the Rockies in last year's late-season push to the first National League pennant in franchise history.

Morales went 3-2 with a 3.43 ERA in eight starts last year and made four appearances (two starts) in the postseason. Redman was called up in September and went 2-0 with a 3.20 ERA in five appearances (three starts) and would have started Game 4 of the NL Division Series except the Rockies swept Philadelphia.

"It was tough going for Josh coming in," Hurdle said. "Nobody got out of the blocks clean (in exhibition appearances), so we looked at the people we know."

Hurdle said he will go with the first three starts in the opening series at St. Louis - Francis in the opener Monday, Cook in Game 2 on Wednesday and Jimenez on April 3. After Redman starts in the home opener, Francis will come back on his normal rest to face Arizona on April 5 and Morales will make his 2008 debut in the April 6 series finale against the Diamondbacks.

A key in the trade of Ramirez, who allowed two runs and had 13 strikeouts in 122/3 spring training innings, was the decision to put Kip Wells, who has a $3.1 million guaranteed contract, in the bullpen. With five spots previously set - closer Manny Corpas, left- hander Brian Fuentes, and right- handers Luis Vizcaino, Matt Herges and Taylor Buchholz - the addition of Wells left only one bullpen spot. Bowie had the edge because of a desire to carry a second left-hander.

Right-handed reliever Ryan Speier has an option remaining, so he can be sent to Colorado Springs, but Ramirez is out of options. He would have had to clear waivers to be sent to the minors, and there were too many teams with interest in him for that to happen.

The Rockies have until June 15 to decide on the player they will receive from the Royals, but the target is left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, who is out of options and will have to clear waivers before the Rockies can acquire him and send him to Colorado Springs.

The most debated decision of spring training was the extra outfield spot. Sullivan had support because he is the best defensive outfielder and has been a part of the team the past two seasons.

But Podsednik showed the Rockies he was healthy and can provide a speed factor no other player on the roster has except for center fielder Willy Taveras.

There were some concerns about how Podsednik will deal with a backup role once the season starts, but those were eased when the decision was made to keep Sullivan in the organization, similar to last year when Sullivan got the May call-up because Steve Finley was unable to handle the part-time duty.

Arizona 11, Rockies 8

Arizona ab r h bi Colorado ab r h bi

Burke lf-2b 4 2 2 2 Taveras cf 3 1 1 0

Qualls p 0 0 0 0 Podsednik cf 2 0 0 0

Merchan ss 1 0 0 0 Bowie p 0 0 0 0

Hudson 2b 3 0 1 2 Tulowitzki ss 1 1 1 1

Nippert p 0 0 0 0 Barmes ss-cf 2 0 0 0

Ojeda ph-2b 2 0 0 0 Baker 1b 3 1 2 1

Byrnes cf 4 0 0 0 Stewart 3b 2 0 0 0

Salazar cf 0 1 0 0 Holliday lf 3 2 2 1

Snyder c 3 2 3 2 Quintnilla 2b 1 1 1 0

Peguero p 0 0 0 0 Atkins 3b 3 1 2 2

Reynolds 3b 4 1 2 0 Seguignol 1b 2 1 2 1

Kelly 3b 1 0 0 0 Spilborghs rf 3 0 0 0

Drew ss 4 1 2 2 Cota c 2 0 1 0

Rahl rf 1 0 0 0 Iannetta c 2 0 0 0

Upton rf 4 0 0 0 Frey rf 1 0 0 1

Cruz p 0 0 0 0 Nix 2b 2 0 0 0

TPena p 0 0 0 0 Vizcaino p 0 0 0 0

Hester ph-c 1 0 0 0 Daley p 0 0 0 0

Nixon 1b 3 1 1 0 Corpas p 0 0 0 0

Ambriz p 1 0 0 0 Sullivan ph 1 0 0 0

Romero ph-lf 4 3 3 2 Herges p 0 0 0 0

Bernier ss 0 0 0 0

Francis p 2 0 0 1

Smith lf 2 0 0 0

Totals 40 11 14 10 Totals 37 8 12 8

Arizona000 025 130 - 11 14 1

Colorado101 220 200 - 8 12 0

E - Reynolds. DP - Arizona, Colorado 1. LOB - Colorado 8, Arizona 7. 2B - Reynolds, Drew 2, Nixon, Snyder, Atkins, Quintanilla. 3B - Hudson. HR - Burke, Tulowitzki, Holliday. CS - Baker. SF - Frey.

Arizona IP H R ER BB SO

Ambriz 4 5 4 3 2 5

Nippert 1 3 2 2 2 0

Qualls 1 0 0 0 0 0

Cruz, W 1 3 2 2 0 1

TPena 1 0 0 0 0 1

Peguero, S 1 1 0 0 1 0

Colorado IP H R ER BB SO

Francis 5 5 2 2 2 3

Vizcaino 2/3 3 4 4 1 0

Daley 1/3 1 1 1 0 0

Corpas 1 2 1 1 0 3

Herges, L 1 3 3 3 1 0

Bowie 1 0 0 0 1 0

WP - Vizcaino.

T - 3:15. A - 8,643.

DRAWING FANS

10 of the Rockies' 13 home games against major league teams drew crowds in excess of 4,000 at Hi Corbett Field. The Rockies closed the Tucson portion of spring training Wednesday with their largest crowd, 8,643. It was their third sellout, all coming in the past week.

REINFORCEMENTS

The Rockies signed catcher Humberto Cota, a former Pirates prospect who initially was with Washington this spring training, to a minor league contract. They developed a need at Triple-A Colorado Springs when Mike Rose was released.

First baseman Fernando Seguignol also signed a minor league deal with the possibility he could assume a nonplaying role in the organization.

Seguignol is a native of Panama who played in the majors with Montreal and also has played in Japan and Taiwan.

Originally signed by the Yankees, he was traded in April 1995, at age 19, to the Expos for reliever John Wetteland.

QUICKLY

* Right-hander Luis Vizcaino failed to get through one inning, giving up four runs in the Rockies' 11-8 loss to Arizona at Hi Corbett Field. Vizcaino's fastball was clocked at 94 mph, easing concerns he still is troubled by elbow stiffness.

* Right-handed reliever Matt Herges gave up three runs in his one inning of work.

* Troy Tulowitzki hit his fifth home run of spring training and Matt Holliday hit his third.

HE SAID IT

"I just go out and get outs. There's no secret to what I try to do."

Jeff Francis, who pitched five innings, giving up two runs with two out in the fifth, in his final tuneup before starting the season opener Monday at St. Louis.

No more spinning in place

The Rockies solidified their rotation Wednesday, finalizing the list with Mark Redman and Franklin Morales (statistics from 2007).

* LHP Mark Redman: 2-4, 7.62 ERA

* LHP Franklin Morales: 3-2, 3.43 ERA

* LHP Jeff Francis: 17-9, 4.22 ERA

* RHP Aaron Cook: 8-7, 4.12 ERA

* RHP Ubaldo Jimenez: 4-4, 4.28 ERA

Today's game

* Rockies (Kip Wells) vs. Angels (Nick Green), 1:05 p.m. MDT, Tempe (Ariz.) Diablo Stadium. No TV or radio.