Saturday Rockpile: Rockies retain Phillips, protect five prospects by adding to 40-man roster

by Bryan Kilpatrick on Nov 21, 2009 7:02 AM MST in Rockpile Comment 39 comments

Phillips is in the fold - The Denver Post
The Rox signed Paul Phillips to a hefty $13,000/month contract yesterday, which gives the Rockies a contingency plan in the event that Yorvit Torrealba is lost to free agency and Michael McKenry doesn't become superman in Spring Training (which I have a good feeling he won't do, although I'm definitely rooting for it).

McKenry among those added to 40-man roster | All Things Rockies
Speaking of Michael McKenry, the Rox protected five prospects from the Rule 5 Draft. It's good to know that McKenry, Al Alburquerque, Edgmer Escalona, Juan Nicasio, and Chaz Roe won't be leaving the organization without a return. The club still has two open spots to play with.

White Sox add five to 40-man roster | MLB.com: News
Former Colorado farmhand Brandon Hynick was among Chicago's additions.

Law: Ranking the top 50 MLB free agents - ESPN (Insider Only)
Keith Law lists his top free agents, from Matt Holliday at No. 1 to Adam Everett at No. 50. In between, two Rockies players are included - the soon-to-be-gone Jason Marquis (#32) and Rafael Betancourt (#33). Here's what Law had to say about Raffy:

Betancourt throws a lot of fastballs and throws them for strikes. He's at 89-94 mph, mostly 91-93, with a short arm action and good deception because of it, and his stinginess with the walk -- only 85 unintentionals in 435 career innings -- should keep him employed for a while. He'll get ahead with the fastball, and he primarily uses his slider when he's ahead, especially with two strikes, although he's just as likely to keep pumping heat. His 2008 season, whether bad luck or a carryover from the way manager Eric Wedge overused him in 2007, now looks like a fluke, and Betancourt is the rare middle reliever who's worth a multiyear contract.

Final notes from Arizona Fall League - ESPN (Insider Only)
No mention of any Rockies, but there is a story about a bat boy-turned-criminal from ESPN.com's Jason Grey:

Stuff had been disappearing from one of the team's clubhouses for a period of a couple weeks. This situation was apparently resolved when police offers literally went into the dugout during the game and took the team's batboy away in handcuffs. Did I mention this happened during the game? The look on the manager's face was priceless, as in "What the heck are you doing in my dugout?" Lacking a batboy, the club plucked a lucky fan out of the stands to fill the role for the rest of the contest.

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Brilliant Fall League Story

by WolfMarauder on Nov 21, 2009 9:56 AM MST reply actions 0 recs

Huh. Contreras is thinking about Japan.

by WolfMarauder on Nov 21, 2009 12:57 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Where did you hear this?

http://twitter.com/blakebomber

by BlakeBomber on Nov 21, 2009 1:01 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

http://www.npbtracker.com/2009/11/contreras-son-reportedly-looking-for-move-to-japan/

by WolfMarauder on Nov 21, 2009 1:06 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the link.

Do you think Jose is serious about this, or is it a move to drive up some value here in the states?

http://twitter.com/blakebomber

by BlakeBomber on Nov 21, 2009 1:16 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Cuba has ties to the Japanese league..

so I’m not suprised he’s considering it. Besides the fact that Japan will pay through the nose for ~~foreigners~~ former MLB players, this might be a chance for Jose to see old friends playing in Japan or even eventually travel back to Cuba. Don’t forget that most Cuban players leave wives, parents, siblings and children when they come to America to play baseball. I’m not current on Contreras’ backstory, but this could be a possibility for him.

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by Charlie77 on Nov 21, 2009 2:44 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Odd

If this is the case I think we should seriously talk to him about coming back here. I think his family could find a place in Colorado/Denver and be just as happy. He might also be able to make more money here.

Get on this DOD!

JFK

by jrockies on Nov 21, 2009 1:21 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Tyhe article implies he will be doing it for his son.

If the decision has already been made that his son is doing the exchange program, I don’t know if there will be any talking him out of it.

by WolfMarauder on Nov 21, 2009 1:27 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

the*

by WolfMarauder on Nov 21, 2009 1:27 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Unless no one in Japan really wants him.

Also, I can’t imagine him turning down a MLB contract if he gets a good offer.

http://twitter.com/blakebomber

by BlakeBomber on Nov 21, 2009 1:32 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Somebody would give him an MLB Contract.

I’m definitely getting the impression this is a familial move, not a career move.

by WolfMarauder on Nov 21, 2009 1:36 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

That does make sense

JFK

by jrockies on Nov 21, 2009 1:50 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Trntative Spring Training Schedule Posted

http://colorado.rockies.mlb.com/spring_training/tentative.jsp?c_id=col

by WolfMarauder on Nov 21, 2009 2:32 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Tentative*

by WolfMarauder on Nov 21, 2009 2:33 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Hmmm, Josh Johnson isn't going to get an extension from the Marlins, so he's almost defintely going to get traded

Imagine trading for him and having him and Ubaldo in the same rotation? (drools)

Impossible not to have positive thoughts.

I want Sam Deduno to pitch already.

by bballrox4717 on Nov 21, 2009 2:37 PM MST reply actions 0 recs

Unfortunately the Rockies..

would probably trade Deduno, Rogers and Rosario to get Johnson.

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by Charlie77 on Nov 21, 2009 2:45 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I'd think about it, personally.

Hope got in my eyes

by Andrew Martin on Nov 21, 2009 5:41 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

that wouldn’t be terrible seeing as we have two really strong lefties coming up, Deduno isn’t projected to be more than a reliever, Rogers is being held in AAA unless he comes and proves he can pitch here right now. Rosario is the only one I would hold a little bit, but seeing as how we have CDI right now with McKenry projected to play decent up here (and they’re both relatively young) I wouldn’t worry about it. Make it happen.

JFK

by jrockies on Nov 21, 2009 5:47 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I posted about this in the trade fanpost as well

depends on Florida’s demands

Hope got in my eyes

by Andrew Martin on Nov 21, 2009 6:02 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

Do we know

what exactly their looking for?

JFK

by jrockies on Nov 21, 2009 6:17 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not sure they even know, seeing as the extension talks have only just recently been abandoned.

by WolfMarauder on Nov 21, 2009 6:24 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs

It would most likely start with Friedrich

then Rosario, then an MLB ready arm (like Rogers), then someone off the squad, probably Smith seeing that CF is already filled for them (Maybin), and getting him would cause Coghlan to go to second in place for Uggla.

Either way it hurts us, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Marlins pulled Toronto’s tactics and asked for our ace in return.

Impossible not to have positive thoughts.

I want Sam Deduno to pitch already.

by bballrox4717 on Nov 21, 2009 11:29 PM MST up reply actions 0 recs