Part of the fun of watching PBS' Antiques Roadshow is seeing these little old ladies who bought some kitschy knickknack at a yard sale for a dollar years ago find out that it's actually far more valuable than they imagined. That old rug they found on the side of the road is worth ten grand. Dan O'Dowd this year has proven once again that he's got as good an eye for junk as anybody, and Rockies fans are continually wowed by how valuable his pickups actually are, but this year he's going more into a niche market, cast aside players with the first name of Jason:
Jason Marquis - In the offseason, the Cubs decided to slough off some salary in order to pursue Milton Bradley and did it by dealing Marquis to the Rockies for Luis Vizcaino, figuring they had enough rotation depth to cover losing him. Marquis has put in an All-Star season for the Rockies while Vizcaino didn't last a month in Chicago. Bradley has been up and down, but mostly disappointing to the Northsiders. Randy Wells' solid rookie performance has vindicated the Cubs thought that their rotation depth was sufficient, at least.
Jason Hammel - Similar to Marquis in that he was squeezed out of a rotation battle, Hammel was about to be DFA'd by Tampa or traded to San Diego at the end of Spring Training, O'Dowd swooped in and offered a better prospect than the Padres could in RHP Aneury Rodriguez.The 26 year old Hammel has gone 8-7 with a 4.40 ERA for the Rockies. His 2.92 road ERA and club control for the next three seasons would mean that if the Rockies decided to deal him they could expect a better return than they gave up.
Jason Giambi - A lot of Purple Row readers were a bit incredulous when I said that not only did I believe that the team was pursuing Giambi but also that it made sense for them to. Jim Tracy had been using a defensive substitute, Omar Quintanilla, in crucial pinch hit situations and an upgrade was warranted. Giambi was coming from the worst hitting park in the AL (where he had been a bit unlucky to boot) to the best hitting park in the NL and just seemed to fit O'Dowd's modus operandi. I wish I could say I thought he'd be as instantly successful as he was, but his first two PA's have exceeded even my expectations.
Links from the Denver Post
- Latest double from helton matches bambino's total - The Denver Post
- Jimenez shakes off early trouble for a 5-2 win - The Denver Post
- Street hoping waiting game helps him heal - The Denver Post
Franklin Morales' first career save last night might not be his last, as Rockies closer Huston Street is suffering from biceps tendinitis. You can't really downplay this, losing Street for the last month would be a big blow to the Rockies. Let's hope that la forza del destino allows the Rockies to overcome this latest handicap anyway.