Cincinnati – As the two newest Rockies, Zach Day and Eric Byrnes, filled up tape recorders from neighboring clubhouse corners, Shawn Chacon sat between them filling out a crossword.
He was not the answer to the Yankees’ starting rotation puzzle Friday because of New York’s reluctance, at least for now, to part with Triple-A left-hander Sean Henn. The Rockies will continue discussions with the Yankees, while also listening to overtures from Texas and San Diego.
“If there is a good baseball trade, we will do it,” Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd said.
The Rockies have identified the prospect they would like from Texas, but there may not be a fit with San Diego.
Moving Chacon isn’t driven by cost – the Rockies would save $1 million on his contract – but depth. Day and Aaron Cook, who started Friday for Triple-A Colorado Springs, are both expected to join the rotation in the coming days and weeks.
Chacon and fourth starter Byung-Hyun Kim occupy the most tenuous spots.
As teams determine whether they are buyers or sellers, the market could expand for Chacon. Baltimore and San Francisco are among those looking for pitching, though they are currently aiming higher than the Rockies’ right-hander.
“I talk to my agent once in a while to keep updated,” Chacon said. “Otherwise, I don’t worry about something that’s out of my control.”
While the Yankees are willing to part with 28-year-old reliever Scott Proctor, the Rockies covet Henn, who at 24 is three years younger than Chacon.
With rookie Chien-Ming Wang likely to miss the rest of the season because of a shoulder injury and journeymen Tim Redding and Darrell May filling rotation spots, the Yankees are looking for reasonable upgrades.
They are interested in trading for left-hander Al Leiter, whom the Marlins designated for assignment Thursday. Leiter has indicated that he would still like to continue playing this season.
