With reliever Elmer Dessens apparently heading to Kansas City, the Rockies are rearranging their free-agent shopping list. Moving up the list is veteran right-handed reliever Jose Mesa.
“We do have a heightened interest in Jose Mesa,” manager Clint Hurdle said Wednesday. “We are looking for a guy who has experience, who’s pitched in big ballgames and has also been a closer. He kind of fits that criteria.”
Mesa was 2-8 with a 4.76 ERA with the Pirates last season. He notched 27 of Pittsburgh’s 35 saves and consistently throws in the low to mid-90s. Mesa turns 40 in May, but Hurdle said he’s still got some innings left in him.
“He’s in great shape, and he’s been able to take the ball over 60 times a year over the last four or five years,” Hurdle said. “He can still bring something in the right situations.”
The Rockies remain interested in reliever Brian Meadows, another former Pirate, as well as left-hander Chris Hammond, a former Padres reliever.
The Rockies view Shawn Estes as a potential starter in Colorado, but if he asks for two years of guaranteed money they likely will pass. Estes is coming off a foot injury that cost him most of the 2005 season with the Diamondbacks.
Baseball’s free-agent trickle- down effect will also determine which players the Rockies ultimately spend their money on.
“As soon as the top two or three guys are gone at a position, all the suitors that didn’t get those guys are going to go down to the next tier. That drives the price up,” Hurdle said. “We want to be smart about our money.”
The Rockies have said they plan to spend about $9 million in free agency this year.
Patrick Saunders can be reached at 303-820-5459 or psaunders@denverpost.com.
