San Francisco – Attempts this early to label the Rockies a genuine contender amount to little more than guesswork. Nothing about this season has gone as predicted, from their road aptitude to Clint Barmes’ offensive disappearance to the blossoming of Brad Hawpe and Ramon Ramirez.
But one thing has become increasingly clear: The Rockies can’t lose their patience, or more important, their blueprint. They are baby-stepping out of the abyss because of a youth movement, so it makes no sense to trade third baseman Ian Stewart or shortstop Troy Tulowitzki.
Their names continue to surface in rumors, if not my e-mail, as the perfect chips to land Florida Marlins ace Dontrelle Willis. The Marlins are a major-league franchise in name only – see $15 million payroll – and could entertain offers for the left-hander in their ongoing salary purge. St. Louis, Arizona, Boston and the Yankees and Dodgers headline a long list of potential suitors.
Multiple executives from both leagues told me they have been informed Willis is not yet available. General manager Dan O’Dowd said this weekend he has not contacted Larry Beinfest, his Florida counterpart.
Nonetheless, the Rockies will be linked to Willis rumors for two reasons: They have the kind of high-impact minor-leaguers Florida would seek in any deal and Rockies special assistant Mark Wiley was Willis’ pitching coach and thinks highly of him.
And owner Charlie Monfort repeated to The Post this past week what he said in spring training: “If we are contending and the right deal is there, we would do it. But the person we would be looking for needs to fit into the grain of the organization.”
Willis profiles well: high character, 24 years old, open to a long-term deal.
But before the “D-Train” choo-choos into Coors Field, let’s pause for a reality check. Truth is, the Rockies are a year ahead of schedule in their recovery. It’s imperative not to let these first two months cloud their judgment, spawning a trade that could haunt them for years (see Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano or John Smoltz for Doyle Alexander).
I have never been big on untouchable prospects, believing most are commodities to trade. Stewart and Tulowitzki, however, are different. Stewart has a chance to be the next Todd Helton and Tulowitzki, well, there’s never been a comparable shortstop in franchise history. Less than a year after Tulowitzki was drafted, O’Dowd admitted the Rockies already have had conversations about promoting him to Triple-A.
“He’s really pushing the envelope,” O’Dowd said.
Stewart has struggled this season and is currently slowed by a left wrist injury that required an MRI. In time, he will hit with thunder.
And eventually, the Rockies will call about Willis. They would be crazy not to. They can put together an impressive package of minor-leaguers. O’Dowd wouldn’t talk specifics, but offered insight on why Stewart and Tulowitzki would not be among those discussed.
“To be above .500 at this point really is miraculous given where we were at this point a year ago,” O’Dowd said. “We don’t want to screw up what we have going long-term with a knee-jerk decision.”
On the trade market
The Mets’ acquisition of Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez and Dave Williams is not expected to trigger a flood of deals. Most pitchers available now are of fifth-starter ilk – such as the Rockies’ Sun-Woo Kim – and most teams will give a minor-leaguer that spot before making an acquisition. The Diamondbacks’ move likely forces Russ Ortiz back into the rotation, but makes sense longterm. Not only does it save them a couple of million, but reliever Jorge Julio gives them late-inning depth.
This isn’t to suggest that some trades aren’t percolating. The Blue Jays have expressed interest in Angels second baseman Adam Kennedy, who recently got into a shouting match with teammate Chone Figgins. And many baseball executives are monitoring the Royals’ and Pirates’ situations closely.
If and when Royals GM Allard Baird is fired, the team is expected to begin dumping mercenary veterans such as Reggie Sanders, Mark Grudzielanek and Doug Mientkiewicz, which could ensure it eclipses the 1962 Mets for the worst record. Enigmatic Pirates pitcher Oliver Perez has been targeted by a handful of clubs, including the Blue Jays.
Pujols to the rescue
When the Cardinals’ Albert Pujols was shouting obscenities at reporters last fall during the playoffs, he hardly seemed like the man capable of lifting baseball’s steroids cloud. However, his most impressive accomplishment this season may have come off the field. As he sits slightly behind Barry Bonds’ single-season home-run pace, Pujols has become more approachable, even candid at times. How he handles the media will go a long way in determining if he can erase Bonds – something baseball executives secretly pine for – from the record book.
The only controversy surrounding Pujols, 26, is whether he’s older, not artificially stronger. Pujols said emphatically he knows his own age. More important, the public believes his accomplishments are legitimate.
Footnotes
Any doubt the Yankees will use their two premium trading coins – Philip Hughes and Eric Duncan – for pitching was removed when Randy Johnson struggled again last week, his sixth consecutive poor start. The Yankees must fix Johnson to win in October, but there are no guarantees. His velocity has dropped to 91 mph and hitters are regularly taking his slider. … Ken Ray, a 31-year-old Atlanta native, is living an improbable dream. After bouncing around the independent leagues for years, he’s surfaced as the Braves’ most reliable reliever. … Cubs GM Jim Hendry was always reluctant to trade Corey Patterson because of his offensive potential. Those fears haven’t been soothed, as Patterson has stolen 15 bases and hit .287 for the Orioles. … Twins manager Ron Gardenhire went Chevy Chase on umpire Angel Hernandez. After Hernandez flipped back the skipper’s hat during an argument, Gardenhire said, “Thank you very little.” … The Angels miscalculated on free agent Steve Finley and Edgardo Alfonzo, the player they acquired for Finley in a trade with the Giants. Since the beginning of last season, the pair cost the Angels $14 million and contributed 12 home runs and a .208 average before Alfonzo was released last week. … Toronto’s Russ Adams, inflicted with Steve Sax throwing disease, was demoted to Triple-A where he will abandon shortstop for second base after committing nine throwing errors. … Ozzie Smith continues to commit a rare error. He still blames Tony La Russa for benching him at the end of his career, when the St. Louis manager was playing the more offensively capable Royce Clayton.
Troy E. Renck can be reached at 303-820-5457 or trenck@denverpost.com.
