NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After making their most aggressive contract offer to a player since 2000, the Rockies are on the verge of signing pitcher Aaron Cook to a three-year, $30 million extension.
“I am confident we will get a deal done,” agent Joe Bick told The Denver Post. “We are moving toward getting it finalized.”
It represents the first of what could be several significant steps in retaining core players on the World Series team. Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd has also told shortstop Troy Tulowitzki’s agent that he wants to discuss a multiyear deal after the first of the year.
The team had planned to offer Matt Holliday a four-year, $60 million deal, but that may be scrapped since the sides are so far apart.
O’Dowd has never given a long-term contract to a Rockies player with just one season of experience. Tulowitzki, however, has quickly become one of the faces of the franchise — he’s close to securing national and local advertising deals. The goal of the deal would be to provide Tulowitzki security, while creating cost certainty for the team and saving money in the long-term.
With Cook, the Rockies put together a proposal that is similar to the three-year, $33 million contract signed by Cleveland’s Jake Westbrook last season. Cook, 28, was 8-7 with a 4.12 ERA last season and is 36-35 in his career with 4.47 ERA.
“We don’t think Cookie has hit his ceiling at all. We want to keep him around,” O’Dowd said.
The sides have agreed on the dollars, but are ironing out smaller details, like whether a fourth-year on the contract will be a club, vesting or player option. The deal would require a physical, so it might be several days before it becomes official.
“This is a good example of showing people we have that we value them first,” manager Clint Hurdle said.
Carrolling trade winds.
According to a major-league source, the Rockies have deals in place to trade Jamey Carroll and Clint Barmes if they sign a free-agent second baseman, namely Tadahito Iguchi. St. Louis, Florida and Cleveland are considered the potential destinations for Carroll and Barmes.
O’Dowd wouldn’t rule out offering a two-year deal to Iguchi, making them a serious suitor.
The Brewers, Phillies and Orioles, if they trade Brian Roberts to the Cubs, are also after Iguchi. Even though Colorado believes Mark Loretta will accept Houston’s salary arbitration, they haven’t given up on him yet, either.
Eyeing the Hawk.
The Rockies’ interest in LaTroy Hawkins hasn’t changed, but their level of commitment has. O’Dowd said he wants the right-handed reliever back only on a one-year contract.
Hawkins told The Denver Post on Wednesday he wouldn’t rule out returning on a one-year deal, but remains adamant that he won’t accept a pay cut from the $3.25 million he made last season.
Shawn Chacon and Octavio Dotel remain in the picture. In his search for a left-handed swingman, O’Dowd is targeting Mark Redman and Glendon Rusch. The Rockies passed on free agent reliever Kazuo Fukumori.
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
