Nashville, Tenn. – Agent Joe Bick said he expects to know either today or Thursday if his client Aaron Cook will accept the Rockies’ three-year, $30-million contract extension with an option season.
Cook went 8-7 with a 4.12 ERA last year, and pitched the Rockies’ best game in the World Series. He will be a free agent after this season.
“Aaron is going to make a decision about this in the next couple of days. This is something we have been talking about for two-to-three weeks,” Bick said. “It’s not a slam dunk. There are still some issues to be resolved.”
The Rockies, as originally reported in The Denver Post, are also preparing to offer Matt Holliday a four-year, $60-million extension as well. Holliday has been lukewarm to the idea, when asked about those figures. Colorado locked up Jeff Francis long-term last season and would like to keep the core group of the World Series team together.
Cook turns 29 in February and started opening day for the Rockies’ last season. He projects as the Rockies’ No. 2 starter behind Francis. The exploding market provides explanation as to why Cook might not accept the offer. Comparable pitchers, like Gil Meche, received $55-million last winter. And Carlos Silva is seeking a similar deal this year.
However, the Rockies are clearly more aggressive than a year ago, when they offered Jason Jennings a two-year, $16.5-million extension. Not surprisingly, he rejected the deal and was subsequently traded to Houston.
Footnotes
The Cardinals have contacted the agent for Josh Fogg.
