Aaron Cook, the winningest pitcher in Rockies history, has been bumped from the team’s rotation to make room for rookie prospect Drew Pomeranz.
“This kind of thing is never easy,” Cook said Wednesday from Coors Field. “I understand they want to look at some young guys. And I told them that whenever you give me the ball, I’ll be ready to pitch.”
Manager Jim Tracy said, however, there are plans to give Cook one more start before the season ends.
“I’d like that,” Cook said, “but whether I make one more start at Coors Field, it’s not going to be my last here. I’m going to be pitching somewhere next year. I’m not retiring.”
Tracy said: “We will give him one more game, but I don’t want to talk about that until it gets closer.”
The Rockies schedule following this homestand is as follows:
Esmil Rogers and Kevin Millwood will start in Milwaukee on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. They will be followed by Jhoulys Chacin, rookie Alex White and Pomeranz when the team returns home to face the Giants.
There are also no more starts scheduled for Jason Hammel. But if Chacin is shut down at some point in a few weeks, there is a possibilty Hammel could get one more start.
Cook is 3-9 with a 5.74 ERA this season. He’s 72-67 with a 4.50 ERA over a 10-year major-league career, all with Colorado.
Cook is due to become a free agent after the season — he has a $12 million club option for next year that won’t be exercised.
