On second thought, third base wasn’t the Rockies’ only offensive issue this season. As the team mulls its makeover, finding a starting second baseman has resurfaced as a priority for the second straight winter.
After the 2010 season, Clint Barmes was traded for pitcher Felipe Paulino, who imploded in the bullpen. And Jose Lopez, acquired for his potential power, flopped. Jonathan Herrera lost his spark in June and remains typecast as a reserve.
It led the Rockies to acquiring veteran Mark Ellis, 34, from the Athletics at midseason.
He performed adequately — six home runs, 19 extra-base hits in 70 games — and was excellent defensively. Is Ellis the answer? Or, would the Rockies be better off aggressively pursuing a player such as Rafael Furcal, Jamey Carroll, Orlando Cabrera or even Chone Figgins, if the Mariners agreed to eat nearly all the $17 million remaining on his contract to receive a prospect?
It’s not only that the Rockies need consistent offense from second base. They also need their second baseman to bat second and set up the rest of the lineup.
This year, the Rockies’ second basemen finished below the National League average in all meaningful categories, including slugging percentage (.355 to .380) and RBIs (55 to 64).
The Rockies want Ellis back. Hitting second, he posted a .345 on-base percentage for them this season, a number that would rank fifth best among all major-league second basemen. He also hit five home runs from that spot in the order.
“I’d like to see what he would do if you stuck him in that spot for the season,” veteran Jason Giambi said. “He’s a professional hitter.”
The Marlins, however, might have already spoiled the Rockies’ chances of keeping Ellis. They recently re-signed second baseman Omar Infante to a two-year, $8 million deal, setting the bar for free agents. The Rockies might not be willing to go that high to sign Ellis.
“Yes, we’d like Ellis back. But at a dollar amount that’s affordable to us. And that might not be affordable to him,” general manager Dan O’Dowd said. “It’s a case where we’ve got to price guys in relation to what they mean to us.”
Ellis made $6 million last season, plus incentives. The Rockies paid him $1 million. They’d like him back at closer to $3 million.
“It’s a super bunch of guys here. It’s been a lot of fun. That being said, we will see what happens in the winter. You can like somewhere as much as you want, but you never know what’s going to happen,” Ellis said. “This is an attractive place to play. But being a free agent is about seeing what’s out there and who likes you.”
Ellis views himself as a starter. The Rockies do as well, with a caveat. They believe he could be more effective starting about 140 games, pairing him with Herrera or another player.
There are factors working in Colorado’s favor. Ellis has family in Denver and South Dakota and makes his full-time home in Scottsdale, Ariz., 15 minutes away from the Rockies’ spring training facility. And, he admitted, playing alongside shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is appealing.
“I’d love to have him come back,” Tulowitzki said Wednesday.
However, Ellis knows he doesn’t have too many years left to get back to the playoffs. He hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2006 when Oakland lost to the Tigers in the American League Championship series.
“Colorado is an attractive team with a good nucleus, especially at shortstop and right field (with Carlos Gonzalez),” Ellis said.
“I don’t care about my numbers. They mean absolutely nothing. I am not going to be in the Hall of Fame. I just want to win games.”
There are no obvious internal solutions at second base. Jordan Pacheco and Chris Nelson, both candidates at third base, can play second in a pinch. If they go outside the organization, the Rockies know Furcal well.
He spent 6 1/2 years with the Dodgers before being dealt to the Cardinals this summer. He’s the type of bounce-back candidate the Rockies have had success with in the past, namely Kaz Matsui.
Figgins, a former Rockies farmhand, is another possible solution and can play second and third but has been a bust in Seattle.
The Rockies aren’t looking to dump any big contracts that would match with Figgins, though they will shop reliever Huston Street and the $7 million remaining on his deal.
It appears their decision first leads back to Ellis. He fits the profile they want, but will he fit in the budget?
“He’s a winning player,” manger Jim Tracy said. “He can help us.”
Troy E. Renck: 303-954-1301 or trenck@denverpost.com
