UPDATE: According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, De La Rosa will receive $32-33 million from the Rockies, essentially matching the three-year contract Ted Lilly got with the Dodgers.
11:07 PM: It’s a busy evening for the Rockies. Not only are they about to lock up their star shortstop, but they are close to retaining a key piece of their starting rotation.
According to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com, the Rockies are close to a three-year contract with Jorge De La Rosa. Jon Heyman of SI.com hears that the deal is “believed to be worth” $30 million over the three years. De La Rosa was reportedly seeking a four-year contract at minimum, so if true, Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd did well to hold firm at three years guaranteed.
It’s mildly surprising that De La Rosa is willing to sign so quickly, as many saw him as a fallback option for the teams involved in the bidding for Cliff Lee. The 29-year-old left-hander was regarded as the second best starting pitcher available this winter, but that isn’t saying much, really. His 4.22 ERA this past season was the best of his career and he still averaged 4.1 BB/9. De La Rosa has evolved into a fine mid-rotation starter in Colorado, but he never deserved to be paid like an ace.
