In a free agent market with one clear ace in Cliff Lee, there's been some question as to who was the second-best starting pitcher available. Many chose to highlight southpaw Jorge de la Rosa, and the pitcher drew broad attention from a number of interested teams, but according to Ken Rosenthal, it now appears that the 29-year-old will return to Colorado, as he and the Rockies are nearing a three-year contract agreement.
Jorge De La Rosa Nearing Three-Year Contract Agreement With Rockies
Via Jon Heyman, we learn that the contract will be worth around $30 million. It's comparable to the $33 million, three-year contract signed by Ted Lilly earlier in the offseason, and it establishes de la Rosa as a member of the second tier. The lefty will thus pull home a significant raise from the $5.6 million he made in 2010.
While de la Rosa has yet to finish a year with more than 185 innings or an ERA below 4.20, he has averaged nearly a strikeout an inning over the last three seasons while working in a hitter-friendly park in Colorado. He uses good heat, a sharp slider, and a strong change to miss a lot of bats, and though he often struggles with command and last year missed significant time with a hand injury, the overall package is a solid one, and de la Rosa remains fairly young.
Assuming this deal shortly becomes official, the Rockies should be able to return a strong rotation in 2011. Other teams, meanwhile, like the Nationals, Pirates, and Orioles, will have to turn their attention to other options. Check out more on the Rockies over at Purple Row.
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