The Rockies are prepared to begin another youth movement in 2009, a plan that will become reality if they trade left fielder Matt Holliday, third baseman Garrett Atkins and center fielder Willy Taveras.
General manager Dan O'Dowd said the Rockies could begin 2009 with Ian Stewart at third and Seth Smith in left. Ryan Spilborghs will return to Mexico next month to play center field for Obregon and could take over for Taveras in center, a position where the Rockies hope Dexter Fowler will emerge at some point next season after likely beginning the year at Class AAA. And right-handed reliever Manuel Corpas could return to the closer's role after the expected departure of Brian Fuentes. The Rockies don't expect to be able to work out long-term deals with Holliday, who will become a free agent after next season, or Atkins, two years away from free agency, and aren't inclined to pay Taveras the roughly $4 million he will command in his second year of arbitration. Taveras led the majors with 68 stolen bases and was only caught seven times but had a paltry .309 on-base percentage while hitting .251.
"We will never be afraid to play our own players," O'Dowd said. "That is who we are. We are a mid-market club that needs to develop talent to be a winner. We are not a Boston or New York (financially).
"We forget that there was a time where we had to give Matt and Garrett a chance to play. Nobody projected that Matty would develop into a star or Garrett would become a solid major league player. But they were given the opportunity, and you see what happened."
If they go with younger players, it won't be the first time the Rockies have done so during O'Dowd's regime. Six years ago, they began a plan of building from within with the idea they would develop enough talent in the farm system so that when difficult personnel decisions had to be made, replacements would be ready to make the prospect of remaining a contender less daunting.
Because Holliday is closer to free agency, he's more likely to be traded than Atkins. In return for those players, the Rockies ideally would like a No. 3 starter and pitching prospects not far from the big leagues. However, O'Dowd is seeking the best deal, not necessarily the best pitchers available, and realizes he might not get a proven starter back in trade.
"There is not much pitching in the market available, period," O'Dowd said. "And any pitching we get will likely be projection pitching, not that guy that has been there, done it. We are completely open-minded to anything."
