Rockieshome.com | Colorado Rockies News, rockies Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div> --Don Baylor, the first Rockies manager, will rejoin the team as its hitting coach. Jim Tracy, who has managed the Dodgers and Pirates, will be the bench coach. Rich Dauer, formerly the Rockies' roving infield instructor, will be the third base coach, and Jim Wright, formerly the roving pitching coordinator, will be the bullpen coach. Brian Jordan will be the team's strength and conditioning coach. First base coach Glenallen Hill and pitching coach Bob Apodaca are the only holdovers on the staff.</div>--Rick Mathews will be a special assistant to player development director Marc Gustafson. The plan is for Mathews, the Rockies' bullpen coach the past six seasons, to advise and aid Gustafson in decisions relating to the minor league system the way Marcel Lachemann helps general manager Dan O'Dowd at the big-league level. The Rockies announced after the season Mathews, 61, would be reassigned as part of a coaching shake-up that resulted in the firing of three other coaches from manager Clint Hurdle's staff. Mathews has been in the Rockies organization all 17 years it has existed, beginning as a pitching coach with their rookie-level Arizona League affiliate in 1992. He has also served as the field coordinator and roving pitching coordinator, holding both jobs simultaneously at one point under frugal former general manager Bob Gebhard. --The Rockies, who have been successful recently in Latin America with pitchers, signed RHP Alving Mejias, 16, from Venezuela and are believed to have given him a $250,000 signing bonus. That matches the figure the Rockies gave 3B Miguel De Leon of the Dominican Republic in May. Despite his youth, Mejias has a solid 90 mph fastball, a feel for a changeup with sinking action, a solid curveball and deception in his delivery. "For 16 years old, he's got a good delivery, he's got three pitches and he knows how to pitch," said Rolando Fernandez, the Rockies' director of international operations. "Usually, kids who are 16 years old, their pitch ability is not that good. For his age, he's pretty advanced." The Rockies' emphasis on Latin America has produced RHP Ubaldo Jimenez and closer Manuel Corpas at the big league level; LHP Franklin Morales, who is trying to work his way back from Class AAA; RHP Jhoulys Chacin, who is from Venezuela and is the top pitching prospect in the system; and RHPs Esmil Rogers and Aneury Rodriguez, Dominican prospects who pitched at the high Class A level this year. --The Rockies added six minor-leaguers to their winter roster and outrighted Class AAA Colorado Springs C Edwin Bellorin. RHPs Shane Lindsay, Ryan Mattheus and Samuel Deduno were selected to the roster, along with SS Chris Nelson and SS Hector Gomez and 2B Eric Young Jr. Young played center field in the Arizona Fall League and led the league with a .430 average. Putting the players on the roster means they can't be taken in the Rule 5 draft that will be held Dec. 11 at the winter meetings in Las Vegas. The moves put the Rockies at the 40-player limit, meaning they would have to release someone to participate in the Rule 5 draft. --2B/OF Eric Young Jr. was a finalist for the Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award, created in memory of the Cincinnati Reds outfield prospect who was killed during the 2003 Arizona Fall League season. The award, which was won by Phillies shortstop prospect Jason Donald, has been given annually since 2004 to the player in the league who best exemplifies unselfishness, hard work and leadership. BY THE NUMBERS: 22 -- Home runs by Rockies catchers, which was third in the National League behind the Cubs (26) and Braves (24). Chris Iannetta hit 18 home runs, the second-highest single-season total by a Rockies catcher (Charles Johnson hit 20 in 2003). Iannetta set franchise records for a catcher in RBIs (65), total bases (168) and on-base percentage (.390). QUOTE TO NOTE: "We are exploring a lot of different options, but the situation is as fluid as it's ever been. We hope to make some decisions this offseason." -- Rockies president Keli McGregor, on the team's spring training situation. The Rockies and Diamondbacks will be the only clubs left in Tucson now that the White Sox have left.

--Don Baylor, the first Rockies manager, will rejoin the team as its hitting coach. Jim Tracy, who has managed the Dodgers and Pirates, will be the bench coach. Rich Dauer, formerly the Rockies' roving infield instructor, will be the third base coach, and Jim Wright, formerly the roving pitching coordinator, will be the bullpen coach. Brian Jordan will be the team's strength and conditioning coach. First base coach Glenallen Hill and pitching coach Bob Apodaca are the only holdovers on the staff.

--Rick Mathews will be a special assistant to player development director Marc Gustafson. The plan is for Mathews, the Rockies' bullpen coach the past six seasons, to advise and aid Gustafson in decisions relating to the minor league system the way Marcel Lachemann helps general manager Dan O'Dowd at the big-league level.

The Rockies announced after the season Mathews, 61, would be reassigned as part of a coaching shake-up that resulted in the firing of three other coaches from manager Clint Hurdle's staff. Mathews has been in the Rockies organization all 17 years it has existed, beginning as a pitching coach with their rookie-level Arizona League affiliate in 1992. He has also served as the field coordinator and roving pitching coordinator, holding both jobs simultaneously at one point under frugal former general manager Bob Gebhard.

--The Rockies, who have been successful recently in Latin America with pitchers, signed RHP Alving Mejias, 16, from Venezuela and are believed to have given him a $250,000 signing bonus. That matches the figure the Rockies gave 3B Miguel De Leon of the Dominican Republic in May. Despite his youth, Mejias has a solid 90 mph fastball, a feel for a changeup with sinking action, a solid curveball and deception in his delivery.

"For 16 years old, he's got a good delivery, he's got three pitches and he knows how to pitch," said Rolando Fernandez, the Rockies' director of international operations. "Usually, kids who are 16 years old, their pitch ability is not that good. For his age, he's pretty advanced."

The Rockies' emphasis on Latin America has produced RHP Ubaldo Jimenez and closer Manuel Corpas at the big league level; LHP Franklin Morales, who is trying to work his way back from Class AAA; RHP Jhoulys Chacin, who is from Venezuela and is the top pitching prospect in the system; and RHPs Esmil Rogers and Aneury Rodriguez, Dominican prospects who pitched at the high Class A level this year.

--The Rockies added six minor-leaguers to their winter roster and outrighted Class AAA Colorado Springs C Edwin Bellorin.

RHPs Shane Lindsay, Ryan Mattheus and Samuel Deduno were selected to the roster, along with SS Chris Nelson and SS Hector Gomez and 2B Eric Young Jr. Young played center field in the Arizona Fall League and led the league with a .430 average.

Putting the players on the roster means they can't be taken in the Rule 5 draft that will be held Dec. 11 at the winter meetings in Las Vegas. The moves put the Rockies at the 40-player limit, meaning they would have to release someone to participate in the Rule 5 draft.

--2B/OF Eric Young Jr. was a finalist for the Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award, created in memory of the Cincinnati Reds outfield prospect who was killed during the 2003 Arizona Fall League season. The award, which was won by Phillies shortstop prospect Jason Donald, has been given annually since 2004 to the player in the league who best exemplifies unselfishness, hard work and leadership.

BY THE NUMBERS: 22 -- Home runs by Rockies catchers, which was third in the National League behind the Cubs (26) and Braves (24). Chris Iannetta hit 18 home runs, the second-highest single-season total by a Rockies catcher (Charles Johnson hit 20 in 2003). Iannetta set franchise records for a catcher in RBIs (65), total bases (168) and on-base percentage (.390).

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We are exploring a lot of different options, but the situation is as fluid as it's ever been. We hope to make some decisions this offseason." -- Rockies president Keli McGregor, on the team's spring training situation. The Rockies and Diamondbacks will be the only clubs left in Tucson now that the White Sox have left.