Rockieshome.com | Colorado Rockies News, rockies Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div> --INF Jonathan Herrera, who batted .230 this year in his first major league action, was non-tendered by the Rockies.</div>--The Twins revisited talks with the Rockies about 3B Garrett Atkins after 3B Casey Blake re-signed with the Dodgers for three years. But the Twins are unwilling to part with RHPs Kevin Slowey or Nick Blackburn along with a top prospect. The Rockies don't anticipate trading Atkins, who provides insurance at first base for Todd Helton, who is recovering from back surgery. Atkins also gives Colorado much-needed right-handed power in a lineup that will no longer include LF Matt Holliday. --The Rockies lost two players in the Rule 5 draft. San Diego chose INF Everth Cabrera, and Cincinnati selected RHP David Patton and sold him to the Cubs. Cabrera, who is from Nicaragua, mostly played second base last year at low Class A Asheville but showed he had the range and arm for shortstop toward the end of the season, which increased his value. He's got above-average speed and has shown an ability to get on base. Cabrera had a .284 average, a minor league-leading 73 stolen bases and .361 on-base percentage last year, but he struck out 101 times in 474 at-bats and needs plenty of work when it comes to grasping the nuances of hitting leadoff. Asheville manager Joe Mikulik said Cabrera finds ways to win, and when former Rockies special assistant Walt Weiss saw Cabrera, he said Cabrera reminded him of a young Rafael Furcal. When Furcal came up with Atlanta, Weiss was playing for the Braves. Still, considering Cabrera has yet to play at the high Class A level, he'll be trying to make a huge jump to the big leagues in spring training with the Padres. Patton spent last season in a setup role at high Class A Modesto, where he went 4-5 with a 3.54 ERA and four saves in 50 games. He had 83 strikeouts and 28 walks in 73 2/3 innings. Patton has a power arm and has touched 94 mph with his fastball, one of three plus pitches in his repertoire. --LHP Jeff Francis pitched for Canada in the first World Baseball Classic in 2006, but he won't do so when the second WBC is held in March. Francis missed six weeks of last season with left shoulder inflammation and didn't pitch after Sept. 12 because of the same problems. Players on multiyear contracts who finished last season injured cannot participate in the WBC because the contracts are not covered against injuries in that instance. --Mexico is interested in having LHP Jorge De La Rosa on its WBC team, which will be managed by Rockies special assistant Vinny Castillo. The Rockies are reluctant to give approval unless De La Rosa is used as a starter because they don't want to interfere with his preparation for the regular season. De La Rosa is currently slotted fourth in the Rockies' 2009 rotation. --OF Carlos Gonzalez was sidelined in winter ball in Venezuela by a viral infection and hadn't played for Zulia since Nov. 21. The Rockies acquired Gonzalez in the Nov. 12 deal that sent OF Matt Holliday to the A's. General manager Dan O'Dowd said Gonzalez, 23, will play all three outfield positions in spring training, meaning he'll be among the group of players who will get a look in center field. Gonzalez's 81 strikeouts in 302 at-bats with the A's last year make him a candidate to open the season at Class AAA Colorado Springs unless his plate discipline shows improvement in the spring. --OF Seth Smith and INF/OF Ian Stewart, left-handed hitters like Carlos Gonzalez, will get time in left field in spring training, GM Dan O'Dowd said. Stewart will also play some second base with the anticipated return of Garrett Atkins to third. Stewart played second when he was called up for the first time last season in May and was athletic enough to succeed at the position. --OF Ryan Spilborghs is the projected starter in center field, with Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler getting time to perform in spring training. CF Willy Taveras was non-tendered on Dec. 12. Not eager to pay Taveras the roughly $3 million he would earn next season if he went through the arbitration process a second time, the Rockies had been working on a deal that would have sent him and minor league RHP Juan Morillo, a hard thrower with erratic control and no minor league options left, to the Nationals and netted the Rockies RHP Tim Redding. The Nationals pulled out of that deal, content to wait to see if Taveras becomes a free agent after being non-tendered. However, Washington won't be the only club interested in acquiring Taveras without having to surrender any players in return. While Taveras led the majors with 68 stolen bases this year, his on-base percentage was a mere .308, and just 18 of his 120 hits went for extra bases. Like Taveras, Redding, who went 10-11 with a 4.95 ERA last season, was non-tendered, so he is available to the Rockies and anyone else as a free agent. --Spilborghs has reported to Obregon to play center field in winter ball for a few weeks in the Mexican Pacific League. This is the third time in four years Spilborghs has played for Obregon; he missed last year after the Rockies prolonged their season until late October by reaching the World Series. --O'Dowd said the Rockies would explore a multiyear contract with RHP Ubaldo Jimenez after the holidays, "but we won't be doing any of that once spring training starts." Jimenez, who turns 25 next month, went 12-12 with a 3.99 ERA in his first full season in the majors this year and won't be arbitration-eligible until after the 2010 season. --O'Dowd said he would like to see C Chris Iannetta go into the season as the No. 1 catcher and handle the job for a full season before talking to him about a multiyear deal. Iannetta was the Opening Day catcher in 2007 but lost the regular job to Yorvit Torrealba, who began last season as the starting catcher before losing the role to Iannetta. --The Rockies would gladly move Torrealba, 30, but that task is complicated by the $4 million he's guaranteed -- $3.5 million next season with a $500,000 buyout of a 2010 option. That contract has kept clubs from being interested in trading for Torrealba. If the Rockies could move Torrealba, they would be interested in signing free agent C Josh Bard, who is from the Denver area and still lives there. Such a move wouldn't happen until spring training is near, when the Rockies believe Bard, his other alternatives exhausted, might sign a minor league contract with Class AAA Colorado Springs. "We'd love to have him," O'Dowd said, "and if a big-league opportunity is not there, we are hoping that the proximity (of his home to Colorado Springs) would put us in a good position to sign him." BY THE NUMBERS: 10 -- Consecutive years with at least 61 appearances by newly acquired LHP Alan Embree. He pitched in 70 games last year, his third-highest total, topped only by 73 (2006) and 71 (2004). QUOTE TO NOTE: "He can still bring an awful lot. He can make a significant difference to our club in a lot of different ways when he's healthy." -- Manager Clint Hurdle on 1B Todd Helton, 35, who is coming off his worst season. Back problems limited Helton to 83 games and resulted in September surgery.

--INF Jonathan Herrera, who batted .230 this year in his first major league action, was non-tendered by the Rockies.

--The Twins revisited talks with the Rockies about 3B Garrett Atkins after 3B Casey Blake re-signed with the Dodgers for three years. But the Twins are unwilling to part with RHPs Kevin Slowey or Nick Blackburn along with a top prospect.

The Rockies don't anticipate trading Atkins, who provides insurance at first base for Todd Helton, who is recovering from back surgery. Atkins also gives Colorado much-needed right-handed power in a lineup that will no longer include LF Matt Holliday.

--The Rockies lost two players in the Rule 5 draft. San Diego chose INF Everth Cabrera, and Cincinnati selected RHP David Patton and sold him to the Cubs.

Cabrera, who is from Nicaragua, mostly played second base last year at low Class A Asheville but showed he had the range and arm for shortstop toward the end of the season, which increased his value. He's got above-average speed and has shown an ability to get on base. Cabrera had a .284 average, a minor league-leading 73 stolen bases and .361 on-base percentage last year, but he struck out 101 times in 474 at-bats and needs plenty of work when it comes to grasping the nuances of hitting leadoff.

Asheville manager Joe Mikulik said Cabrera finds ways to win, and when former Rockies special assistant Walt Weiss saw Cabrera, he said Cabrera reminded him of a young Rafael Furcal. When Furcal came up with Atlanta, Weiss was playing for the Braves. Still, considering Cabrera has yet to play at the high Class A level, he'll be trying to make a huge jump to the big leagues in spring training with the Padres.

Patton spent last season in a setup role at high Class A Modesto, where he went 4-5 with a 3.54 ERA and four saves in 50 games. He had 83 strikeouts and 28 walks in 73 2/3 innings. Patton has a power arm and has touched 94 mph with his fastball, one of three plus pitches in his repertoire.

--LHP Jeff Francis pitched for Canada in the first World Baseball Classic in 2006, but he won't do so when the second WBC is held in March. Francis missed six weeks of last season with left shoulder inflammation and didn't pitch after Sept. 12 because of the same problems. Players on multiyear contracts who finished last season injured cannot participate in the WBC because the contracts are not covered against injuries in that instance.

--Mexico is interested in having LHP Jorge De La Rosa on its WBC team, which will be managed by Rockies special assistant Vinny Castillo. The Rockies are reluctant to give approval unless De La Rosa is used as a starter because they don't want to interfere with his preparation for the regular season. De La Rosa is currently slotted fourth in the Rockies' 2009 rotation.

--OF Carlos Gonzalez was sidelined in winter ball in Venezuela by a viral infection and hadn't played for Zulia since Nov. 21. The Rockies acquired Gonzalez in the Nov. 12 deal that sent OF Matt Holliday to the A's.

General manager Dan O'Dowd said Gonzalez, 23, will play all three outfield positions in spring training, meaning he'll be among the group of players who will get a look in center field. Gonzalez's 81 strikeouts in 302 at-bats with the A's last year make him a candidate to open the season at Class AAA Colorado Springs unless his plate discipline shows improvement in the spring.

--OF Seth Smith and INF/OF Ian Stewart, left-handed hitters like Carlos Gonzalez, will get time in left field in spring training, GM Dan O'Dowd said. Stewart will also play some second base with the anticipated return of Garrett Atkins to third. Stewart played second when he was called up for the first time last season in May and was athletic enough to succeed at the position.

--OF Ryan Spilborghs is the projected starter in center field, with Carlos Gonzalez and Dexter Fowler getting time to perform in spring training. CF Willy Taveras was non-tendered on Dec. 12.

Not eager to pay Taveras the roughly $3 million he would earn next season if he went through the arbitration process a second time, the Rockies had been working on a deal that would have sent him and minor league RHP Juan Morillo, a hard thrower with erratic control and no minor league options left, to the Nationals and netted the Rockies RHP Tim Redding. The Nationals pulled out of that deal, content to wait to see if Taveras becomes a free agent after being non-tendered. However, Washington won't be the only club interested in acquiring Taveras without having to surrender any players in return. While Taveras led the majors with 68 stolen bases this year, his on-base percentage was a mere .308, and just 18 of his 120 hits went for extra bases.

Like Taveras, Redding, who went 10-11 with a 4.95 ERA last season, was non-tendered, so he is available to the Rockies and anyone else as a free agent.

--Spilborghs has reported to Obregon to play center field in winter ball for a few weeks in the Mexican Pacific League. This is the third time in four years Spilborghs has played for Obregon; he missed last year after the Rockies prolonged their season until late October by reaching the World Series.

--O'Dowd said the Rockies would explore a multiyear contract with RHP Ubaldo Jimenez after the holidays, "but we won't be doing any of that once spring training starts." Jimenez, who turns 25 next month, went 12-12 with a 3.99 ERA in his first full season in the majors this year and won't be arbitration-eligible until after the 2010 season.

--O'Dowd said he would like to see C Chris Iannetta go into the season as the No. 1 catcher and handle the job for a full season before talking to him about a multiyear deal. Iannetta was the Opening Day catcher in 2007 but lost the regular job to Yorvit Torrealba, who began last season as the starting catcher before losing the role to Iannetta.

--The Rockies would gladly move Torrealba, 30, but that task is complicated by the $4 million he's guaranteed -- $3.5 million next season with a $500,000 buyout of a 2010 option. That contract has kept clubs from being interested in trading for Torrealba.

If the Rockies could move Torrealba, they would be interested in signing free agent C Josh Bard, who is from the Denver area and still lives there. Such a move wouldn't happen until spring training is near, when the Rockies believe Bard, his other alternatives exhausted, might sign a minor league contract with Class AAA Colorado Springs.

"We'd love to have him," O'Dowd said, "and if a big-league opportunity is not there, we are hoping that the proximity (of his home to Colorado Springs) would put us in a good position to sign him."

BY THE NUMBERS: 10 -- Consecutive years with at least 61 appearances by newly acquired LHP Alan Embree. He pitched in 70 games last year, his third-highest total, topped only by 73 (2006) and 71 (2004).

QUOTE TO NOTE: "He can still bring an awful lot. He can make a significant difference to our club in a lot of different ways when he's healthy." -- Manager Clint Hurdle on 1B Todd Helton, 35, who is coming off his worst season. Back problems limited Helton to 83 games and resulted in September surgery.