--RHP Ubaldo Jimenez, with his four-year, $10 million contract, became the latest Rockies core player to receive a multi-year deal that can carry him through the start of his free agency.
Before the 2008 season, RH reliever Manuel Corpas, 26, signed a four-year, $8.025 million deal with club options in 2012 (Corpas' final year of arbitration eligibility) and 2013, his first year of free agency. The club options could increase the total value of the contract to $21.775 million.
RF Brad Hawpe, 29, signed a four-year, $17.425 million deal before last season. A club option for 2011, Hawpe's first year of free agency, would increase the total value of the contract to $26.925 million.
LHP Jeff Francis, 28, signed a four-year, $13.25 million contract after the 2006 season. A club option in 2011, his first year of free agency, could increase the total value of the contract to $20.25 million.
SS Troy Tulowitzki signed a six-year, $31 million contract after 2007, his first full season in the majors. The deal includes a club option for 2014, the second year he's eligible for free agency, which could push the total value of the contract to $44 million.
RHP Aaron Cook, who turns 30 on Feb. 8, signed a three-year, $30 million contract extension after the 2007 season that buys out Cook's first three years of free agency with a mutual option for 2012.
Jimenez, 25, said of his new contract, "That's something that's going to make me work harder every day to try to be better, to be there for my team, because they trust me."
Jimenez made his major league debut in September 2006. Since being called up to the majors for good on July 19, 2007, he has made 49 starts. Since that date, no other major league pitcher has made more regular-season starts than Jimenez, and only Ted Lilly and C.C. Sabathia have equaled that total.
--RHP Josh Fogg, a quintessential fifth starter who went 21-18 with a 5.22 ERA while pitching for the Rockies in 2006-2007 and was immensely popular with his teammates, will return on a minor league deal. Jeff Francis' injury leaves a spot in the Opening Day rotation, but the Rockies have plenty of candidates to replace Francis -- LHPs Greg Smith and Franklin Morales, and RHPs Jason Hirsh, Greg Reynolds and Matt Belisle -- and compete with the 32-year-old Fogg. His ability to pitch in relief could help Fogg's chances of opening the season with the Rockies.
--RHPs Jason Hirsh and Manuel Corpas will go to the Rockies academy in the Dominican Republic over the weekend of Jan. 31 to train for 10 days and face live hitting prior to spring training in Tucson. Jimenez is also expected to work out there periodically before reporting to Tucson.
--The Rockies sent area scout Mike Erickson to watch RHP Kris Benson in Phoenix when he threw for a host of clubs, but the Rockies aren't interested in signing Benson.
--The Rockies will miss more than the slugging prowess of LF Matt Holliday, who was traded to Oakland. Holliday developed a keen understanding of the mechanics of his swing and, in so doing, was able to talk hitting and pass on tips to his now former Rockies teammates.
"Hitting was his thing ..." SS Troy Tulowitzki said, "He was my go-to guy. Now I don't have him anymore."
BY THE NUMBERS: 3.45 -- ERA for RHP Ubaldo Jimenez at Coors Field in 26 games, including 25 starts. He has pitched 154 innings at Coors Field and has the lowest career ERA of any starter at Coors with at least 130 innings pitched.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We love the kid. We know the kid. We know his character and integrity. We've seen how much he's matured into a man. We know his sense of responsibility and accountability to our team and our organization, and I think that made it a lot easier, because he's a very special young man." -- General manager Dan O'Dowd on giving a four-year, $10 million contract RHP Ubaldo Jimenez after his first full season in the big leagues.