--The Rockies have six candidates for the fifth spot in their rotation, and they control the contracts of all six. 

The Rockies were proactive in trading LF Matt Holliday, who can be a free agent after this season, to the A's for three players in November, knowing there would be a glut of corner outfielders on the market and it behooved them to move quickly. 

Manager Clint Hurdle will employ execution drills he used in the minors to get the Rockies more focused in spring training on fundamentals and situational hitting. 

--The Rockies have six candidates for the fifth spot in their rotation, and they control the contracts of all six. 

The Rockies were proactive in trading LF Matt Holliday, who can be a free agent after this season, to the A's for three players in November, knowing there would be a glut of corner outfielders on the market and it behooved them to move quickly. 

Manager Clint Hurdle will employ execution drills he used in the minors to get the Rockies more focused in spring training on fundamentals and situational hitting. 

--The Rockies have six candidates for the fifth spot in their rotation, and they control the contracts of all six. 

The Rockies were proactive in trading LF Matt Holliday, who can be a free agent after this season, to the A's for three players in November, knowing there would be a glut of corner outfielders on the market and it behooved them to move quickly. 

Manager Clint Hurdle will employ execution drills he used in the minors to get the Rockies more focused in spring training on fundamentals and situational hitting. 

Left-handed reliever Randy Flores agreed to a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies on Thursday and was invited to spring training as a non-roster invitee. 

The Colorado Rockies are ready to begin life without Matt Holliday, the slugger who helped them win their first pennant two years ago but who priced himself out of Denver and was traded to Oakland in the offseason. 

It's a given that left-hander Jeff Francis won't be ready to start the season, since left shoulder inflammation, which plagued him last year, has kept him from throwing off a mound this winter. 

--LHP Randy Flores, non-tendered by the Cardinals in December, signed a minor league deal with Rockies. 

The Rockies were proactive in trading LF Matt Holliday, who can be a free agent after this season, to the A's for three players in November, knowing there would be a glut of corner outfielders on the market and it behooved them to move quickly. 

It's a given that left-hander Jeff Francis won't be ready to start the season, since left shoulder inflammation, which plagued him last year, has kept him from throwing off a mound this winter.