Amidst swirling trade rumors, Ubaldo Jimenez has made it clear that if it were up to him he would be staying put.
Jimenez announced Sunday that it is his wish to remain a member of the Rockies for the duration of his career.
"“As a player, you always want to be on the same team for your whole career,’’ Jimenez said. “I’d like to finish my career here, but that’s something you can’t control. Baseball is a really good game, but there’s a business side. You want to be an example when you talk to other guys about being in the organization. You always want to set a good example for guys coming from another team or the minor leagues.’’"
It came out on the 9th of this month that Colorado was receiving calls about Jimenez. While that’s nothing too out of the ordinary this time of year, what caught many by surprise was the fact that Rockies’ GM Dan O’Dowd was reportedly fielding those calls and willing to listen to offers for the right hander.
Since, the rumors have been raging. The Yankees name has been the one most attached with Jimenez as possible prospect names to be involved in a trade have even been coming up. Detroit, Cincinnati and Texas have also been linked to the 27 year old.
Even before Jimenez’s petitioning to remain in Colorado, many around the league thought it a long shot for a trade to take place. The Rockies asking price is apparently very steep even thought Jimenez hasn’t put up very ace like numbers this season and the cost is thought to be scaring interested clubs.
On the year, Jimenez has put up a 4.08 ERA over his 18 starts. His WHIP (1.31) is solid and his xFIP (3.59) tells a different story than his earned run average.
Since posting rough numbers to start the season, Jimenez has returned to his old form of late. The righty’s posted ERA’s south of 2.80 in June and July leading many to believe he is almost back and ready to really break out.
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