Colorado Rockies show interest in Vogelsong, Gee, Haren

According Jon Morosi of FOX Sports, the Colorado Rockies are pursuing two pitchers this offseason: free agent Ryan Vogelsong and the Miami Marlins’ Dan Haren. In addition to those two, Ken Rosenthal reports they are looking to trade for the New York Mets’ Dillon Gee.

Convincing any pitcher to take the mound for a night at Coors Field is a difficult task. Asking him to pitch half his games there is even harder to do.

Since the thin Colorado air became an advantage for the offense, the Rockies have struggled to attract free agents. Some–like Mike Hampton and Denny Neagle–have tried. Seeing their failures and the inflated ERAs that came with pitching at Coors Field has made pitching for the Rockies an undesirable job.

Vogelsong is the lone man from this trinity without a current team. Last season, he went 8-13 with a 4.00 ERA with the World Series champion San Francisco Giants. As Rosenthal points out, Vogelsong’s numbers were drastically better if you eliminate the games he pitched at Coors Field. In his first start at Coors Field in 2014, Vogelsong let the Colorado offense batter him for five runs in a mere 1 1/3 innings. The second time he pitched there, the Rockies scored eight runs in Vogelsong’s five innings of work.

At age 37, Vogelsong’s individual statistics shouldn’t matter to him. There’s a good chance the next contract he gets is his last. Pitching for the Rockies could turn into a positive experience and maybe even an opportunity to begin the process of teaching younger players more about the game.

Meanwhile, acquiring Gee and Haren might be a little easier as it would involve a trade with their current teams and not a really good persuasive essay.

The Mets have a plethora of young pitching at the major and minor league levels, so parting with Gee is a no-brainer. Last season, he was 7-8 with a 4.00 earned run average. In one start at Coors Field in 2014, Gee tossed six shutout innings. The Mets should look for offense in return for Gee. Thankfully this is something the Rockies have plenty of. Their outfield is already a bit crowded, and considering the projected lineup for the Mets, just about anyone on the Rockies would be an upgrade, at least offensively.

If all else fails, the Rockies may be able to get Haren for pretty cheap. Haren has been very public about not wanting to pitch anywhere outside of Southern California. He was traded, along with Dee Gordon, to the Marlins earlier this winter and has been unhappy since.

The right-hander is determined to avoid pitching for the Marlins in 2015, but is currently expected to make an appearance at spring training in hopes that it could increase his value. His geographical preference limits the possibility of a trade greatly, and makes the current demand for him rather low. The Rockies would likely have to give up very little to get Haren, however, based on the way recent seasons have ended for this franchise, there may not be much value in a veteran like Haren unless they hope to trade him to a desperate team in July.

Last season, the Colorado Rockies’ starting rotation was severely lacking in almost all departments, which, along with their awful road record, contributed to a miserable 2014. Only Jorge De La Rosa managed double-digit wins. However, if the Rockies can acquire a pitcher like Vogelsong, Gee, or Haren to join De La Rosa, Tyler Matzek, and Jordan Lyles, they might be on the right track as they hope to solidify their starting staff.

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