Rockies should sign Gant to one-year pact today

DALLAS - The Colorado Rockies lineup that will play behind a pitching staff led by Mike Hampton and Denny Neagle should be completed today with Ron Gant accepting a one-year, $1.5 million offer to become the left fielder.

Assistant general manager Josh Byrnes said Saturday night that the deal was close to complete. The Rockies were contemplating minor changes at the request of Gant, 35, and his agent, Bean Stringfellow.

Stringfellow said Saturday that several other teams were in the running, but late Saturday it appeared the main competition, Oakland, had backed away.

The Rockies will be getting Gant, who hit .249 with 26 homers last season for Philadelphia and Anaheim, at less than half the money they paid Jeffrey Hammonds last season. Colorado is banking on Gant to have a year like Hammonds, now a free agent. Only Gant has more power, with four seasons of 30 or more homers in his career.

ROCK SLIDES: The Rockies are making deals with an eye toward the inevitable restructuring of first baseman Todd Helton's contract. Helton is heading into the third year of a four-year, $12 million deal that's a bargain. Helton then will have another year of arbitration before he's eligible for free agency. ... General manager Dan O'Dowd insisted that he had not talked with another team about trading right-handed pitcher Pedro Astacio.

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