O'Dowd will continue to wheel & deal

DALLAS - Colorado Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd is still looking to deal.

Having already signed free-agent pitchers Mike Hampton and Denny Neagle, O'Dowd is looking for a right-handed hitting backup outfielder.

Veterans Brian Hunter, who played for Colorado last season before winding up with Cincinnati, and Roberto Kelly, from the New York Yankees, are available, but O'Dowd has other ideas.

"We're trying to look for younger players in that regard, to be honest," O'Dowd said. "We're probably looking at a trade."

Of course.

The biggest upset of the winter meetings is that O'Dowd, who has made 13 deals since taking over as GM for the Rockies in September 1999, may leave the meetings today without making a deal.

The Rockies are not likely to offer backup outfielder/first baseman Butch Huskey arbitration, so they'll need someone who can spell Todd Helton. Also, O'Dowd still would deal right-handed pitcher Pedro Astacio for the right offer.

IT COULD BE TIGHT

Colorado has $58.4 million committed to 15 players for next season and O'Dowd plans to not let the final number rise much higher than $65 million.

Shortstop Neifi Perez may seek as much as $5 million through the arbitration process, and pitchers Ron Villone and Gabe White are expected to fall between $1 million and $2 million.

O'Dowd said the trade market will become more active once some of the free agents still available find a place - Pat Hentgen and Kent Mercker are among them. But it's never too soon to start the speculation.

Right-hander Masato Yoshii could be traded to relieve the logjam of pitchers competing for the fifth starting spot. Yoshii, who turns 36 on April 20, went 6-15 with a 5.86 ERA while battling an elbow problem that required surgery. He is signed for a non-guaranteed $1.5 million - which isn't included in the $58.4 million - for next season, but club officials say he's recovering well.

Baltimore could be a destination. The Orioles have former NL all- star Jeff Conine, a veteran who can play first, third and the corner outfield spots. But Conine makes $2.5 million.

Other candidates to be traded are right-handers John Wasdin and Brian Rose. Rose (7-10, 5.39 with Boston and Colorado) may be more attractive to teams than Wasdin (1-6, 5.38 with Boston and Colorado).

Rose is not arbitration-eligible and has a much lower salary than the more-experienced Wasdin's $950,000.

NOT A FIT

Colorado landed Hampton and Neagle because they liked the idea of longer-than-normal deals. It didn't work with pitcher Darren Dreifort and his agent, Scott Boras. Dreifort signed a five-year, $55 million deal with Los Angeles.

Although Boras would not reveal the teams that offered a six- year deal, one is believed to be Colorado.

"We felt at his age (28) and only being a starter for the last couple of years, pitching in LA was a more precise career path for him," Boras said.

NOTHING TO SAY

The Rockies and Tommy Tanzer - agent for No. 1 draft pick Matt Harrington, a pitcher who broke off negotiations after turning down a $4 million bonus offer - have not spoken.

After a bitter falling out between the Rockies and Tanzer, Harrington has signed with the independent St. Paul Saints and hopes to be drafted again next year.

- Thomas Harding may be reached at tharding@gazette.com

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