Brian Fuentes and the Rockies

[colbyjack]

Rosenthal's latest concerning Fuentes (not involving the Brewers):

 

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/7528844?MSNHPHMA

 

The Mets made the strongest run at Rockies left-handed reliever Brian Fuentes, offering right-hander Aaron Heilman in a straight-up trade. The Rockies asked for lefty Scott Schoeneweis in addition to Heilman, and from there the talks disintegrated. The Indians also showed passing interest in Fuentes. The Rockies are trying to re-sign right-handed reliever LaTroy Hawkins.

 

Based on this comment, Doug Melvin's comments about not going after Fuentes and a few others recently, I wonder what the problem is with Fuentes. Is Heilman and Schoenweis really that much to give up for a proven closer, a player who is now considered a luxury on the Rockies because of the emergence of Manny Corpas? I know money is everything in such deals, but is Fuentes really in the same category as a Francisco Cordero since he's going to be a FA after the 2008 season?

 

I sense two things: One, the Brewers are not happy with the idea of Turnbow as a closer. Melvin, and Ash, are saying the right things to make it seems as though they're comfortable moving forward with that situation, but I can't honestly believe that they truly feel that.

 

Two, the Rockies seem to be trying to want to move Fuentes to free up a little money, not only to re-sign someone like LaTroy Hawkins, but maybe to address their 2B situation while also freeing up money for a possible extension to Holliday.

 

The situation with Fuentes is one that I would follow just as closely as the one with Rolen. There may not be a public spat involved with Fuentes, and no one is calling anyone else out, but it just seems as though the Rockies are intent on moving him, teams know this, and are balking at their initial asking price.

[TooLiveBrew]

So you wait a little longer, and try to make a trade work for Fuentes? Basically, you'd be trading for him for the right to re-sign him without giving up draft pick(s). Since FA salaries certainly won't move downward after the 2008 season, this seems like at least a decent idea to me. In this case the question would probably be whether or not we'd want to add Rolen or Fuentes. Sign Fuentes to a similar deal to Cordero (try to make the 4th year a club option). That's a pricey way to fill out the bullpen, but what isn't expensive in terms of player salaries?

[hauser42]

Not sure that Fuentes is still on the radar with the Riske signing. I still would like to see it but sure it has moved down on the list of players they are after.