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The Colorado Rockies watched the San Francisco Giants celebrate a World Series championship, then watched the Los Angeles Dodgers solidify their pitching staff and second base spot within the month since the season ended. Now, they are doing their own moving and shaking.

The Rockies, according to multiple reports, have agreed to a contract extension with shortstop Troy Tulowitzki through the 2020 season, and have also agreed to pay roughly $32 million over three years to retain the services of free-agent starting pitcher Jorge de la Rosa. Both men will return to a Rockies club that made a strong, desperate September run in the NL West and Wild Card races last year before falling just short.

If it seems at all insignificant next to the outside acquisitions (notably Jon Garland and Juan Uribe) that the Dodgers have made this winter, or if it seems insufficient to overtake the stellar pitching staff of the Giants, then this pair of moves at least clears the way for Colorado to get serious about adding a solid hitter for one of their corner outfield spots, and gives them enough certainty in the starting rotation to aggressively pursue the closer or other relief ace they badly need to compete.

Tulowitzki is perhaps the best shortstop in baseball, and certainly the most well-rounded. He has hit .305/.379/.560 over the past two seasons, averaging 30 homers, 94 RBI and 16 steals in those campaigns. More importantly, he is perhaps the best defensive shortstop in baseball, and certainly one of the top five in that respect. Hanley Ramirez is as good a hitter, but not in Tulowitzki’s league defensively.

De la Rosa figures to be a solid complement to Ubaldo Jimenez in Colorado’s rotation for the foreseeable future. Though he struggles with control at times and battled finger injuries in 2010, he strikes out about a batter per inning and is one of the league’s most prolific ground-ball pitchers. That has obvious and tremendous value in an environment like Colorado, and de la Rosa’s ability (as a left-handed hurler) to get both right-handed and left-handed batters out is a huge bonus.

The Rockies overpaid a bit for him in what is becoming a player’s market for pitching salaries, but if he can stay healthy, he will offer plenty of return on their investment.

The next step for the Rockies is to beef up their corner outfield and/or first base spots.

Carlos Gonzalez is a monster in left field, but may move to center eventually if the team feels it can do better than Dexter Fowler by adding a left fielder. Still, the team has taken big strides toward seriously contending in 2011 just by locking down its two big contributors. Here is a look at all five NL West teams, and who would reign supreme if the season began tomorrow:

1. San Francisco Giants

Yes, the Giants still sit atop the heap for now, although their lack of offense is becoming conspicuous and the rumor mills are not friendly to the team’s insistence that it will add a big bat like Carl Crawford. They need a shortstop better than Edgar Renteria to balance the loss of Uribe to the division-rival Dodgers, but there are ample options out there for them in that respect.

If they can add even one impact bat (and it need not be an elite bat, just a better one than Renteria’s or Mark DeRosa’s), the pitching staff that so dominated the playoffs will be able to carry the team to another division crown.

2. Colorado Rockies

They were almost as good as the Giants in the second half, and they have a pair of aces to match anyone but the Giants in this division. Tulowitzki and Gonzalez are not merely great hitters, but versatile contributors on both offense and defense, with speed, power and range. No offensive duo in the division can match them. In fact, only Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday are a better top tandem in the entire league.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

Hot on the trail of San Francisco and Colorado, the Dodgers still have holes to fill. Catcher and left field remain very much in limbo, and even if Ned Colletti swings a clever deal of James Loney to address one of those spots, they will need to open the wallets wide enough for first baseman like Adam Dunn.

All in all, though, the Dodgers have taken some huge steps forward by locking up their pitchers for 2011 and adding Juan Uribe for a bit more pop in a lineup that needed it badly.

4. San Diego Padres

The Padres have been conspicuously quiet this winter, and not moving at all is about the same as going backward in the current climate of the NL West. Adrian Gonzalez may now be a true goner, since GM Jed Hoyer’s staff seems highly pessimistic about the team’s ability to sign Gonzalez beyond this season and since the Padres (who lost Garland to Los Angeles) are a fistful of moves from viable contention in 2011.

5. Arizona Diamondbacks

Kevin Towers is a great team-builder, but he has more than one winter’s worth of construction ahead of him. Even if Rome were built in a day, Towers would be at a loss. The organization he inherits looks more like Chicago circa 1800, a vast swamp with only the barest signs of potential. Trade rumors abound around this team, with Mark Reynolds and Justin Upton the hottest commodities.

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MLB trade rumors are picking up steam as the annual Winter Meetings are set to begin next week.

While free agent signings will most likely take precedent after salary arbitration is complete, teams that missed out on the offseason action will surely look to make a splash in the trade market.

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While the 2010 MLB offseason has been quiet thus far, rumors have been surfacing on various players going to various teams. The free agents get most of these rumors, as they can sign with any team. However, other players under contract have been getting looks, and a trade involving that star can send shockwaves throughout baseball.

Already we’ve had one major trade this offseason. Florida Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla was traded to the Atlanta Braves for pitcher Michael Dunn and utility man Omar Infante. If a trade sending Uggla to the Braves, who already had an All-Star second baseman in Martin Prado, can happen, then there are many others that can.

Some of the following trades may happen due to the player being unhappy, others due to the team being unhappy. Others could just simply be two teams seeing the right pieces to their own respective puzzles.

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One of the few bright spots of the Red Sox’ 2010 season was Adrian Beltre’s triumphant return to stardom.

In 154 games with Boston, Beltre hit .321 with 28 homers, 102 RBI and a .919 OPS. He combined his newly rediscovered offensive prowess with his Gold Glove defense for a whopping 7.1 Wins Above Replacement. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the Red Sox might have finished below .500 without him.

Now a free agent, Beltre will leave a huge hole in the Red Sox’ depth chart if he doesn’t re-sign with Boston. If he doesn’t return to Fenway in 2011, word on the street is that the Red Sox will try to pry first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from the Padres.

With Victor Martinez heading to Detroit, it’s especially important for the Red Sox to upgrade their lineup. The question is: Which Adrian should they pursue?

The answer is pretty clear: Beltre. In this slideshow are 10 reasons why Boston should try to re-sign him instead of trading for A-Gone.

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This is the final part of a series of articles outlining the decisions that the Cubs will need to make this offseason. You can read part four by following this link.

Jim Hendry has already said that he’s more concerned about making “two or three really good moves” than relying on the splash factor of one move. So, for those of you looking at the big name free agents with large price tags, or even a potential trade for Adrian Gonzalez, don’t get your hopes up too high.

Instead, look for the Cubs to get guys that fit the team and their budget. In all likelihood, one of those moves will be acquiring a first baseman and the other one or two will be adding some pitching, either in the rotation, the bullpen, or both.

At first base, the North Siders will be looking for someone who exhibits power from the left side and is good enough with the glove to lessen the impact of Aramis Ramirez’s fading defensive abilities and Starlin Castro’s growing pains.

Although one of the best left-handed sluggers over the past decade, Adam Dunn’s fairly high asking price, his defensive shortcomings, his type A status, and the almost certainty that the Nationals will offer arbitration, the overall cost in dollars, defense, and draft picks is just too high for serious consideration. I’m sure the team will do (or has already done) their due diligence on the off chance that he isn’t offered arbitration and his price tag comes down, but they’ll be concentrating elsewhere.

Adam LaRoche, Lyle Overbay and Carlos Pena are the most likely free agent targets, each with some pop from the left side and at least an above average glove. Of course, each player has more than their share of strikeouts, but Overbay and Pena draw some walks to offset that.

Depending on his asking price, Aubrey Huff should also get a look, although he isn’t as known for his defense as the prior trio and is the eldest among the four (by one month over Overbay). I’m sure the Cubs would love to have a season of 35 doubles, 26 home runs, 83 walks, and only 91 strikeouts from their first baseman, but the Giants will probably make a very good push to keep him.

On the trade market, there’s absolutely no reason to not inquire on what collection of players it might take to land Adrian Gonzalez. With his Gold-Glove-caliber defense, 30 to 40 home run power, high walk totals, and his $6.2 million 2011 salary, he’s too great of a bargain to not look into. But it’s the cost in players in return, which teams like the Red Sox might drive up, that makes the proposition less likely.

Another player the Cubs have been linked to recently is the Rangers’ Chris Davis, a young left-handed hitter with great power, experience playing both corner infield positions, and some glaring plate discipline issues. It’s certainly an intriguing possibility, reuniting hitting coach Rudy Jaramillo with one of his former students, and leaving the option open to move Ramirez to first, should the need arise. Although there has been little mention of this trade since the story broke, I could see it happening.

If the Yankees decide to sign another outfielder (Carl Crawford or Jayson Werth, perhaps), then don’t be surprised if the Cubs become linked to Nick Swisher, son of former Cubs catcher Steve Swisher. Although he had a significant dip in walks last season, Nick had always drawn a ton of walks and has continued to hit around 30 doubles and 30 home runs each season.

If the Cubs are instead looking for someone to take a flyer on to compete with (or in a reserve role behind) Tyler Colvin at first base, then you might see names like Hank Blalock, Eric Chavez, Brad Hawpe, Eric Hinske, Mike Jacobs, or non-tender candidates Willy Aybar, Dan Johnson, and Casey Kotchman bandied about.

There are a number of ways that they could go with starting pitchers, but I fully expect the Cubs to look into both Jon Garland and Javier Vazquez. I also wouldn’t be surprised to see them take a chance on one of Erik Bedard, Jeremy Bonderman, Jeff Francis, Kevin Millwood, Brad Penny, Jarrod Washburn, Brandon Webb, Chris Young, or (if he’s non-tendered) Chien-Ming Wang.

Of that bunch, I find Garland to be far and away the most likely to end up with the Cubs. That’s not to say that he will or that the others won’t, but he has put together a pretty nice resume since being traded from the Cubs to the White Sox, including eight solid years with the South Siders and a very nice season with the Padres in 2010. Also, he might not demand quite so much money as the other options, making the potential negotiations go smoother and quicker.

As far as potential trade targets go, they may talk with the Rays about the availability of Wade Davis, Matt Garza, Jeff Niemann, and James Shields, but your guess is as good as mine about starting pitchers they might trade for.

To bolster the bullpen, I’m sure the team would be interested in re-signing Kerry Wood, but he would need to be willing to take a pay cut off of his $10.5 million salary in 2010. Other targets could include Grant Balfour, Chad Durbin, Frank Francisco, Jason Frasor, J.J. Putz, Jon Rauch, or Takashi Saito, depending upon their demands and whether or not some of them (Balfour or Francisco) are offered arbitration.

The only other free agent that I could see the Cubs signing is not a pitcher or first baseman, but a second baseman. Although such a move is pure speculation on my part, I believe that Orlando Hudson would be a great addition.

Hudson plays great defense, can hit well for a second baseman, provides a little bit of speed on the basepaths, and may have a somewhat modest salary seeing as he’s never earned more than $6.25 million in a season. Such a move obviously means that one or both of Jeff Baker and Blake DeWitt would be sent on their way, but the signing of a player like Hudson could be a move that makes the Cubs’ 2011 playoff chances seem like less of a long shot.

Finally, there is one last way that the Cubs might add a player. With one spot open on their 40-man roster and the Rule Five Draft approaching, there is the possibility that the team could take a chance on someone left unprotected in another organization. Since I expect the North Siders to sign at least one free agent, I would be surprised to see them fill the last spot on their roster with a player eligible for the Rule Five Draft, but it could happen.

Just make sure to keep an eye out this offseason. The moves that end up having the biggest impact on this team might not be those involving bigger names.

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First base is as deep of a position as any in baseball, though there are injury concerns hanging over a few of the best options in the game.  Adrian Gonzalez, Kevin Youkilis, Kendry Morales and Justin Morneau all have questions due to various injuries.  

How does that affect the rankings?  Let’s take a look at how we currently stand:

1. Albert Pujols – St. Louis Cardinals
2. Miguel Cabrera – Detroit Tigers
3. Joey Votto – Cincinnati Reds
4. Mark Teixeira – New York Yankees
5. Prince Fielder – Milwaukee Brewers
6. Ryan Howard – Philadelphia Phillies
7. Adrian Gonzalez – San Diego Padres
8. Kevin Youkilis – Boston Red Sox
9. Kendry Morales – Los Angeles Angels
10. Justin Morneau – Minnesota Twins
11. Adam Dunn – Washington Nationals
12. Billy Butler – Kansas City Royals
13. Victor Martinez – Boston Red Sox
14. Paul Konerko – Chicago White Sox
15. Ike Davis – New York Mets

Thoughts:

• Kevin Youkilis vs. Adrian Gonzalez could be one of the most hotly debated ranking on this list.  I’m going to go more in-depth on this debate later in the offseason, but it’s important to note that Gonzalez’ 2009 season is now looking like the outlier.  He posted a .551 slugging percentage in ‘09.  The other four seasons since 2006 has seen him post marks of .500, .502, .510 and .511.  The prior three seasons for Youkilis have been .569, .548 and .564, while he also is in a better position to score runs.  Of course, Youkilis appears to be prone to injury, having not had more then 538 AB (145 games) since 2006.  Over the past two years, he hasn’t played more then 136 games.  That is the deciding factor, for now.
• Justin Morneau is a real wild card at this point, coming off his 2010 concussion problems.  He should still be a worthwhile option, but don’t reach too far for him.
• For as good of a bargain Paul Konerko was in 2010, I fear that owners are going to reach too high for him in 2011 and get burned.  He is a free agent, so where he ultimately lands will have an impact on his value, but he’s unlikely to match his 2010 line.
• Billy Butler at No. 12?  I know, maybe I’m stubborn, but I still have hope that he can turn things around and produce like we all believe he’s capable.  I’m sure that’s one spot on these rankings that I may have to readjust later on, however.
• I can’t downgrade Mark Teixeira based on his .268 BABIP.  Look for him to come back strong in 2011.
• The final spot in the rankings is wide open at this point.  Veteran like Aubrey Huff and Adam LaRoche are also in the mix.  We’ll have it nailed down by the time drafts roll around.

What are your thoughts on these rankings?  Whose too high?  Whose too low?

Make sure to check out our early 2011 rankings:

• Top 15 Catchers
• 2011 Fantasy Draft First Round Breakdown

THIS ARTICLE IS ALSO FEATURED ON WWW.ROTOPROFESSOR.COM.

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Jacoby Ellsbury had an injury-shortened season for the Boston Red Sox after he collided with the freight train otherwise known as third basemen Adrian Beltre and fractured four ribs on April 11. He appeared in only 18 games, hitting .192 and stealing seven bases after leading the AL with 70 steals in 2009.

Ellsbury also came under fire from his coaches and teammates for rehabbing his injury in Arizona instead of traveling with the team. With rookie Ryan Kalish seemingly ready for the big show, could Ellsbury now be expendable?

He’s still an electric player. He twice led the AL in stolen bases and, though his .344 career on-base percentage is not particularly good for a lead-off hitter, he did still manage to score 98 runs in 2008 and 94 runs in 2009. He’s also an exceptionally good fielder and isn’t due to become a free agent until 2014.

The Red Sox could use Ellsbury as a major trade chip to fill up other holes on the roster. Here are 10 trades that would help make Boston into a World Series contender in 2011.

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The San Diego Padres were without question the surprise of Major League Baseball. Starting the season with the fourth lowest payroll in baseball, they led the National League West for a good portion of the 2010 season before fading in September. Today, their season was laid to rest.

The San Francisco Giants used six pitchers to combine on a four-hit shutout, sending the San Diego Padres home with a 3-0 loss, ending their magical season and knocking them out of the playoffs.

With the Atlanta Braves beating the Philadelphia Phillies earlier in the afternoon, 8-7, the Padres needed the victory to force a two-day playoff. With the win, they would have played the Giants at home to decide the NL West Division winner, and then the loser of that game would play Atlanta for the right to be the NL Wildcard team.

Padres starting pitcher Mat Latos got into trouble in the bottom of the third.With one out, Giants starting pitcher Jonathan Sanchez tripled to right field. After striking out Andres Torres, Latos gave up a single to Freddie Sanchez, scoring J. Sanchez with the game’s first run. Aubrey Huff then doubled to deep center, scoring F. Sanchez to give the Giants a 2-0 lead.

With the way the Giants bullpen has pitched over the last two weeks, those two runs would prove to be more than enough.

The Padres put runners on first and second with no outs in the top of sixth, with an Adrian Gonzalez single and walk to Ryan Ludwick. That was it for Jonathan Sanchez, who surrendered to Santiago Casilla.

Casilla induced a 5-4 double play grounder to Yorbit Torrealba, then got Scott Hairston on a fielder’s choice, Torrealba being forced out at second to get out of the inning.

The Padres threatened again in the seventh, Denorfia singling to right, and David Eckstein reaching on Casilla’s error, putting runners at first and second once again. Giants reliever Ramon Ramirez shut the door this time, getting Miguel Tejada swinging at a nasty slider for the third strike, ending the threat.

Closer Brian Wilson came on to close it out in the ninth for the Giants, giving him his 48th save of the year, tying the Giants record for saves in a season, held by Rod Beck.

The Giants will now play host to the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS, while the Philadelphia Phillies play host to the Cincinnati Reds in the other NLDS matchup.

The Padres gave a great effort this weekend, needing to win all three games of the series to force a playoff. Sunday’s effort wasn’t enough, and they’ll be watching from the sidelines, wondering to themselves what could have been.

For continuing baseball updates, you follow Doug on Twitter, @Sports_A_Holic.
Doug is featured writer for Examiner.com and Green Celebrity Network.

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On August 25, the San Diego Padres were the class of the National League. They were 76-50 and had a six game lead over the San Francisco Giants. The Padres were the surprise team of baseball, picked by most experts to finish in fourth in the NL West. 

Led by young starting pitching and a reliable closer in Heath Bell, the Padres had led the division a majority of the season. Manager Bud Black had done a phenomenal job with the club and was the front-runner to win NL Manager of the Year. 

On this night they would opening a three game set at home against the defending NL Champion Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies had been hot for the past month until falling flat and being swept in four games at home to the Houston Astros. 

When all was said and done, the Phillies swept the Padres in the three game series. Little did anyone know at the time was that these two teams would basically go in opposite directions in the next month. 

While Philadelphia would vault their way to the top of the standings, San Diego would enter into a tailspin. They would go on to lose their next ten games and still remained in first place. However, the Padres have only gone 12-11 since their 10 game slide while the Giants have gone 15-7 thanks to some fantastic pitching, including a stretch of 18 games of not allowing more than three runs. 

The Padres don’t have the dynamic offenses of the Phillies or Reds, but they were supported by young starters Mat Latos, Clayton Richard, and Jon Garland. The trio have struggled in their past 15 decisions, going 3-12. Latos has seen his ERA rise from a pristine 2.21 to 2.92 in the past month. The Padres were carried by these three for most of the year, but just don’t have the offensive support outside of Adrian Gonzalez. 

Speaking of Gonzalez, he was a sleeper MVP candidate midway through the season and right before the losing streak, hitting .299 with 27 HR and 86 RBI. Expected to be traded by the deadline since the Padres weren’t supposed to contend, Gonzalez has been the catalyst for an otherwise quiet offense. 

While Gonzalez has continued to flirt with a .300 batting average, his power has somewhat declined over the past 30 games, hitting only three home runs and driving in just 12 runs. Gonzalez recently attributed this to a shoulder injury he suffered back in May. He has been shortening his swing. It has kept his average up, but his power has declined. It was only apparent in the final month. 

Despite the Padres 10 game losing streak, the Padres had ample opportunities to keep their lead over the Giants during the course of the month. However, they dropped three of four at home to San Francisco, on the road in St. Louis, and once again at home to the Chicago Cubs.

Down three games to the Giants and two games in the Wild Card to Atlanta in the division, San Diego has a slim chance to make the playoffs if they can sweep the Giants or take two out of three and hope the Braves drop some games to Philadelphia. 

Can the Padres make the playoffs? When they lost ten straight the odds started stacking up against them. Only two teams have made the playoffs while losing ten straight games: the 1951 Giants and the 1982 Braves, ironically the two team they are currently chasing. 

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One more.

That’s all the San Diego Padres can afford before their off season officially begins a lot sooner than they thought it would.

Looking back to the end of August, the Padres had what most would consider a big lead in the National League West over the San Francisco Giants. Fast forward one month, and not only is their lead gone but the deficit has reached its breaking point after losing 22 of their last 34 games.

They face the Giants on Friday night in what will be a three game set in San Francisco. The situation has gotten so bleak for San Diego that they not only need to sweep the three-game set, but they need the Philadelphia Phillies to sweep the Atlanta Braves over the next three days. Something that’s not likely to happen, especially with the Phillies having already wrapped up the National League’s Eastern Division.

Whether that loss comes tonight, Saturday, or Sunday, the Padres front office knows that there are decisions that will need to be made to improve this team for the 2011 season to keep this kind of collapse from happening again.

Sure they’ve exceeded everyone’s expectations, but you won’t be remembered for how you played the first five months of the season, you’ll be remembered for how you finished. The Padres couldn’t do that, and they could be watching October baseball from home.

With that in mind, here are some issues facing the front office, and where I think the Padres will go with each one.

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