Yesterday the Rockies signed Chris Iannetta to a three-year, $8.3 million contract with an option for 2013, but they’re apparently not done handing out multi-year deals to catchers. Iannetta actually lost his starting job to Yorvit Torrealba down the stretch and Troy Renck of the Denver Post reports that the Rockies have offered Torrealba a two-year, $5.6 million contract to stick around and split time again.
Torrealba is said to be seeking $6 million over two years, so only $400,000 stands in the way of a seemingly inevitable agreement. Both catchers are right-handed hitters, so they don’t really form any kind of platoon, and presumably the 31-year-old Torrealba realizes that the 26-year-old Iannetta will get every opportunity to claim most of the playing time.
Torrealba has a good defensive reputation and has hit .258/.316/.393 in four seasons with the Rockies, which is somewhat respectable for a catcher, but Iannetta’s career .242/.361/.446 line gives him significantly more upside. Having both Iannetta and Torrealba would be a nice luxury for the Rockies, but if they like Iannetta enough to keep him around through 2013 it would probably make more sense to back him up with someone making $400,000 and spend $5 million elsewhere.
MLB homer leader Pete Alonso to IL with bone bruise, sprain in wrist
Dale Zanine/USA TODAY Sports
PITTSBURGH — The New York Mets will have to dig out of an early-season hole without star first baseman Pete Alonso.
The leading home run hitter in the majors will miss three-to-four weeks with a bone bruise and a sprain in his left wrist.
The Mets placed Alonso on the 10-day injured list Friday, retroactive to June 8. Alonso was hit in the wrist by a 96 mph fastball from Charlie Morton in the first inning of a 7-5 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday.
Alonso traveled to New York for testing on Thursday. X-rays revealed no broken bones, but the Mets will be missing one of the premier power hitters in the game as they try to work their way back into contention in the NL East.
“We got better news than it could have been,” New York manager Buck Showalter said. “So we take that as a positive. It could have been worse.”
New York had lost six straight heading into a three-game series at Pittsburgh that began Friday. Mark Canha started at first for the Mets in the opener. Mark Vientos could also be an option, though Showalter said the coaching staff may have to use its “imagination” in thinking of ways to get by without Alonso.
“I’m not going to say someone has to step up and all that stuff,” Showalter said. “You’ve just got to be who you are.”
Even with Alonso in the lineup, the Mets have struggled to score consistently. New York is 16th in the majors in runs scored.
The team also said Friday that reliever Edwin Uceta had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Uceta initially went on the IL in April with what the team called a sprained left ankle. He is expected to be out for at least an additional eight weeks.
New York recalled infielder Luis Guillorme and left-handed reliever Zach Muckenhirn from Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets sent catcher Tomás Nido to Triple-A and designated reliever Stephen Nogosek for assignment.
Nogosek is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in 13 games this season.