July 23, 2008 8:27 AM
Rockies have options to Wells
The Rockies need a starting ;pitcher for Tuesday's game in Pittsburgh.
The spot figures to eventually go to Jeff Francis, but he has to make at least one more rehab start at Double-A Tulsa -- maybe even two -- before he will come off the disabled list.
The Rockies will start Aaron Cook, Friday, Jorge De La Rosa, Saturday, and Ubaldo Jimenez, Sunday, in Cincinnati. Glendon Rusch will get the start Monday in Pittsburgh, and then ...
Kip Wells' name will come up but that is a remote possiblity. After Wells' peformance on Monday, and with the Rockies looking to try and hold onto whatever hope that have in an NL West gone bad, sending Wells back out would be a negative message not just to fans, but also the other players.
So what could the Rockies do?
They could pick up a starter in the next couple of days in a trade, or they could even take a one-start look at Greg Reynolds, Jason Hirsh or Franklin Morales, who are working to become more consistent at Triple-A Colorado Springs. They have options so they could be sent back to Colorado Springs when Francis is activated. It would give the big-league staff a chance to see where one of those two pitchers stands in terms of improvement. It also would provide a chance for Reynolds, Hirsh or Morales to make a statement about their status.
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