Corpas gearing for Street's challenge
Unless, or until, the Rockies flip recently acquired righty reliever Huston Street, right-hander Manuel Corpas must brace for a challenge for the closer role. This is happening in the second year of Corpas' four-year, $8.025 million deal. Realizing there wouldn't be competition if he weren't coming off such a rough season, he's not moping about it. Instead, he has a plan.
Corpas, who was 20-of-23 on save chances (counting postseason) in 2007 but lost the job after blowing four early saves in 2008, has begun a physical conditioning program. The next step will be to go to the Dominican Republic in December to work out at the Rockies' facility in Boca Chica to get into game shape. Then Corpas will pitch for Panama in the World Baseball Classic.
With the number of right-handed arms the Rockies have for the late innings, dealing Street elsewhere makes sense -- especially if starting pitching help comes in return. But the team went to the '07 World Series with essentially two closers (Corpas and Brian Fuentes). With Corpas at $750,000 this year and Street expected to earn around $4 million through arbitration, it's not as if the Rockies are overspending.
-- Thomas Harding
Yankees Please bring Manny Ramirez back home to New York. His dream will come true, even though he does not say it. The Yankees will be the 2009 world champion. Manny loves New York. Please make his dream come true.
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If the Rockies keep Fuentes, I think they should deal Street, but if they don't resign him they should keep Street to compete for the closers job and use him as well as Corpas in the late innings. If they do decide to trade Street, they should definitely try to get good starting pitching. If they don't, they should look at good starting pitching through free agents like Brad Penny. Penny did have a rough year last year, but he is still a good pitcher. He has a 4.06 creer era and has pitched an average of 162.2 innings per year. Also, Penny said that he might be interested in coming to the Rockies. While he may require a longer and more expensive contract than the Rockies would like, I think they should get him.
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Corpas is a steal at $750,000 a year. One thing with Manny, we'll know quickly whether he's got it or not.
I'll be checking him out at the World Baseball Classic. Corpas on his game would be a huge asset for the Rockies...D
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Rockies won't keep fuentes with street and corpas. They'll expect more out of street with his contract but corpas will also be strong.
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Haha where's this Yankee comment coming from? And I don't know if Joe Girardi is going to be a huge fan of Manny being Manny. As for Corpas, competition will be good for him. He basically had the closer role handed to him on a silver platter last year so once the Rockies realized he couldn't handle it, they panicked and switched back to Fuentes. When Fuentes became a free agent, Corpas would've had the close job handed to him on a silver platter again. Now that they have Street, Corpas really has to impress the Rockies in order to get the closer job. I think Street will be traded to a contender in July.
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as an athletics fan i believe that corpas has nothing to worry about unless he really struggles i think street as a setup and corpas as a closer, like in 2008 street lost his closer role to a rookie named brad zigler
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