The club has a $4M option on YT. They wish to bring him back at a lower pay. IMO I think we should just pick up the option even though it might be a little expensive. But it's cheap if you look at the big picture. Let's say YT is worth $2M to back up Ianetta. So what for throwing in an extra $2M to keep YT? He is a very nice insurance for clutch performance in late season and post season if Ianetta under-perform again in 2010. It is not like we would be locked into a prohibitively expensive contract for years to come.

I know people love Torrealba, as his best 2-3 months of his career coincide with both Rockies playoff runs this decade. Is that clutch or just coincidence due to statistical randomness? How do you value that?

Torrealba can be a volatile subject, because all statistics tend to point to him being a very poor MLB starter, while an old school look values a lot of intangibles - clutch, handling pitchers, speaking Spanish, enthusiasm, experience.

Personally, I'll take him back for $2million, but no more. Paul Phillips could do just about as well offensively if given the chance and he has a better arm, and Michael McKenry is already a much better defensive catcher (isn't that mostly what you want in a backup anyway)?

The Monforts are due to accept several arbitration raises, and the savings here could help there, or for Betancourt/Street contracts.

I feel Torrealba's upside is not enough to justify 2 million, let alone 4 million dollars when we can get similar long-term production in the backup role for someone cheaper. If Torrealba is to return, it needs to be after a declined option, at a salary of ~1 million. Otherwise, we might as well just put Paul Phillips or a career backup catcher out there until we are ready to try out McKenry.

I'm inclined to agree with you, although interestingly, Fangraphs says he has given the Rockies $4.2, $1.5 and $3.7 million years of value in his three years with the Rockies. The discrepancy isn't as much as I'd expect. I'd still prefer to save the money, use Phillips/McKenry and spend it on Betancourt

Production is only one sliver of important information when it comes to allocating the money. Even if Torrealba was worth over 4 million, I still wouldn't give it to him. He just wouldn't be important enough to devote 5% of our team budget to.

I'd say $2M is still a cheap throw away to keep him from our competitors, play calling, clubhouse presence, and clutch hitting in post season. Wasn't the pay for Corey Sullivan while he played in AAA a far worse waste of money?

Probably. That doesn't change the fact that $4m for a backup catcher is also too much. I'd rather not pay him 2 either. Decline the option, ask him if he'll come back for a million, and if he gets better money, let him go.

I'm ok with either option that the FO and/or YT chooses to do. I think $2M is a fair price for a year. Paul Phillips or Mike McKenry would do fine as a back up if the FO and YT can't reach the middle ground.

We are put in a pretty tough situation because of Iannettas disapperance. Without Torre, a combo of Iannetta/McKenry leaves a gaping hole on our offense and defense. I know our FO likes to develop homegrown talent (and it has worked most of the time), but we need a proven catcher to be taken serious as a legitimate contender.

The free agent options are not very attractive either,
www.mlbtraderumors.com/2008/12/2010-mlb-free-a.html.

I think we bite the bullet and pay the man for another year, and hope that Iannetta becomes the player we think he is. (sound familiar? the exact thing everyone said after 07 and 08). Hopefully, we can bargain Torre's asking price down with concerns over his health. 2 mil is not a horrible price tag for what he does for our pitching.

The WS ended yesterday which makes Monday the deadline for decision on YT's option. As of this moment as I write my gut feeling is that YT and the Rox will reach the middle ground agreement to replace the option year salary. (or at least attempt to)

I've always liked Yorvi but or all the upside he brings, the fact still remains that he couldn't throw out my 79 year-old mother and everyone in the league knows it. I got roundly barbequed by some people on this board for suggesting prior to the season that when I looked at Ianetta, I was seeing all hat and no cowboy. Here we are with the season now behind us and we still see Ianetta looking to be the catcher we hoped he'd develop into this past season. Clearly, if the Rockies are going to take the next step, something positive has to emerge in that position and as far as I'm aware, the answer isn't in the organization at the moment.

Iannetta is being given the starting job in 2010, but he probably won't be signed to a long-term deal yet. This year could signal the emergence of Mike McKenry as the backup catcher midseason, and he will be the next catcher to be given a look in regards to future organizational catching (with Wilin Rosario right behind him). We still have a pipeline of catcher potentials behind Iannetta, who shouldn't be given up on yet.

Ya know, I've been wanting to check on Rosario in person here in AFL action, but just started a sorta-new job and that's not happening. Saw him a bit w Casper and wasn't impressed but I don't think that was a good sample. He's been hitting well the last couple days w Scottsdale, had a 2 HR game Thurs and another homer yesterday. Maybe. He's only 20 and still developing.

He was named AFL Player of the Week last week. 6-for-11, 3 HR, 1 SB...

Iannetta clearly regressed in 2009, but he wasn't as terrible as one might think. He still walked a good amount, had a good slugging percentage and was much better defensively. All told, he was at or slightly above league average for catchers. I'm fine with that sophomore slump. As long as he can straighten out his swing and stop hitting flyballs more than half the time (literally), I see a rebound from him. I would not be uncomfortable with Iannetta and even McKenry come April