Without throwing a pitch, Keiichi Yabu’s chances of making the Rockies final roster continue to increase. Following Jim Brower’s lead, another free agent relief target has chosen to sign elsewhere, with Brian Meadows narrowing his choices to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds.
“He’s going in a different direction,” confirmed agent Danny Horwits on Thursday.
As it stands, the Rockies’ bullpen includes five locks – Brian Fuentes, Jose Mesa, Ray King, Mike DeJean and Scott Dohmann – which leaves vacancies for another setup man, preferably a left-hander, and a long reliever. Yabu is the favorite to land the later job, particularly if Sunny Kim lands in the rotation.
In addition, outfielder Dustan Mohr, who hit 17 home runs for the Rockies last year, has agreed to a one-year minor-league deal with the Red Sox. He’s expected to be added to the 40-man roster in the coming weeks.
Footnotes
Manager Clint Hurdle said the Rockies are no longer considering signing Royce Clayton for a utility role, but Ramon Martinez remains a possibility. …
Another veteran starter is off the market as Dave Burba has agreed to $500,000 minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners. … Brower’s contract became official. If he makes the Orioles, he will earn $1 million in base salary with $200,000 in incentives for appearances up to 55 games.