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| SURPRISE, Ariz. -- As spring camps head toward the home stretch in the final two weeks of the Cactus League, the buzz is beginning to build about possible last-minute trades brewing. And with the Rockies in the crosshairs as the reigning National League champions, their organizational depth is fueling speculation about possible trade bait. General manager Dan O'Dowd shot down the bulk of the trade talk, sending out the message that the Rox are not shopping their surplus of outfielders, infielders or bullpen arms. The crowded bench includes three good-fit outfielders vying for two bench roles. Ryan Spilborghs and Cory Sullivan are back in contention to repeat their roles from last year, but Scott Podsednik's strong spring -- hitting .304 with six steals in seven attempts -- is forcing the issue. "I think right now that's just rumors, stuff that always comes along this time in spring," O'Dowd said before the Rockies faced the Rangers on Saturday. "People see that we've got both Cory and Podsednik, and they start speculating." The resurgence of Ramon Ramirez also has opposing teams wondering if the Rockies will be able to find a place for all the arms slated for their bullpen. After a subpar 2007 season that saw the right-hander split his time between Triple-A Colorado Springs and the Rockies and have an 8.31 ERA with the big club, Ramirez is trying to force his way back into the bullpen. He has allowed only one run in eight Cactus League innings for a 1.12 ERA. "He's throwing the ball extremely well right now," O'Dowd observed. "If Ramon keeps pitching well, we've got ways to have Ramon on the club." Though he called Sullivan and Ramirez "extra pieces," O'Dowd was firm in the assertion that those pieces are not on the table. "We want to hold onto our depth," the GM said, adding that infield candidate Clint Barmes is not on a shopping list either. A big part of the Rockies' success in '07 was due to the fact that the organization was up to its ears in depth. They had a strong big league bench featuring parts that could be nearly interchangeable on any given day, as well as a Triple-A club stocked with players ready to contribute on the big league level any time the bell rang. The Rockies farm system continues to be productive, with homegrown products like Ian Stewart, Jayson Nix, Jeff Baker and Barmes competing for infield jobs alongside Marcus Giles, Omar Quintanilla, and Matt Kata -- who missed Saturday's game with a slight hamstring strain. "We still have a lot of other young players coming," O'Dowd emphasized. "We're going to create opportunities for them when they're ready, but they got to show that they're ready, first." With the starting job at second base up for grabs this spring, the final infield slot could be one area where the Rockies are pushing a prospect to complete his development at the big league level. The candidates offer a mix of experience levels, with only Giles and Kata with significant experience at second at the Major League level. Barmes brings middle-infield experience from two years as Colorado's starting shortstop, while Nix boasts seven years of Minor League experience at second. Stewart and Baker are trying to convert from being corner infielders. "Defense is a tremendously important part of it," O'Dowd said, reluctant to accept a deficiency in the field after posting the best team fielding percentage in Major League history last season. "That position may be a combination of multiple guys, not just one -- [somebody with experience at second,] then somebody who may grow into the position a little bit. We definitely will factor in defense as we go through this decision-making process." The Rockies' outfield depth extends beyond Spilborghs, Podsednik and Sullivan, with two members of the 2004 Draft class waiting in the wings. Seth Smith was clutch for the Rockies during a September call up last year, hitting .625 (5-for-8) down the stretch and hitting .500 (3-for-6) in the postseason. Perhaps even more promising is center fielder Dexter Fowler, who had a solid spring, hitting .286 (4-for-14) in the Cactus League before being reassigned to Minor League camp earlier in the week. "Dexter had a tremendous camp," O'Dowd said. "He's got to get some more strength. That's all it is with Dexter -- experience and strength. He could close the gap this year, really quickly. Fowler has been on the radar as the Rockies' center fielder in waiting for at least a couple years, and the club liked the development it saw in him this spring. Increased strength would make him better able to handle the bat against big league pitching, according to O'Dowd, but the 21-year-old could be in the mix sooner than later. "It wouldn't be far-fetched -- anything could happen in '09 with Dexter," O'Dowd said of his readiness to make an impact with the parent club. "He showed patience, a feel for the game, plus defense. His throwing is always going to be fringy. He looked like he belonged at the Major League level. We thought that was a step in the right direction. He's going to be a special player. He's got a great personality, too." For now, the Rockies are able to experience the best of both worlds, having established homegrown products like Todd Helton, Jeff Francis, Aaron Cook, Matt Holliday, Brad Hawpe, and Troy Tulowitzki signed for two to six years while the future continues to nip at their heels. Depending how the second-base situation goes, they could start players raised as Rockies at every position but catcher and center field. In addition, at least three of their five starting pitchers will be farm products. "We're trying to get a core of stability here and still create some flexibility with other options as we move forward, because we're going to have more good young players coming," O'Dowd summed up. With a talent pool as productive as the Rockies have, teams are going to make fishing expeditions. Just don't expect O'Dowd to deal away his depth. |