COLORADO ROCKIES

Starting Lineup
CF Ryan Spilborghs: new CF has less range than Taveras in the outfield but should get on base at a much higher rate (.374 career OBP) and has much more power (21 HR's in 668 career AB's)
LF Seth Smith: team's #8 prospect, according to BA, the 26 year-old will get a shot at the starting LF job and if anything, would be a valuable player off of the bench after getting some AB's in AAA early in the season UPDATE 3/29 - could be the #2 hitter in front of Helton
1B Todd Helton: played in only 83 games after playing at least 144 in 10 straight seasons, finishing with a .264 BA and 7 HR's
3B Garrett Atkins: numbers have declined in three straight seasons (.329-29-120 in '06; .301-25-111 in '07; 286-21-99 in -08)
RF Brad Hawpe: 29 year-old is averaging 25 HR's and 95 RBI's over the past three seasons
SS Troy Tulowitzki: returned from an early season injury to bat .327 with 5 HR's and 30 RBI's during the 2nd half of 2008
C Chris Ianetta: emerged as one of the better hitting catchers in the NL with 18 HR's in 333 AB's and a .264 BA
2B Clint Barmes: hit .290 with 11 HR's and 13 SB's in 393 AB's last season

Bench
C Yorvit Torrealba: veteran has taken a back seat to Iannetta but remains a solid backup catcher
IF Omar Quintanilla: backup middle-infielder hit .238 in 210 AB's but made only 4 errors in 79 games UPDATE 3/6 - making his case for a bench job
UTL Jeff Baker: finished the season with a .268 BA and 12 HR's in 299 AB's but he was just 3-for-22 coming off of the bench as a pinch-hitter
IF/OF Ian Stewart: hit .259 with 10 HR's and 41 RBI's in his rookie season but he is still stuck behind Helton and Atkins UPDATE 3/12 - making a move in the battle for the starting LF job UPDATE 3/23 - Hurdle wants him to work at 2B now, indicating that he could be used as a super-utility man getting AB's at 1B, 2B, 3B, and LF if he makes the opening day roster
OF Dexter Fowler: team's # 1 prospect will need some time at AAA but the team will not hesitate to promote him if Spilborghs doesn't hit UPDATE 3/25 - still in the mix for the starting CF job UPDATE 3/31 - will make the opening day roster; it is not yet known whether he has beat out Spilborghs for the starting CF job

Starting Rotation
RHP Aaron Cook: went 8-4 with a 3.40 ERA against NL West foes in 2008
RHP Ubaldo Jimenez: 25 year-old was 8-3 with a 3.68 ERA in 14 starts after the All-Star break
LHP Franklin Morales: claims that his bad back hurt him during a disappointing 2008 season where he posted a 5.47 ERA in 21 AAA starts and 6.39 ERA in 5 big league starts UPDATE 3/3 - Tracy Ringolsby of 'Inside the Rockies' says Morales has the edge in the battle for the #5 spot in the rotation UPDATE 3/8 - continues to have the edge after tossing four scoreless innings in his last spring outing UPDATE 3/31 - named the team's #3 starter UPDATE 4/2 - now it is likely that he'll make his first few starts in AAA before being called up when the team needs another starter in mid-April UPDATE 4/5 - correction: he'll make his first start and then go to AAA until his next start on 4/21
RHP Jason Marquis: off season acquisition has a 2.51 ERA in 28.2 career IP at Coors Field
LHP Jorge De La Rosa: pitched well down the stretch (7-3, 3.08 ERA after the All-Star break) in 2008; could also help in the bullpen but with Francis likely to miss the season, he should stay in the rotation

Bullpen
RHP Huston Street: lost his closer's job in mid-2008 with the A's but still finished strong in the 2nd half, winning five games and posting a 3.21 ERA UPDATE 2/17 - for more on the competition between Corpas and Street, click here UPDATE 4/2 - will be the team's closer after beating out Manny Corpas
RHP Manny Corpas: lost his closer's job early in 2008 and finished with a 4.52 ERA in 79.2 IP
LHP Alan Embree: veteran joins his 10th ML club and 4th team in the NL West; posted a 4.96 ERA in 70 games for Oakland in '08
RHP Ryan Speier: 29 year-old was 2-1 with a 4.06 ERA in 43 relief appearances UPDATE 3/11 - could take on bigger role in the bullpen with injury to Buccholz
RHP Jason Grilli: acquired from the Tigers early in 2008, he was excellent out of the 'pen for the Rockies with a 3.00 ERA in 75 IP
LHP Glendon Rusch: returns to the club after posting a 4.78 ERA in 64 IP for the Rockies in 2008
RHP Jason Hammel: could be the odd man out on a very talented and deep pitching staff UPDATE 3/2 - says he's ready to show the Rays he can be a starter UPDATE 3/16 - Rays Index explains why it appears that Hammel has the edge for the #5 spot in the rotation UPDATE 4/5 - acquired from the Rays

Disabled List
LHP Jeff Francis: disastrous 4-10 season ended early as he was shutdown for the season in mid-September after struggling with shoulder inflammation throughout the season; likely to miss the '09 season
RHP Taylor Buccholz: might have been the best reliever on the team in '08, posting a 2.17 ERA in a career-best 63 games UPDATE 3/5 - expected to be out 4-6 weeks with an elbow

Other Roster Candidates
RHP Juan Morillo: he will have to pitch very well this spring to win a spot in a crowded bullpen; out of options UPDATE 4/2 - he has made the opening day roster UPDATE 4/5 - with the Hammel acquisition and Morales on the roster until after the third game of the season, Morillo might not be around long
RHP Matt Belisle: went 1-4 with a 7.28 ERA in six starts for the Reds in 2008 UPDATE 3/31 - appears to be the odd man out in the bullpen UPDATE 4/2 - looks like he'll make the opening day roster UPDATE 4/5 - roster spot may be in jeopardy with the acquisition of Hammel

In limbo
OF Dan Ortmeier: spent parts of the last four seasons with the Giants, hitting .255 with 6 HR's in 255 AB's UPDATE 3/31 - informed he would not be making the opening day roster
C Sal Fasano: veteran hit .261 in 46 AB's with the Indians in '08 and threw out 4 of 12 attempted base stealers UPDATE 3/31 - informed he would not be making the opening day roster
OF Scott Podsednik: re-signed to a minor league deal after hitting .253 with 12 SB's in his first season in Colorado UPDATE 3/31 - will not make the team; he can accept an assigment to AAA or opt for free agency

Optioned to AAA
OF Matt Murton: struggled in 2008, hitting just .186 with 0 HR's in 70 AB's between the Cubs and Oakland but was a career .296 hitter in three previous seasons; could platoon with Gonzalez or Seth Smith in LF UPDATE 3/30 - optioned to AAA
OF Carlos Gonzalez: will not be handed a starting job after hitting just .242 with 4 HR's during his rookie season in Oakland but he has a ton of potential UPDATE 3/3 - update on the LF battle between Gonzalez, Murton, Smith, and Ian Stewart UPDATE 3/30 - optioned to AAA
LHP Greg Smith: was only 7-16 during his rookie season in Oakland but had a respectable 4.16 ERA; he'll have to hold off Fogg, Hirsh, and Franklin Morales to win a job; here's a closer look at the competition UPDATE 3/30 - optioned to AAA

Reassigned to Minor League Camp
IF Luis Gonzalez: returns to the club after spending two seasons in Japan; hit .283 with 23 HR's in 291 career games with Colorado
RHP Jason Hirsh: returned for 8.2 IP after missing most of the season with a shoulder injury, he went 5-7 with a 4.81 ERA in 19 starts the previous season UPDATE 3/16 -sent to minor league camp today
LHP Randy Flores: has had a mediocre career except for 2005 when he was 3-1 with a 3.46 ERA for the Cardinals UPDATE 3/30 - reassigned to the minors
RHP Josh Fogg: 32 year-old went 21-18 in 2006-07 for the Rockies UPDATE 3/30 - reassigned to the minors