Rockies, Torrealba set to ink two year deal
By John Livingston | December 9, 2009
The Colorado Rockies are expected to finalize a deal with catcher Yorvit Torrealba to bring him back to the club he has seen much success with. The deal is reportedly two years and worth $5-5.5 million which is a little bit less than the two year deal he signed with the Rockies in 2007.
Many teams expressed interest in Torrealba including the NL West division rival San Francisco Giants. This was to be expected after he hit for a .291 average with 2 HR’s and 31 RBI’s in limited action last season. Torrealba was limited after taking a considerable portion of the season to return to Venezuela after his son and brother-in-law were kidnapped. After their safe return to the Torrealba family, Yorvit returned to the Rockies and was a major factor in the playoffs as he earned the playoff starts due to his hot bat. Torrealba had countless big hits down the stretch to clinch the Wild Card and to keep the Rockies competitive in their opening round playoff loss to the Philadelphia Phillies.
The Rockies have also offered their catcher Chris Iannetta a multi-year extension and the team is certainly hoping their farm products can finally have a consistently strong season in 2010 and claim the number one catchers spot on Jim Tracy’s depth chart. Iannetta hit .228 and hit 16 HR’s in 2009 and at times fell into major hitting slumps. Torrealba has always been able to capitalize on increased playing time and has show off his hitting skills and exceptional ability behind the plate. Neither catcher has been incredibly productive at shutting down base runners but their abilities to keep the ball in front of them and handle the bat make them great contributers to the Rockies team.
Yorvit had originally turned down a two year $4.5 deal from the Rockies a week ago but it appears that further negotiations and more money offered has gotten the deal done. Torrealba has been a great asset to the Rockies in years past and he has great chemistry with the Rockies Latin-speaking pitchers like Ubaldo Jimenez. He brings intensity and passion to the Rockies when they at times seem to lack it and his energy and big bat have brought the Coors Field fans to their feet many times. The Rockies surely hope the 31 year old catcher can keep delivering for them when it matters the most.
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