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The Rockies asked for top young Orioles starter Kevin Gausman in trade talks for veteran star left-hander Jorge De La Rosa, according to sources. That was a request that was summarily declined by Baltimore, and a feeling is growing that the Rockies are less than motivated to trade De La Rosa.
The Orioles have made some offers of other young players for De La Rosa, a top lefty who is 11-6 with a 4.27 ERA and would help them, but word is the Orioles have no intention of trading Gausman for a rental, even a good rental.
One person familiar with the Orioles situation called that request a "non-starter," no pun intended.
Beyond that Colorado likes De La Rosa and wants to keep him, asking prices are going to be high for good starters with reasonable contracts. Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels are likely too expensive for most teams, Baltimore included, and David Price probably isn't going anywhere at this point, certainly not to the division rival Orioles.
It's also understandable why the Rockies are so high on Gausman, who's not only one of the better young (he's 23) pitchers in baseball but was a high school phenom at Centennial High outside Denver. The Rockies surely also love the idea that Gausman has some understanding about how to pitch at altitude, which has been the undoing for many Rockies pitchers over the years.
Gausman also has the advantage of being tied to the Orioles for up to six more years, and the Orioles love his arm and makeup.
But another reason the Rockies' asking price is so high is that they intend to try to re-sign De La Rosa, who is 41-14 at impossible Coors Field (though there's no evidence they've made new contract offers yet), and have told him they will extend the qualifying offer to him which will either keep him in Colorado for another year (if he takes it) or earn them a draft choice if he signs elsewhere.
The Orioles are pretty well-stocked with pitching prospects, with
