Ted Lilly has officially signed a 3 year, $33 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, removing one of the few top left-handed pitchers from the open market.
This contract sets a baseline for Colorado’s negotiations with De La Rosa. Troy Renck reported this morning that Colorado has had discussions, but have not made a contract offer to the lefty.
Lilly, 34, signed a three-year, $33 million contract Tuesday. De La Rosa is 5 years younger, setting up a situation where he might demand a five-year contract.
The Rockies have opened dialogue with De La Rosa but have not made an offer to him.
De La Rosa’s contract status leaned heavily on a Ted Lilly deal, and now that the numbers are set, the speculation can begin. With Cliff Lee setting his own price this postseason, De La Rosa remains the best possible remaining option for many teams to acquire an impact starting pitcher.
Jeff Aberle of Purple Row wrote about the contract situation, including his prediction of how high the Rockies’ organization is willing to go to re-sign De La Rosa.
Lilly has much more of a track record than JDLR of MLB success (four seasons of 3+ WAR and very few injuries), but he’s five years older and arguably has a lower ceiling over the next three years. We’ll see if De La Rosa’s lack of a track record and perceived risk drop him into the Rockies’ price range (which appears to max out at around 3/24, close to what they paid Huston Street). I’d be willing to go up to 3/27 for JDLR, but the Lilly contract makes me wonder if even that will get it done for Jorge. I wouldn’t count on it.
Though he has stated he would like to return to Colorado, the perceived $5+ million that other teams may be willing to offer for his services may prove to be the difference.