The Rockies have signed 34-year old righty starting pitcher Aaron Cook to a minor league deal.  He pitched in 18 games (all starts) for the Red Sox last year and he was 4-11 with a 5.65 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP.  Last season was the first year of Cook’s major league career that he didn’t pitch for the Rockies.  Cook has pitched in 238 games (206 starts) in his first 10 years with the Rockies and he is 72-68 with a 4.53 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP.  Cook is the Rockies’ all-time leader in games started (206), wins (72) and innings pitched (1,312 1/3).  He is also # in ERA (4.53), #7 in WHIP (1.47), #5 in strikeouts (558), #2 in complete games (11) and tied for #3 in shutouts (2) in Rockies’ history.  With the state of the Rockies’ rotation right now, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Cook pitch a lot for them in 2013.

The Rockies have five rookies that could help them at some point in 2013.  Here’s a look at them:

Nolan Arenado:  21-year old righty swinging 3B Nolan Arenado comes into this season as the Rockies’ #1 prospect according to Baseball America.  He played in 134 games in AA-ball last year and he was 147 of 516 (.285 avg, .766 OPS) with 55 runs scored, 12 homers and 56 RBIs.  He has now played in 414 games in his first four years in the minors and he is 477 of 1,609 (.296 avg, .808 OPS) with 210 runs scored, 46 homers, 265 RBIs and 8 stolen bases.

Ryan Wheeler:  24-year old lefty swinging 3B/1B/OF Ryan Wheeler comes into this season as the Rockies’ #10 prospect according to Baseball America.  Wheeler played in 50 games for the D-Backs in his first taste of the majors last year and he was 26 for 109 (.239 avg, .634 OPS) with 11 runs scored, 1 homer, 10 RBIs and 1 stolen base.  He has also played in 93 games in AAA-ball last year and he was 127 of 362 (.351 avg, .960 OPS) with 56 runs scored, 15 homers, 90 RBIs and 3 stolen bases.  Wheeler has now played in 428 games in his first four years in the minors and he is 512 of 1,637 (.313 avg, .858 OPS) with 243 runs scored, 49 homers, 287 RBIs and 16 stolen bases.

Tim Wheeler:  25-year old lefty swinging outfielder Tim Wheeler comes into this season as the Rockies’ #11 prospect according to Baseball America.  He played in 92 games in AAA-ball for the Rockies last year and he was 115 of 379 (.303 avg, .768 OPS) with 67 runs scored, 2 homers, 37 RBIs and 7 stolen bases.  Wheeler has now played in 427 games in his first four years in the minors and he is 473 of 1,723 (.275 avg, .790 OPS) with 304 runs scored, 52 homers, 221 RBIs and 60 stolen bases.

Rob Scahill:  26-year old righty starting pitcher Rob Scahill comes into this season as the Rockies’ #12 prospect according to Baseball America.  He pitched in 6 games (0 starts) for the Rockies in his first taste of the majors in 2012 and he was 0-0 with a 1.04 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP.  He also pitched in 29 games (all starts) in AAA-ball for the Rockies last year and he was 9-11 with a 5.68 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP.  Scahill has now pitched in 98 games (97 starts) in his 32-33 with a 4.57 ERA and a 1.46 WHIP.

Rafael Ortega:  21-year old lefty swinging outfielder Rafael Ortega comes into this season as the Rockies’ #15 prospect according to Baseball America.  He played in 2 games for the Rockies last year and he was 2 for 4 (.500 avg, 1.167 OPS) with 1 stolen base.  He also played in 114 games in A-ball for the Rockies last year and he was 140 of 495 (.283 avg, .754 OPS) with 81 runs scored, 8 homers, 60 RBIs and 36 stolen bases.  Ortega has now played in 420 games in his first five years in the minors and he is 519 of 1,706 (.304 avg, .790 OPS) with 310 runs scored, 25 homers, 221 RBIs and 147 stolen bases.

The Rangers have returned 25-year old righty reliever Coty Woods to the Rockies.  The Rangers selected Woods in the Rule 5 Draft over the winter.  Woods pitched in 61 games (0 starts) in AA+AAA-ball for the Rockies last year and he was 4-4 with 27 saves, a 3.20 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP.  Woods has pitched in 151 games (0 starts) in his first four years in the minors for the Rockies and he is 12-10 with 34 saves, a 2.81 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP.  The Rockies are probably pretty glad to get Woods back as he could make his major league debut for them at some point in 2013.

The Rockies have signed 33-year old righty starting pitcher Jon Garland to a 1-year deal worth $500,000 bucks with another possible $2 million bucks that he can earn in incentives.  He will be a part of the Rockies’ starting rotation when the 2013 season opens.  He pitched in 4 games (all starts) for the Mariners in spring training and he was 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP.  He last pitched in the majors back in 2011 with the Dodgers.  Garland has now pitched in 353 games (330 starts) in his first 12 years in the majors and he is 132-119 with 1 save, a 4.32 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP.  If Garland is healthy, he will give the Rockies’ starting rotation a nice boost.

The over/under for Rockies’ wins in 2013 is 71.5.  The Rockies were only 64-98 (39.5%) in 2012.  The Rockies are likely going to have one of the worst starting rotations in all of baseball and it’s hard to win that way.  They did add some help for the bullpen, but the lineup will remain essentially the same in 2013.  But, if Troy Tulowitzki can stay healthy in 2013, the Rockies could be competitive a lot more.  But, the rest of the N.L. West got better over the winter.  I would have to take the under as far as Rockies’ wins go in 2013.

It could be a bumpy first season for 49-year old rookie manager Walt Weiss.  He is taking over a Rockies’ squad that was only 64-98 (39.5%) in 2012.  Weiss was a special assistant to Rockies’ GM Dan O’Dowd from 2002-08.  He has been a high school manager since then.  The Rockies have a pretty awful starting rotation and it’s hard to win when that is one of your biggest weaknesses.  Weiss is going to definitely get a baptism by fire with the Rockies in 2013.

The Rockies have signed 35-year old righty starter/reliever Giancarlo Alvarado to a minor league deal.  He pitched in 8 games (all starts) in Japan last year and he was 1-6 with a 3.92 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 431 games (187 starts) in his first 17 years in the minors and he is 84-77 with 4 saves, a 3.70 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP.  It never hurts to give a guy like this a chance, but I doubt that he will help the Rockies at any point in 2013.

The Colorado Rockies are set up well at the back end of the bullpen, but the front end needs some work.  37-year old righty Rafael Betancourt will be the closer for the Rockies again in 2013.  He pitched in 60 games (0 starts) for the Rockies last year and he was 1-4 with 31 saves, a 2.81 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP.  Betancourt has now pitched in 603 games (0 starts) in his first 10 years in the majors and he is 34-28 with 58 saves, a 3.15 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP.  The Rockies dealt for 29-year old righty Wilton Lopez and he will be their top set-up man in 2013.  He pitched in 64 games (0 starts) for the Astros last year and he was 6-3 with 10 saves, a 2.17 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP.  Lopez has now pitched in 213 games (2 starts) in his first four years in the majors and he is 13-13 with 11 saves, a 3.14 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP.  Lopez keeps getting better and that bodes well for the Rockies in 2013.  32-year old righty Matt Belisle is a workhorse for the Rockies.  He pitched in 80 games (0 starts) for the Rockies last year and he was 3-8 with 3 saves, a 3.71 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP.  Belisle has now pitched in 386 games (43 starts) in his first nine years in the show and he is 39-40 with 5 saves, a 4.38 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP.  25-year old lefty Rex Brothers will be the top reliever from his side of the mound for the Rockies in 2013.  He pitched in 75 games (0 starts) for the Rockies last year and he was 8-2 with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP.  Brothers has now pitched in 123 games (0 starts) in his first two years with the Rockies and he is 9-4 with 1 save, a 3.49 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP.  30-year old righty Manny Corpas, 42-year old righty Miguel Batista, 27-year old righty Adam Ottavino, 28-year old lefty Josh Outman and 26-year old Edger Escalona are duking it out for bullpen jobs this spring.  Corpas will have a good shot to win one of the bullpen spots.  He pitched in 48 games (0 starts) for the Cubs last year and he was 0-2 with a 5.01 ERA and a 1.41 WHIP.  Corpas has now pitched in 328 games (0 starts) in his first six years in the majors and he is 12-18 with 34 saves, a 4.09 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP.  Batista pitched in 35 games (5 starts) for the Mets and Braves last year in which he was 1-3 with a 4.61 ERA and a 1.73 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 658 games (248 starts) in his first 18 years in the majors and he is 102-115 with 41 saves, a 4.48 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP.  Ottavino pitched in 53 games (0 starts) for the Rockies last year and he was 5-1 with a 4.56 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 58 games (3 starts) in his first two years in the show and he is 5-3 with a 5.42 ERA and a 1.54 WHIP.  Outman had a rough season in 2012 for the Rockies.  He pitched in 27 games (7 starts) for the Rockies last year and he was 1-3 with a 8.19 ERA and a 1.65 WHIP.  Outman has now pitched in 60 games (32 starts) in his first four years in the majors and he is 9-11 with a 4.69 ERA and a 1.42 WHIP.  The Rockies hope Outman steps up for them in 2013.  Escalona pitched in 22 games (0 starts) for the Rockies last year and he was 0-1 with a 6.04 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 41 games (0 starts) in his first three years in the majors and he is 0-1 with a 3.50 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BULLPEN IN 2013:  B-

The starting rotation looks pretty awful heading into the 2013 season for the Rockies.  The Rockies hope that 31-year old lefty Jorge De La Rosa can stay healthy in 2013.  He pitched in 3 games (all starts) for the Rockies last year and he was 0-2 with a 9.28 ERA and a 1.78 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 191 games (129 starts) in his first 9 years in the majors and he is 54-51 with a 4.96 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP.  25-year old righty Jhoulys Chacin is the most talented starting pitcher the Rockies have, but he needs to keep his head on straight in 2013.  Chacin pitched in 14 games (all starts) for the Rockies last year and he was 3-5 with a 4.43 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 82 games (67 starts) in his first four years with the Rockies and he is 23-31 with a 3.68 ERA and a 1.36 WHIP.  The rest of the starting jobs will be won or lost in spring training.  24-year old lefty Drew Pomeranz could win one of the spots in the Rockies’ rotation.  He pitched in 22 games (all starts) for the Rockies last year and he was 2-9 with a 4.93 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 26 games (all starts) in his first two years with the Rockies and he is 4-10 with a 5.01 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP.  He was supposedly the prize in the Ubaldo Jimenez deal with the Indians two summers ago.  26-year old righty Juan Nicasio also has a decent upside.  He pitched in 11 games (all starts) for the Rockies last year and he was 2-3 with a 5.28 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 24 games (all starts) in his first two years with the Rockies and he is 6-7 with a 4.65 ERA and a 1.43 WHIP.  32-year old lefty Jeff Francis is the old-timer of this bunch.  He pitched in 24 games (all starts) for the Rockies last year and he was 6-7 with a 5.58 ERA and a 1.48 WHIP.  Francis has now pitched in 205 games (204 starts) in his first 8 years in the majors and he is 67-73 with a 4.86 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP.  23-year old righty Tyler Chatwood also could snag a spot in the rotation with a good spring.  He pitched in 19 games (12 starts) for the Rockies last year and he was 5-6 with 1 save, a 5.43 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP.  He has now pitched in 46 games (37 starts) in his first two years in the majors and he is 11-17 with 1 save, a 4.96 ERA and a 1.67 WHIP.  If Chatwood starts throwing more strikes, he might not be too bad.  25-year old lefty Christian Friedrich had a baptism by fire in his first taste of the majors in 2012.  He pitched in 16 games (all starts) for the Rockies last year and he was 5-8 with a 6.17 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP.  He also pitched in 5 games (all starts) in AAA-ball for the Rockies in which he was 2-1 with a 3.00 ERA and a 0.90 WHIP.  26-year old righty Chris Volstad had a rough time with the Cubs last year.  He pitched in 21 games (all starts) for the Cubs last year and he was 3-12 with a 6.31 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP.  Volstad has now pitched in 124 games (123 starts) in his first five years in the majors and he is 35-51 with a 4.87 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP.  Volstad has not pitched well in the majors since his rookie year.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE STARTING ROTATION IN 2013:  D-

The Rockies have signed 27-year old righty reliever Bobby Cassevah to a minor league deal.  He pitched in 4 games (0 starts) for the Angels last year and he was 1-0 with a 7.20 ERA and a 2.20 WHIP.  He also pitched in 49 games (0 starts) in A+AAA-ball last year for the Angels and he was 4-1 with 11 saves, a 5.79 ERA and a 1.66 WHIP.  Cassevah has now pitched in 50 games (0 starts) in his first three years in the majors and he is 3-3 with a 3.20 ERA and a 1.38 WHIP.  He will have a good shot of winning a job in the Rockies’ bullpen this spring.