Torrealba, Herges to return to Colorado

Torrealba, Herges to return to Colorado
Veteran backstop, reliever helped team to NLCS in '07
By Thomas Harding / MLB.com

DENVER -- The Rockies reached agreements Wednesday with two of the players that were keys to their success in the National League playoffs -- catcher Yorvit Torrealba and right-handed relief pitcher Matt Herges.

The agreements are pending physicals. An official announcement is expected Thursday.

Torrealba, 28, has agreed to a two-year deal with a mutual option. Recent media reports pegged the Rockies' total base salary offer at $7 million. Herges, 37, has agreed to a one-year offer with a club option for a second year.

Earlier in the month, Torrealba agreed to a three-year, $14.4 million contract with the Mets, but talks broke off just before the deal could be completed. The Rockies maintained their interest in Torrealba, who hit .500 with three RBIs in the NL Division Series sweep of the Phillies and hit the game-turning, three-run homer in Game 3 of the NL Championship Series sweep of the Diamondbacks.

Herges, who spent much of the first half of the 2007 season in the Minors, went 5-1 with a 2.96 ERA in 35 appearances after being called up by the Rockies. The righty earned greater responsibility during the playoffs, when he went 1-0 and did not give up a run in seven appearances, spanning seven innings.

The pending signings are key for a club that is not participating in big-money free agency, choosing to build from within and to retain veterans as long as they fit within the budget. The Rockies also are hoping to re-sign veteran reliever LaTroy Hawkins, currently a free agent.

The tougher sign could be second baseman Kazuo Matsui, who is believed to have three-year offers from the Astros and the Cubs. But second base is a position of depth for the Rockies.

Good to see Yorvit is still alive...