Tracy Ringolsby's weekly baseball notes

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First came long-term deals for starting pitchers Jeff Francis (a year ago) and Aaron Cook (in December). Then, last month, shortstop Troy Tulowitzki signed a six-year, $31 million deal, the biggest ever given a player with less than two years in the big leagues.And, now, closer Manny Corpas has signed a deal that gives the Colorado Rockies control over him through his first year of free-agent eligibility.Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd is reliving his baseball youth -- and enjoying it.He has overseen the rebuilding of an on-the-rocks franchise by creating strong scouting and player-development departments that have begun to produce players at the major league level, and now he is working to create cost certainty by making preemptive efforts to sign players before they reach arbitration eligibility.It's a lot like the process O'Dowd was involved in during his baseball beginnings in Cleveland, where he worked with then-Indians GM John Hart to build a team that made six postseason appearances, including two visits to the World Series, in a seven-year stretch (1995 to 2001).During the Rockies' struggles before winning the 2007 National League pennant, management and ownership said the organization was committed to building a team and keeping the nucleus together. Now they are doing it."We had to take care of some matters to get ourselves in position to do this, and now we are able to move ahead," O'Dowd said. "We still have unfinished business with key players that we would like to add when we get a better feel for how to go about doing that."Translation: Decisions remain with the likes of Matt Holliday, Brad Hawpe and Garrett Atkins.The big decision is Holliday, the offensive force in the lineup and close runnerup to the Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins in last year's N.L. MVP voting. The Rockies made an initial effort to create long-term discussions by signing him to a two-year deal that takes care of his final two years of arbitration. The hope is that will be a basis for what becomes a longer deal that most likely would have to be seven years to get Holliday's attention.Would an additional $90 million, on top of the $23 million he is guaranteed for this season and next, get the job done? The average value of such a deal, $16.1 million, would be the highest the Rockies have given a player.What the team needs to do in addition to signing a core group of their players is to keep some financial flexibility, and the question they must answer in the next few months is if that means they choose between Hawpe and Atkins or Holliday.If third baseman Ian Stewart and right fielder Seth Smith return to Class AAA Colorado Springs and put together impact seasons, as expected, they could force their way into the big-league lineup in 2009, replacing Hawpe and Atkins at minimum salaries.What's more, they would be three years removed from arbitration, which is significant because, by the time they would have leverage in negotiations, first baseman Todd Helton's contract would be finished, freeing up $20 million of payroll budget.OVERHEARD-- The Cubs are looking for a right-handed-hitting outfielder that can play center, so they're checking out Marlon Byrd of Texas and Boston's Coco Crisp, a switch-hitter.-- The agent for designated hitter/catcher Mike Piazza said his client has narrowed his offers to one team from the American League and one from the NL. Piazza is expected to decide next week if he will play in 2008. He has ruled out playing in Japan.-- Cubs manager Lou Piniella has gone public in lobbying for general manager Jim Hendry to receive a contract extension. Hendry is in the final year of his current deal.TWO CENTS' WORTHThe Rockies got a deal with closer Manny Corpas that they could not afford to refuse.While he received a $200,000 signing bonus and salaries for this year and next that exceed the Rockies' pre-arbitration levels -- $575,000 this year and $750,000 in 2009 -- they are committed to $2.75 million in 2010, his first year of arbitration, and $3.5 million in 2011, his second year of arbitration.They have options for 2012 and 2013 at $6 million and $8 million, although, based on his performance, both those years could increase by up to $1 million. There are buyouts of $250,000 prior to the first option and $500,000 prior to the second option.For Corpas, it was an opportunity to seize some security so he can help his family in Panama. And he accepted the fact the Rockies weren't going to shake the structure of salaries created by the deal Jeff Francis signed last year. In his first two arbitration years, Corpas will make only $750,000 less than Francis. If the Rockies exercise the option in the third year, he could make $1.25 million more than Francis.The Rockies, meanwhile, tied up a quality young pitcher who showed in his first year as a closer he could handle postseason pressures. And he came at a reasonable price, even if he were to wind up in a setup role.Think about it. A year ago, the Rockies paid LaTroy Hawkins $3.5 million to ostensibly pitch the eighth inning, but he wound up working the seventh. This year, right-hander Luis Vizcaino is making $3.5 million and lefty Brian Fuentes $5.05 million to share the setup roles for Corpas.WHO IS NO. 1?Pitcher Shawn Chacon is wearing uniform No. 1 with the Houston Astros, the first pitcher to wear that number since Jack Jenkins, a right-hander who made his debut with the expansion Washington Senators at age 19 in 1962. Jenkins was 0-1 in three appearances wearing No. 1. He then changed the number, but it didn't change the results: He was 0-3 in eight games in his career.NUMBERS GAME-- 5: Players mentioned in the Mitchell Report are in camp with St. Louis. No other team has more than two. The Cardinals added third baseman Troy Glaus, outfielder Juan Gonzalez and left-handed pitcher Ron Villone after the report was announced in the offseason. Outfielder Rick Ankiel and right-hander Ryan Franklin, also mentioned in the report, were with the Cardinals last year, too.SHATTERED SEASONVanderbilt third baseman Pedro Alvarez, who could be the No. 1 pick in the June draft, will miss six weeks with a broken hamate bone in his left hand. He was injured on the first pitch he was thrown this spring.Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki suffered a similar injury in the first game during his junior season at Long Beach State.HE SAID IT"Nothing against Tampa Bay, but I think in that division, they're not a favorite. I think an American League team makes sense, but I'm sure he'd want to be close to home. He's arguably the greatest player of all time. He shouldn't need to be walking around begging people for a job. If the right situation presented itself, he said he'd be open."-- Dave Roberts, Giants outfielder, on the fact Barry Bonds remains unsigned.(Tracy Ringolsby writes for the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, Colo. E-mail ringolsbyt(at)RockyMountainNews.com.)