Towers, Redman heat up race for Rockies' rotation

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TUCSON, Ariz. -- Josh Towers realizes this spring training is about making a major league rotation -- preferably the Colorado Rockies."There has to be results," Towers said. "I'm not just here to work on my changeup."There appears to be little margin for error in the battle for the final spots of the Rockies rotation. Manager Clint Hurdle has made it clear the only three starters who are set are Jeff Francis, Aaron Cook and Ubaldo Jimenez.Jason Hirsh might have an edge in the battle for one of the two remaining jobs, but Towers, Mark Redman, Kip Wells and Franklin Morales don't appear to be ready to let anybody back into a slot in the rotation.The five candidates for the two open spots have combined to allow one run and 11 hits in 16 innings in spring training.Towers and Redman were better in their second appearances Sunday. Although the Rockies lost to Oakland 3-2 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, Towers started and worked three shutout innings, giving way to the left-handed Redman, who struck out four in three perfect innings.For Towers, it was a critical effort. Having spent his career in the Toronto and Baltimore systems, he not only is new to the Rockies, but he also gave up one run in two innings against the White Sox last Wednesday. And his contract situation provides the Rockies with more flexibility than any of the other veteran rotation candidates.Redman has a $1 million guarantee. Wells is guaranteed $3.1 million. Both also can refuse a minor league assignment and still get paid.Towers doesn't have the major league service time to have that power. While he would be paid at the rate of $1.8 million if he makes the team, he is guaranteed only $400,000, and if he clears waivers -- meaning the 29 other major league teams didn't put in a claim for him -- Towers would have to accept the assignment or void his contract.Not that Towers is complaining."I've been handed two jobs in spring training and wound up going 0-12 and 2-10," Towers said. "Actually, going out and trying to compete is good for me. . . . More than anything, it gives me that mental edge, which is what makes people successful."The first time Towers got a free ride into a season was in 2002. Coming off an 8-10 rookie season with Baltimore, he opened that year with the Orioles by going 0-3, then found himself at Class AAA Rochester, where he was 0-9. The next time he was "given" a job was two years ago, when he was 2-10 with an 8.42 ERA for Toronto.There's no free ride this spring training. The competition is interesting.Hirsh has the inside for one opening because of the way he pitched in the second half last season before suffering a fractured right fibula. He does have to reaffirm he will be aggressive with his fastball, though.Morales is the rising lefty starter of the organization, but at 22, he still is a question mark with his consistency and has an option that would allow his return to Triple-A if he doesn't dominate during spring training.Wells is a scout's delight, showing arm strength and pitch assortment, but at 30, he has yet to show the consistency his ability would seem to allow.Then there is Redman, who bounced from Atlanta to Toronto to Kansas City and finally the Rockies last season, where he made a strong enough impression in September that he was a part of the Rockies' postseason entourage and quickly was re-signed in the offseason.That, Redman has said, was a blessing after he got the feeling he was playing catch-up all season because he didn't sign with Atlanta until March 10 after Mike Hampton was lost for the season."There's probably something to that," Hurdle said of Redman. "He is making his pitches out of the chute this year."Not only has Redman worked five shutout innings, but he has retired 15 of 18 batters he has faced. And he struck out four of nine on Sunday.All of which adds to the challenge for Towers."I haven't figured out who is trying to do what," he said. "I know there are a lot of us competing for a job. . . . You are always auditioning (for other teams). The past couple of years, turns out, I was auditioning for (the Rockies). And here I am."Now it's a matter of Towers figuring out a way to stay.(Tracy Ringolsby writes for the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, Colo. E-mail ringolsbyt(at)RockyMountainNews.com.)