Major League Baseball

Source: De La Rosa, Rockies near deal

Published Nov. 29, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

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For a while, Jorge De La Rosa seemed likely to wait on fellow free-agent lefty Cliff Lee, delaying his decision until the losers of the Lee sweepstakes could bid along with other clubs.

As it turns out, De La Rosa will act sooner rather than later.

The Rockies are close to re-signing De La Rosa to a three-year contract worth between $32 and $33 million, according to a major-league source.

De La Rosa is represented by Paul Cohen and Bobby Barad, the same agents that handle Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, who has agreed to a new extension through 2020, the source said.

The Rockies and Nationals had made offers to De La Rosa, and one or two other clubs were expected to submit proposals within the next 24 hours.

But De La Rosa is comfortable in Colorado and works well with Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca. His desire to stay with the team, combined with a strong financial offer, apparently convinced him to stay.

The Pirates and Orioles are among the other teams that have expressed interest in De La Rosa, who played for the Pirates' new manager, Clint Hurdle, when Hurdle managed the Rockies.

The Yankees also have checked in, as they do on most prominent free agents, but their priority is Lee.

The Nationals' pursuit of De La Rosa was complicated by their efforts to sign hitters, most notably free-agent first baseman Carlos Pena. The Orioles, too, were working on parallel tracks for hitters.

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