UPDATE: The Rockies have agreed to terms with Parra on a three-year, $26 million contract, according to Wilmer Reina. The deal has been confirmed by Jon Heyman, who says the deal is worth $27.5 million.
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Gerardo Parra is among the many free agent outfielders that have yet to sign a contract this offseason. Rumors have surrounded him ever since the non-waiver trade deadline, and it appears a few MLB teams are moving in on the veteran.
The Colorado Rockies and two other clubs are interested in Parra, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com. Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post is also reporting that Parra is seeking a three-year deal in free agency. Parra's agent, Jose Mijares of Octagon Sports, says he hopes to know more in "the next couple of days."
The Rockies' interest is no secret, as Jon Heyman reported last week that Colorado was "making a push" for Parra and Chris Cotillo of SB Nation said the team was "being aggressive in their pursuit" of the outfielder. However, it's also important to note that Colorado has a full outfield with Carlos Gonzalez, Charlie Blackmon and Corey Dickerson, which means a trade could be on the way in the event Parra is signed.
Previous rumors have also linked the Baltimore Orioles, Washington Nationals, St. Louis Cardinals, San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals and others to Parra, but as of right now it's safe to say the Nats and Giants are out on the veteran. Washington acquired Ben Revere and San Fran signed Denard Span last week, which likely put an end to their outfielder search.
At this point, with the outfield market still largely undefined, it's unknown why type of money Parra is looking at, but there seems to be a consensus among MLB experts in terms of the life of his contract.
Here are contract predictions from earlier this offseason:
Jon Heyman - three years, $33 million
Tim Dierkes of MLBTradeRumors.com - three years, $27 million
ESPN's Jim Bowden - three years, $25.5 million
Parra, 28, hit .291/.328/.452 with 83 runs scored, 14 home runs, 51 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 155 games with the Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers. He struggled during the second half of the season with the O's, but he can play all three outfield positions and provide a solid left-handed bat in the lineup.
There are a number of MLB teams that could use a versatile outfielder such as Parra. Teams like the Angels, White Sox, Orioles, Cardinals, Royals, Indians, Astros and others are exploring the market for outfielders, but don't want to spend a lot of money.
Parra would be a good fit with many of those clubs, so don't be surprised if more suitors hop into the mix in the coming days.
