Michael Young rumors and a little Ian Stewart

-- Get back to me on the Michael Young rumors when the two sides actually have a conversation. Troy Renck says that hasn't occurred yet, and it seems as though no conversation has taken place since December.

That would refute any and all rumors that suggest trade talks are in the advanced stages with a deal likely to come on Monday. Wherever those are coming from, I don't know, but I'm trusting Troy Renck's trusted source on this one.

-- Tracy Ringolsby reported earlier in the week that the Rockies and Rangers were so close to a Michael Young trade in December that Eric Young took a physical for Texas. Eric Young replied that the physical was actually the standard team physical scheduled by Colorado and had nothing to do with a trade.

Everything we've gathered since that one hour at the Winter Meetings when the Young rumors were hot suggest a deal was never a realistic option for either side at that time, and the conversations didn't even last through that evening. That would make Ringolsby's report seem fairly asinine and likely based solely on speculation rather than anything with factual basis.

Tracy Ringolsby has been very good to me in the past when I was getting my feet wet as a blogger, which makes it difficult to say this. He's had a surprisingly terrible offseason, including reporting incorrect information on Miguel Olivo's contract status on more than one occasion. It seems like he's doing more jumping to conclusions than he is research or checking sources. That's a scary way to go about a job as a reporter, and it's cost him some credibility with myself, which is why I'm going with Renck on this one.

-- Baseball Analytics thinks Ian Stewart makes an excellent #6 hitter on the road due to his better power split away from Coors Field, and fits ideally as a #2 hitter at home where he reaches base more often.

Me thinks Baseball Analytics has too much time on their hands, but you might find their short piece interesting.

-- Michael Young. I'm required to type his full name three times per blog post.

-- Do I need to bother following Brian Wilson on Twitter, or will everything he tweets end up retweeted by everyone anyway?

-- Quote of the Week -- Ian Stewart on Carney Lansford (Denver Post)

"Personally, for me, I think Carney's probably going to have a big impact. He just brings a certain element to the team that I don't think we've had, at least since I've been here," Stewart said. "He's just so intense and fiery."

Intensity and fire from a hitting coach aren't all that important to me, but if that somehow helps Ian Stewart focus better on what he needs to do, so be it. I hope it works.

Winter Meetings Tuesday Recap

First and foremost I would like to send well wishes to Rockies skipper Jim Tracy. Those were a scary couple of hours early Tuesday morning when word of his collapse at his hotel in Orlando started getting around. I'm very thankful he was able to return home on Tuesday and am hopeful the medical situation is behind him.

My best to his family as well on what had to be an incredibly stressful 12 hours.

-- The Rockies probably overpaid on Ty Wigginton. I have to wonder how many teams would have been willing to go to two years for anything close to that money. Probably not a one, but it does show me the Rockies have identified a guy they like and were aggressive in getting a deal done. That's good. Now we just have to hope their evaluation is sound and Wigginton can handle the assignment.

What's scary is the team apparently didn't do its homework on Melvin Mora last offseason when they believed he was capable of handling a utility role. A lot of people, myself included, saw that problem coming a mile away. Unfortunately we were right, and the Rockies were significantly hampered defensively for an extended period of time.

I think Jim Tracy would be wise to limit Wigginton to 1B and a little bit of 3B. 2B and OF don't seem necessary when you have Jose Lopez giving you plenty of infield flexibility and Eric Young Jr. who can also play 2B and is likely a better outfielder than Wigginton would be a middle infielder. Let EY take those emergency OF innings when needed.

-- Missing on Ronny Paulino robbed us of a potential Paulino-Paulino battery every fifth day. That novelty aside, I don't think the Rockies will regret missing him too much. I know he's a Tracy guy, and it sure is possible the Rockies end up settling for something less, but at this stage I'm not concerned.

-- Michael Young trade rumors dominated Twitter and other media outlets on Tuesday night. My official stance is that potential move would be far fetched, but that's what I would have labeled the Jayson Werth contract right until the moment he signed it. This has been a weird offseason. Teams are being aggressive, creative, and often times stupid, so it's difficult to rule anything out without having enough information.

For now, I'm saying it's unlikely.

Young may fit from a baseball standpoint, but the business side, his age, and his declining skills are all factors weighing heavily against this. The only possible scenario I can see working would involve Colorado flipping Young to a third team, possibly someone like the White Sox, in exchange for a pitcher like Gavin Floyd.

Again, the money would have to make sense, and I don't see it getting to a point where it makes enough sense for Colorado.

But what do I know? Stay tuned and we'll see what Wednesday brings us.