Rockies to extend Betancourt: The Rockies have agreed to extend closer Rafael Betancourt's contract an extra year, according to ESPN Deportes. Betancourt is currently on a one-year deal with an option for 2013, but now he will be guaranteed the $4.25 million from the option year. Betancourt's new deal will include an option for the 2014 season. (Updated 01/19/2012)
Injury Report
No information available at this time (Updated 2/12/12).
Fantasy Analysis
Betancourt will go into spring training as the Rockies' closer, and he had thrived in the role when he took it over late last season. Between pitching his home games at Coors Field and his relative lack of experience in the role, though, he should be viewed as a No. 2 RP in mixed leagues. (Updated 01/19/2012).
For a long time, Rafael Betancourt looked like a typical "closer in waiting," posting excellent numbers as a set-up man, while waiting his turn for an opportunity to pitch in the ninth inning. After nine years in the majors, even though Betancourt continued to put up impressive peripheral stats, it looked like his opportunity to close had passed him by. It took a tricep injury to incumbent closer Huston Street for Rockies manager Jim Tracy to give Betancourt a chance to be his closer last August. Even when Street returned later in the year, Betancourt kept the job, and this year, he will head into spring training as a closer for the first time. He can help Fantasy owners with strikeouts and WHIP, though his tendency to allow homers makes him a mild ERA liability. That one weakness isn't enough to make Betancourt worth ignoring in standard mixed leagues, but he should be drafted as a No. 2 RP in those formats. (Updated 1/24/12)