Minor league pitcher Drew Pomeranz is the centerpiece of the four-player haul that the Colorado Rockies received from the Cleveland Indians in exchange for Ubaldo Jimenez(notes).

You know it, I know it, the American people know it.

But it will still be a couple of weeks before the Rockies can see their new top pitching prospect in action. And it’s all thanks to former big leaguer Pete Incaviglia.

Before I explain further, check out the press release from the Rockies announcing that the Jimenez deal had been finalized on Saturday:

DENVER — The Colorado Rockies announced today that the club has acquired right-handed pitchers Alex White(notes) and Joseph Gardner, catcher/infielder/outfielder Matt McBride along with a player to be named later in exchange for right-handed pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. The deal is pending a physical examination on Jimenez to be performed by Cleveland medical staff tomorrow.

No mention of Pomeranz there. But the worst-kept secret of the deal is that Pomeranz is the player to be named later. It’s already understood he’s the key player of the trade for the Rockies.

So why all the subterfuge and disingenuous protocol?

The Rockies and Indians have to follow the rules.

Pomeranz was the Indians’ first-round draft pick last year. MLB rules dictate that a draft choice cannot be traded until one year after he was signed. Teams have until Aug. 15 to sign their picks. That’s when Pomeranz signed with the Tribe. And that’s why he’s not eligible to be traded for another two weeks.

Unofficially, this is known as “The Pete Incaviglia Rule.”

What does Incaviglia have to do with any of this? In 1985, the Montreal Expos drafted Incaviglia, but he refused to sign with the team. The Expos then traded him to the Texas Rangers.

MLB wanted to make sure future players didn’t follow suit and try to force trades upon being drafted, and thus instituted the one-year waiting period. Players can still choose not to sign and re-enter the draft a year later. And teams can still sign and trade those players. They just can’t do so until one year has passed.

Unfortunately, that leaves Pomeranz in something of a baseball limbo until Aug. 15. Understandably, the Rockies don’t want him to pitch (and suffer possible injury) until he’s official property of the team. As MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian explains, the Indians and Rockies are arranging a solution that will allow Pomeranz to get work in and maintain his stamina. But he won’t be pitching in any more games for the Tribe’s Double-A team in Akron.

Waiting to start the new phase of his baseball career can’t be much fun for Pomeranz. Maybe he can think of the forced hiatus as kind of a working vacation. Or a minor league staycation. But his future as the Rockies’ hopeful next ace will begin soon enough.

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Related: Alex White, Ubaldo Jimenez, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Texas Rangers

Read More: Ubaldo Jimenez (P – CLE), Alex White (P – COL), Drew Pomeranz (P – CLE), Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies

Colorado Rockies general manager Dan O’Dowd spoke with the media on Sunday afternoon to discuss the Ubaldo Jimenez trade with the Cleveland Indians. O’Dowd told the media that he likely would have made this trade even if the Rockies were leading the NL West:

“If we were 10 games up and not 10 games back, (this) still would have been a difficult deal to pass up.” He called the trade “a reloading deal” rather than “a rebuilding deal.”

However, that could just be talk from O’Dowd to rationalize the trade. If the Rockies were 10 games up, Jimenez would likely have been pitching like he did in the first half of 2010, ending any fears of diminishing returns. But all we know is that O’Dowd did make the trade. So, I’m not sure how reliable O’Dowd’s word is in this regard.

But that isn’t to say it was a bad trade. It’s just that O’Dowd is trying to cover any possible areas of attack. He did say that he was taught to make a deal before it was too late. And holding onto Jimenez for much longer could have ruined his trade value.

Apparently the workload Jimenez and other Rockies pitchers have put up did play into the team’s decision, but that just opens up another cycle. If Jimenez’s workload has ruined him, then eventually the prospects he received, Alex White and Drew Pomeranz, will also overwork themselves and be traded before their value plummets.

And as O’Dowd mentions at the end of the article, those two pitchers will make or break the deal.

For more on the Rockies, head over to Purple Row. Check out Baseball Nation for more on the majors.

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Ubaldo Jimenez got the start for the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night. At some point during his brief outing, he was no longer with the team.

Talk about a strange game.

Jimenez was pulled after one rocky inning when the Rockies agreed to deal their ace to Cleveland, and Colorado rallied for a 10-6 victory over the San Diego Padres.

“Some very incredible circumstances in relation to this game,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “To go out there and win the ballgame speaks for itself.”

Eliezer Alfonzo hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high five runs for the Rockies. Troy Tulowitzki had three RBIs, including a two-run homer, and Esmil Rogers (4-1) came on in relief of Jimenez and allowed one run in five innings.

But it was how Jimenez started the game, with Rogers was warming up in the bullpen, that was odd.

“He started to warm up and we found out shortly after the national anthem had finished that it was official,” Tracy said. “At the time that he went down (to warm up), we hadn’t gotten official confirmation. Once the game started, there was (a deal).”

Jimenez gave up four runs, two hits and four walks in the shaky first. He was lifted for Rogers and told reporters outside the Colorado locker room he had been traded to the Indians.

The Rockies confirmed the five-player deal with Cleveland later in the game. Colorado will get three minor leaguers and a player to be named.

“For sure, I didn’t have my mind on baseball right there,” Jimenez said. “It’s extremely hard to get traded. When I got to the mound in the first inning, I couldn’t even throw a strike because I didn’t have my mind on the game.”

Jimenez was greeted with hugs, handshakes and pats on the back from his teammates and coaches when he came into the dugout after the first inning.

“I have known him since I have been with the organization,” Tulowitzki said. “It’s tough to see someone like him go.”

Tracy said before Jimenez went to the mound, there were plenty of distractions.

“I called him into the office (before the game) because there was something that had gone across on the television that said he had been traded,” Tracy said. “I was waiting for confirmation. If time allowed, he would not have started the game. But I didn’t get that call, so I called him in here to tell him the TV was not (true).”

Even though the trade was not a surprise, Tracy said that doesn’t make it easier.

“I understand the things we are doing,” said Tracy, whose eyes got moist as he spoke of Jimenez. “But that doesn’t make it very simple to say goodbye to somebody who has meant so much to this organization and to myself personally as a manager.”

Alfonzo connected against reliever Luke Gregerson in the sixth inning, giving the Rockies a 7-4 lead. He also drew a bases-loaded walk.

Alfonzo’s home run was his first since May 30, 2010, for Seattle. It was the first grand slam by Colorado since Sept. 23, 2010, when Carlos Gonzalez went deep at Arizona.

“It was kind of bittersweet,” Alfonzo said. “It feels good to contribute, but then to lost Ubaldo makes it tough.”

Colorado earned its third consecutive win, improving to 11-3 in its last 14 games at Petco Park.

Chris Nelson had three hits and scored twice and Tulowitzki reached the 20-homer mark for the fourth time in his five full seasons.

Aaron Harang (9-3) allowed six runs and six hits over 5 2-3 innings for San Diego.

“It was kind of an odd day,” Harang said. “(Jimenez) didn’t look like his normal self.”

Alberto Gonzalez had three RBIs for San Diego and Ryan Ludwick drove in two.

Jimenez, who finished third in the NL Cy Young Award voting last season after going 19-8 with a 2.88 ERA, threw 45 pitches, only 21 for strikes.

Ludwick and Alberto Gonzalez each had a two-run double in the first.

Tulowitzki’s homer broke Colorado’s five-game drought, its longest in nearly a year.

NOTES: San Diego LHP Wade LeBlanc will be called up from Triple-A Tucson to start in place of RHP Dustin Moseley (slight left shoulder dislocation) on Sunday. … Padres manager Bud Black said team doctor Heinz Hoenecke was “encouraged” about LHP Clayton Richard’s shoulder surgery. Black said the team expects Richard to be ready by the first day of spring training with no restrictions.

Ubaldo Jimenez was the story after just one inning Saturday night as the Colorado Rockies beat the San Diego Padres 10-6.

Incredibly, it was the only inning he pitched before being pulled off the mound.

Jimenez was yanked after one rocky inning when the Rockies agreed to deal their ace to the Cleveland Indians, and Colorado rallied for a 10-6 victory over San Diego.

“Some very incredible circumstances in relation to this game,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “To go out there and win the ballgame speaks for itself.”

Eliezer Alfonzo hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high five runs for the Rockies. Troy Tulowitzki had three RBIs, including a two-run homer, and Esmil Rogers (4-1) came on in relief of Jimenez and allowed one run in five innings.

But it was how Jimenez started the game, with Rogers was warming up in the bullpen, that was odd.

“He started to warm up and we found out shortly after the national anthem had finished that it was official,” Tracy said. “At the time that he went down (to warm up), we hadn’t gotten official confirmation. Once the game started, there was (a deal).”

Jimenez gave up four runs, two hits and four walks in the shaky first. He was lifted for Rogers and told reporters outside the Colorado locker room he had been traded to the Indians.

The Rockies confirmed the five-player deal with Cleveland later in the game. Colorado will get three minor leaguers and a player to be named.

“For sure, I didn’t have my mind on baseball right there,” Jimenez said. “It’s extremely hard to get traded. When I got to the mound in the first inning, I couldn’t even throw a strike because I didn’t have my mind on the game.”

Jimenez was greeted with hugs, handshakes and pats on the back from his teammates and coaches when he came into the dugout after the first inning.

“I have known him since I have been with the organization,” Tulowitzki said. “It’s tough to see someone like him go.”

Tracy said before Jimenez went to the mound, there were plenty of distractions.

“I called him into the office (before the game) because there was something that had gone across on the television that said he had been traded,” Tracy said. “I was waiting for confirmation. If time allowed, he would not have started the game. But I didn’t get that call, so I called him in here to tell him the TV was not (true).”

Even though the trade was not a surprise, Tracy said that doesn’t make it easier.

“I understand the things we are doing,” said Tracy, whose eyes got moist as he spoke of Jimenez. “But that doesn’t make it very simple to say goodbye to somebody who has meant so much to this organization and to myself personally as a manager.”

Elsewhere in the National League it was: Philadelphia 7 Pittsburgh 4; Milwaukee 6 Houston 2; St. Louis 13 Chicago Cubs 5; Atlanta 5 Florida 1; Cincinnati 7 San Francisco 2; Washington 3 N.Y. Mets 0 and Arizona 6 L.A. Dodgers 4.

At San Diego, Alfonzo connected against reliever Luke Gregerson in the sixth inning, giving the Rockies a 7-4 lead. He also drew a bases-loaded walk.

Alfonzo’s home run was his first since May 30, 2010, for Seattle. It was the first grand slam by Colorado since Sept. 23, 2010, when Carlos Gonzalez went deep at Arizona.

Colorado earned its third consecutive win, improving to 11-3 in its last 14 games at Petco Park.

Chris Nelson had three hits and scored twice and Tulowitzki reached the 20-homer mark for the fourth time in his five full seasons.

Aaron Harang (9-3) allowed six runs and six hits over 5 2-3 innings for San Diego.

Alberto Gonzalez had three RBIs for San Diego and Ryan Ludwick drove in two.

Ludwick and Alberto Gonzalez each had a two-run double in the first.

—

Phillies 7 Pirates 4

At Philadelphia, Ryan Howard had four hits, including a homer and two doubles, and three RBIs to lead Philadelphia to the victory.

—

Brewers 6 Astros 2

At Milwaukee, Yovani Gallardo tossed seven effective innings and Prince Fielder hit a 475-foot home run for surging Milwaukee.

—

Cardinals 13 Cubs 5

At St. Louis, Mo., Albert Pujols and David Freese homered, helping St. Louis overcome a five-run deficit. It was the 432nd homer of Pujols’ career and came one day after he reached 2,000 hits. The home run places him alone in 40th place on the career list.

—

Braves 5 Marlins 1

At Atlanta, Tim Hudson allowed one run in seven innings and Dan Uggla hit a three-run homer to lead Atlanta to the victory. Uggla belted his 20th homer in the third inning to extend his career-best hitting streak to 21 games.

—

Reds 7 Giants 2

At Cincinnati, Jay Bruce and Chris Heisey each hit a two-run single in Cincinnati’s five-run first inning.

—

Nationals 3 Mets 0

At Washington, D.C., Jayson Werth hit a three-run homer for Washington, and Yunesky Maya, filling in for traded starter Jason Marquis, earned his first career win.

—

Diamondbacks 6 Dodgers 4

At Los Angeles, Justin Upton greeted Matt Guerrier with a go-ahead three-run double, and Arizona climbed within three games of the NL West lead.

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The Detroit Tigers have joined the pack of suitors for Colorado Rockies ace Ubaldo Jimenez(notes), according to FOX Sports.

Jimenez doesn’t have a clue where he’ll be after Sunday afternoon’s trade deadline passes. “I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Jimenez said, according to the Denver Post. “It’s out of my control. All I can focus on is doing my job to the best of my ability.”

The Tigers are also talking to the Washington Nationals about what it would take to get Jason Marquis(notes) as well as the Los Angeles Dodgers about Hiroki Kuroda(notes), FOX reports. The site has it that the folks in Denver have four other teams interested in Jimenez: the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, and Cleveland Indians.

The Rocks are setting the price high since the team knows it has no real need to get rid of Jimenez, FOX notes. The Post reports that the Yankees aren’t planning to offer too much because the team is concerned that Jimenez won’t have an immediate impact this season and may have a minor injury, which Jimenez denies. “The Yankees, as a result, are closely eyeing Seattle’s Erik Bedard(notes) and the Dodgers’ Hiroki Kuroda,” the Post notes.

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Source: FOX SportsDenver Post

Related: Hiroki Kuroda, Ubaldo Jiménez, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Detroit Tigers, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Washington Nationals