The Colorado Rockies traded away catcher Chris Iannetta(notes) on Nov. 30, and then subsequently signed former Cincinnati Reds catcher Ramon Hernandez(notes) to the team. This is a move that has been in the making for several months, as the Rockies have been hinting at trading Iannetta for some time.

Hernandez is a 36-year-old veteran catcher who seems to be brought in primarily for his experience and leadership qualities. The Rockies have been acquiring several young pitching prospects and Hernandez’s 13 years of big league experience should help with molding this young talent.

Hernandez hits about as well as the departed Iannetta (.282 average, 12 home runs in 2010 over 91 games), and his fielding percentage (.998) makes him a solid option at catcher. However, Hernandez hasn’t caught more than 90 games since 2008, so the Rockies will need another catcher to split time with Hernandez.

Rockies fans may remember Wilin Rosario(notes), the catching prospect who was called up to the Rockies in September to play the last month of the season with them. Over 16 games, he hit .204 but had three home runs in just 54 at-bats. Despite the short amount of time playing in Denver, Rosario made quite the impression on Rockies fans. They all know his name now, and are eager to see what he will do in 2012.

Rosario has been the catcher that the Rockies have been waiting for the past few years. He would have been called up to the Rockies in 2010 had it not been for the ACL injury he sustained that August. After successfully rehabilitating his knee, he spent the 2011 season in Tulsa with the Rockies Texas League affiliate.

Rosario hits for power and has a very strong arm. The extra year in the minor leagues helped him improve his defense, and he’s been the organization’s top minor league prospect the past few years. Having Hernandez as his mentor in Colorado will greatly enhance Rosario’s development.

The Rockies have a strong farm organization and recent successes in the major leagues have included Troy Tulowitzki(notes) and Carlos Gonzalez(notes). Wilin Rosario should be the next young superstar to come out of the Rockies’ minor league system, and fans will quickly come to love this young catcher.

The future looks very bright for Colorado.

Julie lives in Denver and considers the Colorado Rockies to be the most beloved professional sports franchise in Denver. She’s excited about all this new talent coming into the team.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Read More: Dan Uggla (2B – ATL), Martin Prado (3B – ATL), Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves

The Colorado Rockies don’t have an established second baseman or third baseman at the moment, so it shouldn’t be particularly surprising that the club is showing interest in the Atlanta Braves’ Martin Prado, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.

Prado, 28, was the Braves’ primary second baseman in 2010, but he’s seen time at third base and in left field since the club added Dan Uggla to fill that position in 2011. Prado slipped to a disappointing .260/.302/.385 line this year with Atlanta, but he was an above-average hitter and one of the league’s best second baseman the year before. Presumably, the Rockies are interested in a potentially resurgent Prado that could provide a major upgrade at second base.

The current Brave isn’t under contract yet for next season, but he’s arbitration-eligible, so his team can tender him a one-year contract for roughly $4.5 million based on his previous salaries and performance. He’s not the only second baseman that the Rockies have shown interest recently, so don’t expect the team to go into next year without adding some additional options at the position.

For more on the Rockies, check out Purple Row, SB Nation’s Colorado Rockies blog.

Read more: Colorado Rockies, Rockies Minor League Team, Rockies Minor League Ball, Minor League Baseball in Grand Junction, Grand Junction Gets Rockies Minor League Team, Rockies Affiliate in Grand Junction, Pro, MLB

GRAND JUNCTION, COLO. (AP) — Grand Junction will soon be home to a Colorado Rockies’ farm club.

The Grand Junction Rockies will begin play in 2012 at Suplizio Field after the city council approved a 15-year lease with stadium owners late Monday. The Pioneer League team will move from Casper, Wyo., where it’s known as the Casper Ghosts.

The Monfort Investment Group, headed by Colorado Rockies general partners Charlie and Dick Monfort, bought the team in January.

Dick Monfort says the Rockies are excited to be bringing the team to the Western Slope.

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Information from: The Daily Sentinel 

(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

GRAND JUNCTION — Grand Junction is welcoming a Colorado Rockies’ farm club next season.

The Grand Junction Rockies will begin play in 2012 at Suplizio Field after the city council approved a 15-year lease with stadium owners late Monday. The Pioneer League team will move from Casper, Wyo., where it’s known as the Casper Ghosts.

The Monfort Investment Group, headed by Colorado Rockies general partners Charlie and Dick Monfort, are majority owners of the team.

Dick Monfort says the Rockies are excited to be bringing the team to the Western Slope.

Suplizio Field is currently undergoing $8.3 million in improvements, and another $800,000 was needed to meet Major League Baseball requirements for minor league teams.

The Rockies agreed to pay $100,000, with the city pledging the rest. The money goes to locker room and training facilities as well as office space, The Grand Junction Sentinel reported.

The Grand Junction Rockies will play as many as 42 home games next summer. The field also is used by Colorado Mesa University and area high schools.

The club predicts average attendance of 1,500 per game and initial annual income to the city of $80,000.

Picked up at the end of August as a replacement at third base, Kevin Kouzmanoff will soon be off the Colorado Rockies’ 40-man roster. According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Rockies are in the process of outrighting Kouzmanoff off the roster, sending him to free agency once he clears waivers.

The Rockies took a flier on Kouzmanoff in order to see if he could be a starter for the team there in 2012, but the results weren’t all that impressive with the bat. He hit .255/.315/.398 with three home runs in 27 games for the Rockies. His fWAR (wins above replacement) with the Rockies was 0.0, making him the definition of a replacement player. And if we look at his wRC+ of 84, he was below average at creating runs in his short time with the Rockies (wRC+ is a scaled system where 100 is average).

However, the Rockies could be doing this in order to bring him back for spring training on a minor league deal. Had he stayed with the team, the Rockies would have tendered a contract around $4 million for the upcoming season. Kouzmanoff is not worth that much, though the Athletics had been steadily paying him that for most of the season.

For more on the Rockies, visit Purple Row.