NEWS » way, you have to figure the man is going to get paid and hell be

LOS ANGELES -- Don Mattingly had enough confidence to keep Chris Withrow on the mound with one out in the eighth inning after he walked the bases loaded. Cheap Raptors Jerseys . It paid off against two of the toughest outs in the majors. Withrow struck out Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki to escape the jam and help preserve a 6-3 victory for Paul Maholm and the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Colorado Rockies on Saturday night. "Obviously, you dont like to see the bases loaded with those guys coming up," Maholm said. "But youve got confidence in Chris because with the stuff he has, he can strike out anybody and get out of anything he gets himself into." Withrow, a first-round draft pick by the Dodgers in 2007, relieved Maholm with a 5-2 lead and walked the bases loaded. But Gonzalez, who has hit 15 homers against the Dodgers since the start of the 2010 season, fanned on a 1-2 pitch and Tulowitzki whiffed on a 2-2 delivery. "Thats a perfect situation for me and Tulo to change the game, but it didnt happen tonight," Gonzalez said. Adrian Gonzalez homered for the third straight game and Matt Kemp also went deep in support of Maholm (1-2). The left-hander threw 84 pitches over seven innings, allowing two runs and six hits in his fourth start with the defending NL West champions. "Everything was working," Maholm said. "I was able to throw breaking balls for strikes. I fell behind some guys, but I was confident enough in my sinker to throw it behind in the count and get some groundballs. I felt way more in rhythm today than I have in any other outing." Maholm, a veteran left-hander who signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract as a free agent in February, had lost his previous seven decisions against the Rockies and was 1-8 with a 6.63 ERA in 10 career starts against them. "I cant tell you I was the most confident person going to the mound, knowing my history against them," Maholm said. "But I havent faced them in a few years, and I think Ive changed as a pitcher since then. Besides, I wasnt pitching in Colorado, so you just go out there, try to get ahead and get groundballs." Yasiel Puig added an insurance run in the ninth with a ground-rule double, and Kenley Jansen got three outs for his ninth save after Brian Wilson walked the first two batters in the ninth -- one of whom scored on a bases-loaded groundout by Charlie Culberson. Juan Nicasio (2-1) gave up five runs and eight hits in 4 1-3 innings for Colorado. The Dodgers grabbed a 3-1 lead with three runs in the third, capped by Kemps towering drive to right field that barely cleared Brandon Barnes outstretched glove as he made a leaping try. Kemp initially thought he was robbed of a homer -- as did the crowd of 45,241 -- until Barnes opened his empty glove. A relieved Kemp then continued his jog around the bases with a huge grin after his second homer in 52 at-bats since the pair he hit against San Franciscos Matt Cain on April 6 at Dodger Stadium. "I thought he caught the ball. Then I saw him slam his glove on the ground and that showed me that he didnt, so I was happy about that," Kemp said. Puig added a two-out RBI single in the fourth -- the first time this season that hes driven in runs in back-to-back games after his home run and RBI single Friday night. Gonzalez led off the fifth with his 1,500th career hit, an opposite-field homer to left that gave the Dodgers a 5-2 lead. The Rockies opened the scoring in the third on Barnes two-out RBI single. Colorado got another run in the fifth on Justin Morneaus RBI single, following a double to centre by Wilin Rosario that Kemp lost in the twilight. But second baseman Gordon kept the damage to a minimum when he robbed DJ LeMahieu of a single up the middle with a diving play and started an inning-ending double play with a backhanded flip to shortstop Justin Turner. NOTES: Ramirez left the game because of a bruised right thumb. X-rays were negative. ... Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw will throw another bullpen session Monday, following the 56-pitch minor league rehab start he had on Friday night with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga. Mattingly would prefer one more rehab start for the two-time Cy Young Award winner, who hasnt pitched since the season opener on March 22 in Australia because of a muscle strain in his upper back. "I know our medical staff does. Im not sure if Kersh buys into that," Mattingly said. "Theres been a small debate going on, but I dont want to be a part of the debate. Well just see how his pen goes, and go from there. He felt good today. He said he felt like he didnt even pitch." ... Colorado RHP Chris Martin made his big league debut with a scoreless seventh inning, a day after the team purchased his contract from Triple-A Colorado Springs. ... Rockies 3B Nolan Arenado extended his career-best hitting streak to 16 games with a sixth-inning single. Stitched Raptors Jerseys . After Mariota was pushed around by Stanford on Thursday, finishing 20/34 with 250 yards and two touchdowns in Oregons Title hope-crushing defeat, hes going to need a poor performance or two from the remaining frontrunners to have a shot at the most coveted individual trophy in college sports. Custom Toronto Raptors Jerseys . The Kings paraded the Stanley Cup through downtown Los Angeles on Monday to celebrate their second NHL title in three seasons. https://www.cheapraptors.com/ . The star receiver certainly isnt celebrating it with the Texans mired in a franchise-record 13-game skid.In a previous life, when I spent more time in an arena writing about hockey than in a TV studio talking about it, I would drive home from games at Maple Leaf Gardens listening to the post-game radio call-in shows. Disgruntled Leaf fans – are there any other kind? – would phone in their trade suggestions. Hilarity would often ensue. Joe from Woodbridge – not to be confused with the Joe from Woodbridge who now works behind the scenes on Thats Hockey (although, now that I think about it...) - would inevitably come up with something along the lines of: I think the Leafs should trade Bill Berg for Joe Sakic. Uh...okay, then. Still, it was damn fine fun. And now, with the NHL trade deadline just six weeks from today, I want in on some of that action. Hi, Im Bob, long-time listener, first-time caller...I think Colorado should trade Ryan OReilly to Buffalo for Tyler Myers. One for one. Boom. Done. Ill hang up and listen. If only it were that easy. *** Where to begin? If the Colorado Avalanche and soon to be 24-year-old centre Ryan OReilly were on Facebook, their relationship status would be tagged as complicated. Not surprisingly, that would also characterize the ongoing trade talks involving OReilly. Former Denver Post hockey writer Adrian Dater, on Dec. 28, was the first this season to tweet Colorado was offering OReilly around the league in exchange for a quality defenceman. In the wake of that, some NHL clubs with interest in OReilly said they hadnt been contacted by the Avalanche, so OReilly certainly wasnt being auctioned or shopped league-wide. What has apparently happened, though, is the Avalanche have quietly targeted a few specific teams – Buffalo and Toronto are the ones mentioned most often in rumours, but absolute confirmations have been hard to come by and its been suggested to me Toronto and Colorado have previously had conversation about OReilly but nothing recently – they see as the best fit in terms of having both significant interest in OReilly and also the requisite blueline piece or pieces that Colorado wants and needs in return. For the right price, its believed that Avalanche executive vice president and general manager Joe Sakic and head coach Patrick Roy are prepared to trade OReilly before the Mar. 2 deadline. But that isnt to say OReilly is certain to be dealt before then. Maybe it will happen in the summer. Maybe it doesnt happen at all. That, too, gets awfully complicated. Before we can go all Joe from Woodbridge about the prospect of OReilly becoming a Sabre or a Leaf, or Tyler Myers or Jake Gardiner becoming a member of the Avs, we really are obliged to look at the history of the relationship between OReilly and the Avs because that - and how it plays out in the weeks and months to come - impacts every aspect of a potential trade. *** The first and most important thing you must know about OReilly is his contract status. When this 2014-15 season ends, OReilly has one year left on a deal that will pay him $6.2 million next season with a cap hit of $6 million. When that 2015 -16 season is over - as long as he doesnt sign a contract extension before then - OReilly will become an unrestricted free agent a year this July. And at the ripe, old age of 25. And thats a really big deal. Any team looking to trade for OReilly now and giving up significant asset(s) in the process, has to be wary of the players impending UFA status in 2016. Imagine, for example, if Buffalo surrendered their 6-foot-8 defenceman (Tyler) Myers for OReilly, only to have the latter skate into UFA status a season and a half from now. Its not necessarily an insurmountable issue. It may be in Colorados best interests to give a team trading for OReilly permission to talk to the players representation to see if they can work out a long-term contract extension. Thats how Colorado can get maximum yield on an OReilly trade, but it can also give the player undue influence on the trade process. So whether permission and/or a contract extension happens or not, well, thats a significant and as yet unknown variable. Equally as interesting as OReillys contract status is the long, winding and often bumpy road he and the Avalanche have travelled together for the past three seasons in particular. On that note, its difficult to talk about OReilly and his contract(s) without mentioning teammate Matt Duchene and his contract(s). It would seem the two have been inexorably linked from the get go, on and off the ice. Duchene was chosen third overall by Colorado in the 2009 NHL draft. OReilly was taken 30 slots later, 33rd overall, in the second round. To no ones surprise, Duchene used his electrifying speed and skill to make the Avs as an 18-year-old (24 goals and 55 points in 81 games). To the surprise of many, OReilly, whose game is as complete, responsible and detail-oriented as Duchenes is exciting and productive, also made the team as an 18-year-old (eight goals and 26 points in 81 games). Both Duchene and OReilly showed improvement in their second seasons. Duchene jumped up to 27 goals and 67 points in 80 games. OReilly posted 13 goals and 26 points in 74 games. In their third and final year of their respective entry-level deals, Duchene took a major step backwards with only 14 goals and 28 points in 58 games - while OReilly made a big leap forward to 18 goals and 55 points in 81 games. If Duchene had designs on the big buck ($5 million to $6 million AAV), long-term (five or six years) second NHL contract that have become something of the norm for franchise building-blocks, his weak platform-year performance gave Colorado the leverage to offer a two-year bridge deal with an AAV of $3.5 million, which Duchene readily accepted the summer before the NHL lockout of 2012-13. That, however, is where Duchene and OReilly hit the fork in the contract road. Sort of. Colorado, initially anyway, wasnt offering OReilly the two-year, $3.5 million per year deal Duchene got and by the time the Avs did make that offer to him, OReilly wasnt prepared to take it - not after his platform season was so much better than Duchenes. The Avs argued Duchenes three-year body of work was more prolific than OReillys, but the latter was sticking to his guns and even after the lockout-shortened season began, OReilly stayed in Russia playing for coach Paul Maurice in Magnitogorsk alongside Ryans older brother Cal. Thats when the Calgary Flames swooped in with a two-year offer sheet to OReilly in late February, which Colorado matched to keep him in the fold. But at a price. The offer sheet gave OReilly $3.5 million in the first year, but jumped all the way to $6.5 million in the second year. Most noteworthy, though, was that $2.5 million of his $3.5 million income in the lockout year was a signing bonus, paid in full regardless of the fact OReilly played only 29 games in the 48-game lockout season. The next season, Duchene continued to make $3.5 million while OReillys salary jumped to $6.5 million. Duchene, though, received a five-year, $6 million per year contract extension the year before his bridge deal expired. When OReillys bridge deal expired last summer, the Avalanche took a hard line with OReilly, taking him to seldom-used, club-elected salary arbitration. It was widely perceived as a potentially hostile maneuver by the team. But immediately before the arbitration hearing, the Avs and OReilly agreed too his current two-year deal at $5. Fake Raptors Jerseys. 8 million and $6.2 million with an AAV of $6 million, the same AAV as Duchenes five-year extension. The difference is Colorado bought up the first three years of Duchenes unrestricted free agency (until the summer of 2019) for $6 million per year, while OReilly is on the verge of hitting his maximum earning power in the summer of 2016 without having sacrificed any prior income. In fact, because of the offer sheet structure, OReilly actually made millions more than Duchene in three years since they came out of entry-level. You know what all of that tells me? an NHL management-type told me yesterday. One, (OReilly) will expect and is quite likely to get between $6.5 million and $7.5 million, if not more, per year on a long-term deal. Two, if youre trading for him now and giving up what Colorado expects to get, you better know you have (OReilly) signed to that extension. *** Technically, the Avs dont absolutely have to trade OReilly. They have the cap room to keep him but theyre not going to like the cost of potentially paying him more than Duchene, and they do have an internal budget they adhere to. Thats why Paul Stastny was allowed to walk to free agency (and St. Louis) last summer and why most feel its inevitable they wont allow OReilly to do the same thing without getting something in return. So conventional wisdom is even if OReilly isnt traded by this years deadline, hell almost certainly be moved in the summer. Even if OReilly did a long-term extension with Colorado in the summer, hed be leaving himself exposed to be traded next season. A full no-trade clause wouldnt kick in for another year, so signing an extension with the Avs would leave the player exposed and possibly traded next season with no say on his destination. Thats just not going to happen. The only way OReilly stays in Colorado for the long-term is if he signs his extension there once his existing deal expires in 2016. Besides, with Duchene as the established No. 1 centre and Nathan MacKinnon clearly emerging as the No. 2 (MacKinnons entry-level contract expires the same summer as OReilly goes to UFA), OReilly may simply be a luxury Colorado can no longer afford, especially when there is such a glaring need on defence. If so, its still going to be a painful decision. OReillys numbers this season – eight goals and 25 points in 46 games – are way off his career year in 2013-14. The Avs have taken a considerable step backwards as a team, too. But OReilly continues to be perceived as one of the more complete players in the NHL, whose versatility (wing or centre), specialties (faceoffs, penalty killing, shutdown duties) are way above average, as are the so-called intangibles (character, leadership) that, with more than a modicum of offensive potential, make him Jonathan Toews Light. Or something like that. OReilly appears to like playing for head coach Patrick Roy and the feeling seems to be mutual, but both the Avs and OReilly have repeatedly demonstrated to each other over the last few years that they arent shy about using whatever business/CBA tools are at their respective disposals. All of which suggests OReilly is likely to be dealt, whether its before Mar. 2 or in the off-season. *** It isnt often theres an NHL trade fit that seems so patently obvious as to be almost perfect for both teams involved, but Ryan OReilly for Tyler Myers may be as close as you can get. Colorado is believed to be looking for a right-shot defencemen to bolster a right side that already features Erik Johnson and Tyson Barrie. A mobile, 6-foot-8 shutdown blueliner with some offensive upside like Myers would fill a considerable void on the Avs blueline. Having young building block forwards such as Duchene, MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog would help to mitigate the loss of OReilly. Myers, who turns 25 next month, is a year older than OReilly but is still not yet even really in his prime. Hes had a lot of ups and downs since winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2010, but hes certainly demonstrated this season that hes still capable of playing the game at a high level. Hes also a fixed-cost asset, under contract for four more years after this one with a $5.5 million cap hit, but an actual cash outlay of only $15.5 million over those four years. That would be an extremely dollar-friendly deal for Colorado. As for the Sabres, OReilly would be a tremendous stabilizing influence on a very young team in the middle of a massive rebuild. If the rest of the season and the draft lottery go according to plan, theres an excellent chance Buffalo will end up with centre Connor McDavid or centre Jack Eichel. Either one would represent a potential No. 1 offensive centre. OReilly, with his versatility, complete game and leadership, would be a wonderful mentor in the No. 2 slot, with last years second overall pick Sam Reinhart as a great potential No. 3 centre. Buffalo would miss Myers presence on the blueline, but with big youngsters Rasmus Ristolainen and Nikita Zadorov already playing in the NHL, the Sabres would have some big, mobile blueliners with significant upside to still build around. The Sabres certainly have the cap space and Buffalo owner Terry Pegula has the deep pockets to meet or exceed OReillys anticipated contract demands. The reality is the Sabres could justify the premium required to keep OReilly in the fold because they know a small-market, rebuilding team would have to overpay to take a talent like OReilly out of free agency. Are there risks involved? Absolutely. Perhaps Myers never fully rounds back into top-pairing form. Maybe OReilly never matches his offensive output of last season. But each has enough attributes to suggest neither would be a bust and whatever risk is involved, its equally shared by both teams. I was curious to get a sense from some NHL GMs and assistant GMs if they viewed OReilly for Myers even up as an equitable transaction. The majority I talked to thought it was a fine fit, a one-for-one that works from both sides and requires no additional picks or prospects. One management-type who puts higher value on OReilly than Myers thought the Sabres should also send a draft pick to Colorado. But another said the financial discrepancy - Myers cost efficiency versus the more costly anticipated UFA premium for OReilly – means Colorado should throw Buffalo a little something extra. So there you have it - my Joe from Woodbridge moment. *** There are a lot of moving parts on this Ryan OReilly scenario and it could still go in a number of directions. All I think I know is hes unquestionably in the drivers seat. By all accounts, hes happy in Colorado. If the Avs dont trade him, it will be no punishment for him to remain exactly where he is, because he knows hes less than 1 1/2 seasons from calling his shot on where he wants to possibly finish his NHL career. If the Avs see fit to move him before the deadline or in the summer, he may have to decide a little sooner than 2016 if hes prepared to commit long-term to a new home somewhere else. Or he can just wait everyone out, play whatever cards are dealt in the short term in Colorado or elsewhere this season or next and ultimately do whatever suits his fancy beyond that. Either way, you have to figure the man is going to get paid and hell be playing long-term wherever he wants to be. ' ' '