The Colorado Rockies appear to be unwilling to trade off expensive franchise cornerstones Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez, according to Ken Rosenthal. After the Miami Marlins shipped off their expensive players in a franchise-altering move, many speculated the Rockies could do the same. But team sources indicated that they would very much prefer to keep their star hitters.

Rosenthal says the Rockies covet cost-controlled pitchers who throw strikes and keep the ball on the ground, but are convinced that even if they were to offer up Tulo or CarGo, they would not receive enough of those pitchers in return to justify the deal.

But the fact remains that Tulowitzki and Gonzalez are owed over $200 million between them, and the Rockies just wrapped up a 93-loss season just like the Marlins did. If they were willing to unload one or both of their expensive stars, they might then have the payroll flexibility and the young talent to rebuild quickly and effectively. Of course, Tulowitzki is signed for another eight seasons and Gonzalez another five, so they could very likely still be the cornerstones of the franchise the next time the Rockies make the playoffs.