Rockies rumors: Freddy Garcia, Jeff Karstens, Mike Adams

The Colorado Rockies are still on the prowl for pitching help, and have shown interest in right-handers Freddy Garcia and Jeff Karstens, among others, reports Troy Renck of the Denver Post. Renck adds that the club was also interested in free-agent right-hander Mike Adams before he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies.

The Rockies have brought on two pitchers so far this offseason, re-signing left-hander Jeff Francis to a one-year, $1.5 million deal and acquiring right-hander Wilton Lopez from the Houston Astros to shore up the bullpen. The league's worst pitching staff in 2012 will likely need more than that to right the ship, however, so the club is still exploring the dwindling pitching market.

Colorado will not be in on the big names left on the table like Edwin Jackson or Kyle Lohse but they can still add solid veteran depth with someone like Garcia or Karstens, who will be much cheaper, shorter-term options.

Garcia, 36, suffered a sophomore slump in his second season in the Bronx, putting up a 5.20 ERA and 7.5 K/9 rate in 107⅓ innings with the Yankees after a surprisingly successful 2011 campaign. Karstens, 30, was non-tendered by the Pirates last month after posting a 3.97 ERA and 6.6 K/9 rate in 90⅔ injury-plauged innings this past season.