Jorge De La Rosa and Rockies Agree on New Contract: Latest Details, Reaction

It has been a season to forget for the last-place Colorado Rockies and their fans, but there was a bit of positive news Wednesday, as the team announced a contract extension for starting pitcher Jorge De La Rosa.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports provided details of the deal:

De La Rosa has turned in a solid 2014 campaign, even as the squad has struggled as a whole. He sports a 13-10 record with a 4.26 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and .240 batting average against. De La Rosa has also notched 119 strikeouts in 160.2 innings and leads the Rockies rotation in WHIP, ERA, strikeouts and wins.

It's not a stretch to call De La Rosa Colorado's best starting pitcher this season.

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The timing of the extension is interesting considering De La Rosa is 33 years old. He likely has a couple of seasons remaining of prime production at his age, which coincides perfectly with Colorado's contract extension. Ideally, he would be a critical component of a team that contends in 2015 or 2016 with Troy Tulowitzki and company.

What's more, De La Rosa has been a dominant force in starts at home, which is particularly difficult considering home is Coors Field. The ballpark is notorious for home runs and inflated offensive numbers, but De La Rosa is 9-2 in Colorado with a 3.19 ERA and .232 batting average against.

Pitching coach Jim Wright discussed that performance after De La Rosa's most recent home win, via Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post.

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"Jorge is tough, tougher than some people might think," Wright said. "He knows how to get through an outing, and he knows how to win a ballgame. Plus, he's not intimidated by this place. He thinks he can outlast the other pitcher."

He will now be outlasting other pitchers as a member of the Rockies for two additional years.