CHICAGO — On second thought, the Rockies might address second base through a trade — the Dodgers’ Jamey Carroll is among the targets — before adding a starting pitcher.

Colorado would like to bolster its rotation, but owner Dick Monfort acknowledged Monday that the cost could be prohibitive given the number of teams looking for pitching.

That means it’s possible the Rockies could look internally for rotation help — Triple-A’s Greg Reynolds is a leading candidate along with reliever Clayton Mortensen — and shift their immediate focus to second base.

The Rockies have expressed interest in Carroll, showing their desire to get more consistent offense from the position. Cleveland is also expected to shop Orlando Cabrera if it falls out of the race. Except for Jonathan Herrera in April, the Rockies have received little offense from second base.

The Rockies rank 20th in the big leagues in average at .239 and 23rd in on-base percentage (.293) at the position. With Chris Nelson slumping, Herrera started the final two games of the road trip. He went 1-for-3 Monday, leaving him 4-for-38 this month.

Nelson has cooled since an encouraging start, delivering just one hit in his last 19 at-bats. His power remains intriguing, but the Rockies have reached a juncture in the season where patience is becoming increasingly difficult.

Hitting .300 with a .368 on-base percentage, Carroll represents a potential fit. The Dodgers filed for bankruptcy Monday and could look to move the roughly $1 million owed the former Rockie. Also, the Dodgers’ Rafael Furcal is likely to begin playing more second base with the emergence of rookie shortstop Dee Gordon. However, Carroll is a favorite of Dodgers manager Don Mattingly.

Rockies manager Jim Tracy said going forward that both Nelson and Herrera “will play.” This homestand could shape the Rockies’ urgency. Nelson has hit .314 at Coors Field with two home runs and five RBIs.

Footnotes.



Troy Tulowitzki’s 2,955,609 votes lead major- league shortstops for the All-Star Game, leaving him ahead of the Mets’ Jose Reyes (2,710,077). Tulowitzki, tops at his position with 14 home runs and 50 RBIs, has never started the Midsummer Classic but made last season’s team as a reserve. . . . Carlos Gonzalez has moved into 10th in the voting among outfielders. . . . Actor/musician Nick Jonas took batting practice before the game. The Cubs razzed him as he struggled in the first round, but he rebounded with some line drives.