Rockies closer Brian Fuentes is baseball's version of oil. His price is rising, rapidly.

There are at least 10 contenders that have shown interest in trading for him. Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Arizona and the Angels, in fact, have scouts at Coors Field to watch him. Tampa Bay, the Yankees, the Mets, Boston, and the Cubs have had scouts check him out recently.

What they are seeing is Fuentes at his best.

He has had back-to-back 1-2-3 ninth-inning saves against the Pirates on Thursday and Friday, which gives him seven perfect innings in seven appearances in which he has 12 strikeouts this month. It also gives the Rockies more reason to feel they should get a solid return for Fuentes, who will net whatever team he is with -- if he leaves in the fall as a free agent -- two top draft picks as compensation next June.

It's also why there is a question whether Fuentes is going to be around long enough to break the franchise save record. He chalked up No. 101 on Friday. Jose Jimenez set the record at 102.

"We've got some tough decision to make and it could end up we have him here all year and get (two) draft choices (as free agent compensation)," said Rockies manager Clint Hurdle. "I really like the idea of him being on the mound, closing games. It's not that we are putting our guys on a clothesline, offering them to any bidder."

With the way the Rockies have struggled, however, that hasn't kept teams from kicking tires, on Fuentes and Matt Holliday, who also gave the scouts something to contemplate when he unloaded a two-run home run in the first inning that sent the Rockies on their way to Friday's victory.

The Rockies have made it clear that to give up Holliday, who is signed for $13.5 million for next year, they would have to be overwhelmed, and teams looking for that right-handed bat seem to be settling on Xavier Nady of Pittsburgh.

Fuentes, however, still perks interest.

"We'll wait and see, but right now I am playing for the Rockies and it's out of my hands," he said. "What I'm looking at we need to win games. Bottom line. Talking about it and going it are two different things. Winning these two games is a good start. We might surprise some people again."

ROCKIES 5, PIRATES 2: LHP Glendon Rusch had his second strong effort in a row since being recalled from the minors. He allowed two runs in 5 2/3 innings Friday. He's 2-0 and has given up three runs in 11 2/3 innings of his starts. Matt Holliday, Brad Hawpe and Seth Smith homered, Smith's home run an inside-the-park shot for the game's final run. Brian Fuentes worked the ninth for his 16th save.

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