Rockies acquire righty Contreras from White Sox

DENVER — The Colorado Rockies acquired right-hander Jose Contreras from the Chicago White Sox on Monday night for cash and minor leaguer Brandon Hynick.

The Rockies, tied for the NL wild-card lead with San Francisco, made the trade before the midnight EDT deadline for postseason eligibility.

The 37-year-old Contreras is 5-13 with a 5.42 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 21 starts this season. He’s pitched in seven major league seasons with the Yankees and White Sox and is 70-63 with a 4.66 ERA.

The Rockies were swept in a weekend series against San Francisco and have lost five straight to drop 5½ games behind the Dodgers in the West. They have been in need of an established pitcher since Aaron Cook injured his right shoulder on Aug. 21 and went on the 15-day disabled list a day later. An All-Star last season, Cook is 10-6 with a 4.47 ERA in 25 starts.

Contreras, a Cuban defector who signed with the New York Yankees with great fanfare in 2003 and won 15 games for the World Series champion White Sox in 2005, has struggled mightly this season.

He is 1-6 in his last nine starts and leads the AL with 13 losses. Contreras started 0-5 this year after a quick recovery from an Achilles’ tendon rupture last August but was sent to the minors in May.

After a loss to the Red Sox on Aug. 24, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said Contreras was headed to the bullpen but he started and gave up six earned runs in a loss to the Yankees on Saturday.

Contreras is owed $1,857,923 from his $10 million salary and can become a free agent after the World Series.

The White Sox, in a recent slide that sent them out of playoff contention in the AL Central, were busy Monday. They also sent veteran slugger Jim Thome to the Dodgers.

The 24-year-old Hynick is 10-9 with a 3.83 ERA and two complete games in 26 starts this season with Triple-A Colorado Springs.