SCOTTSDALE, AZ – MARCH 05: Charlie Blackmon
The Colorado Rockies locked up their center fielder for the next few years, and they do it at a perfect time.
The Colorado Rockies are on the rise in the National League. Last season they battled with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks for a division title until the Dodgers went on a historic run. They settled for a wild card spot and their first playoff appearance since 2009.
Centered around that playoff run was their MVP-caliber center fielder Charlie Blackmon. Last season he finished with a slash line of .331/.399/.601 with 37 home runs and 104 RBI’s.
He finished fifth in MVP voting last season and now the Rockies have agreed to a contract extension with Blackmon. The deal is for six years and $108 million dollars with player options in 2022 and 2023.
This extension comes at the right time as the Rockies are starting to assert themselves as an up and coming team in the National League. Blackmon provides that veteran leadership in the outfield with young guys like David Dahl and Ramiel Tapia waiting in the wings.
Before this extension Blackmon was set to become a free agent at age 32, which wouldn’t have been the best for him. As this past offseason showed, if you’re over 30 the days of five-year deals is over and Blackmon most certainly wouldn’t have gotten this kind of deal from another team.
Don’t let the defensive numbers fool you. Blackmon is one of the better fielding center fielders in baseball; Coors field just doesn’t do his numbers any favors. The Rockies also showed that they’re in it to win for Blackmon’s friend Nolan Arenado.
Arenado who is probably the best third baseman in all of baseball is set for his final round of arbitration this winter. Nolan is going to command one of the bigger contracts, and the fact that the Rockies paid Blackmon probably bodes well for whatever contract Arenado gets.
The Rockies are primed for a solid run the next five or so years. With the young pitching staff, and young position players either on the roster or in the minor leagues the future looks bright for them.