The Colorado Rockies signed Kris Bryant to a behemoth contract, surprising most of baseball in the process. So far, it hasn’t paid off.
Is it too early to make a general assessment on said deal? Absolutely, as Bryant is less than two months into his career in Denver.
However, it’s right for the Rockies front office and their fans to be a bit frustrated. Bryant has played just two games since April 25, and is going back on the injured list with a lower back strain.
Bryant is slashing .270/.342/.333 during his young career in Colorado, though he has yet to connect on a home run despite playing in the high altitude.
The Rockies initially suggested that Bryant would only be out a few weeks with his back injury, but that has since turned into a month. KB required a cortisone injection.
Rockies: Was Kris Bryant contract a mistake?
Some of us were correct on this deal from the outset, as Bryant signing with the Rockies made little sense given they had traded away Nolan Arenado a few years prior and let Trevor Story walk in free agency.
Bryant signed a seven-year, $182 million deal that will pay him into his age-36 season. It’s possible Colorado could turn things around by then, but with an ownership group that tends to sign one star and little else, I’ll believe it when I see it.
Yes, it’s far too early to call the Bryant contract a mistake. If he can stay healthy, he’s far too talented not to put up numbers at Coors Field. However, what I wrote back in March rings true now:
“But what are the Rockies doing? There’s a reason very few in the industry understood this move from the outset. Colorado will be bad and eventually — perhaps a few years from now — we’ll have the Nolan Arenado situation play out all over again.”
Colorado’s front office is setting itself up for disaster.