Strike 3: It’s the time of the year for good vibes and positive self-talk. Even if you’re the Colorado Rockies coming off two consecutive 100-loss seasons, and even if you’re in the same division with the Evil Empire known as the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Owner Dick Monfort, who’s been known to make overly optimistic preseason predictions, has held off on doing anything like that, but in a couple of recent public appearances, he’s been upbeat, offering a hopeful message that revolves around a young core and a patient fan base. Rockies players and coaches have also struck an optimistic tone, including ringing endorsements of former National League MVP Kris Bryant, the guy with the $182 million, seven-year contract who’s yet to play 162 games in a Rockies uniform while spending most of the first three years – 327 games to be exact – of his seven-year deal on the injured list. He’s been on the IL eight different times in three seasons.
Bryant has been dealing with Plantar Fasciitis in his feet, rib contusions and oblique strains, plus arthritis in his back that is termed “chronic.” When he has played, he’s been just a shell of his former self, hitting a meager .250 with 17 home runs and 60 total RBIs. Yuck.
And still the Rockies say they’re counting on him coming back strong in 2025.
They shouldn’t be putting any eggs in that basket.
“Kris has been hampered by injuries – a number of things physically that has kept him from being Kris Bryant,” manager Bud Black said at the recent “Rockies Fest” gathering, noting that all the reports about Bryant’s physical condition over the winter have been positive.
“I envision him getting most of his at-bats, primarily at designated hitter,” Black continued. “I see him in right field some, specifically. I see him potentially a little bit at first base.
“We have a slew of outfielders, and the young guys are going to get a chance to play. But we need Kris Bryant to be Kris Bryant.”
He’s referring to the old Kris Bryant, from 2016. Not the 33-year-old Kris Bryant. Unfortunately, there’s not much chance of 2016 happening again.
The encouraging words are meant for the ears of hopeful Rockies fans, but the reality is that arthritis has a better winning percentage than the Dodgers. Expecting Bryant to bring much of anything except some jersey sales to Coors Field this season is almost certainly asking far too much.
There’s certainly nothing wrong with hoping, but sound planning is always the better option. With the likelihood being that Bryant has nothing really left in the tank at this point, the young core that Monfort is so high on must carry the load – and improve a lot – if this season is going to turn out better than the last two. The onus is on outfielders like Nolan Jones (who had a great rookie season in 2023 before a sophomore slump buried him last year) Jordan Beck, Sam Hilliard and Sean Bouchard to step up and shine alongside Gold Glove center fielder Brenton Doyle in the vast expanses at 20th and Blake. And young prospects Zac Veen and Yanquiel Fernandez may finally get their chance to show out as well at some point in the season. So there’s that hope.
Any of them except Doyle could serve as the DH on a given night. And on the plus side, all any of them have to do is post a WAR in the positive numbers and they’ll top what Bryant has done as a Rockie.
Slick fielding first baseman Michael Toglia has to make more contact at the plate, and if/when he does, his home run totals will very likely start to end up in the mid 30’s. With Ezequiel Tovar bringing his Gold Glove defense and solid offense back to Coors Field, and Ryan McMahon back after being the team’s All-Star rep last season, it’s far to expect improvement from the offense even without Bryant.
With his fat contract just reaching the halfway point midway through this season (and it wouldn’t be a shock if that day arrived while he was on the injured list again) Bryant will continue to be a drag on the Rockies organization. Obviously if he’s hurt all the time, there’s that. But what if he’s relatively healthy? Can Black continue to put his name in the lineup if he’s available but still unproductive? He’d be taking at-bats away from younger and very likely more productive players who need the game experience to continue their growth. Yet, if the former Cub is not injured, economics dictate that he plays.
The Rockies put themselves in this unenviable position of course, and on top of everything else that’s wrong (the starting pitching remains a problem) and an offense that didn’t hit a collective .250 last season, they’ve been trapped in a no-win situation that’s four years away from working itself out.
