The Colorado Rockies officially announced Tuesday that they have agreed to terms on a five-year contract with free agent infielder/outfielder Ian Desmond.
Desmond, 31, was on the Opening Day roster for the Texas Rangers in 2016 after signing a one-year contract on Feb. 29. In 156 games with the Rangers, he batted .285 (178-for-625) with 107 runs, 29 doubles, three triples, 22 home runs, 86 RBI, 21 stolen bases and 44 walks. He earned his second career All-Star selection, his first since 2012 with Washington.
The 156 games played matched his season total from 2015, and he has played at least 154 games in each of his last four seasons. In 2016, Desmond converted to a full-time outfielder and made 128 starts in center field and 27 starts in left field. In his career, he has made 156 starts in the outfield as compared to 894 infield starts (889 at shortstop, five at second base).
Originally drafted by the Montreal Expos in the third round of the 2004 First-Year Player Draft (the final draft class of the Expos), the Sarasota, Fla., native made his Major League debut with the Washington Nationals on Sept. 10, 2009 vs. Philadelphia and has a career batting average of .267 (1095-for-4105) with 214 doubles, 24 triples, 132 home runs, 518 RBI, 143 stolen bases and 276 walks. Prior to spending the 2016 season as a member of the Rangers, Desmond played parts of seven seasons with Washington.
In addition to his two All-Star selections, Desmond also earned three consecutive Silver Slugger Awards at shortstop (2012-2014) and has won the MLBPAA Heart and Hustle Award five times in his career for his respective teams (2011, 2013-2015 for Washington; 2016 for Texas).