While so much has been made about the debacle of a blockbuster Anthony Rendon signed with the Los Angeles Angels, Kris Bryant keeps getting them checks from the Colorado Rockies. The former star third baseman of the Chicago Cubs has been on and off the injured list since signing with the team in 2022. He wakes up and gets hurt. The guy is dashingly handsome and gets paid handsomely.
So with Bryant going on the injured list for the ninth time now since leaving the San Francisco Giants for the moribund Rockies, let's take a look at how bad it has been. Bryant has played in a combined 170 games for Colorado over the last four seasons. He has never played in more than 80 games since joining the Rockies. He played in 93 games with the Cubs before being traded to San Francisco.
All the while, has three years left on his Rockies deal at a cool $81 million. This is the worst team in baseball at a disastrous 4-17 on the year. Charlie Blackmon just retired. Pets heads are falling off. Even worse, Colorado is paying Bryant all that money to give him a cumulative WAR of -1.6 since coming to Denver. At least there is plenty of fresh air to be had at the Rocky Mountain foothills...
The worst part in all of this is the last four years may have cost Bryant a real shot at Cooperstown.
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Kris Bryant's contract with the Colorado Rockies may be baseball's worst
When Denver area stars Nikola Jokic and Nathan MacKinnon are able to play more games in an NBA and NHL regular season over you in baseball, you have a real problem on your hands. Jokic and MacKinnon led the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche to league championships far more recently than what Bryant accomplished in Chicago nearly a decade ago. Stop living in the past!
We are getting to the point where Bo Nix might have more career starts in college football at Auburn and Oregon combined than what Bryant will ledger for the Rockies this year. Baseball is meant to be played every day. Win or lose, Bryant keeps cashing them checks. This is far from one of the better run franchises in MLB. One would think everyone else saw this coming. Then again, nobody could...
To bring this all back home, this absolutely stinks for Bryant, Coloradans and the entire Rockies franchise. We all thought we would be getting a star to a franchise that needed it most. Colorado has not been able to effectively replace Nolan Arenado since he went to the St. Louis Cardinals. This is a franchise where winning is hard to come by. I hate how Bryant's health has become a running gag.
Every time a team gives out a massive fully-guaranteed contract, you run the risk of Bryant's fate.