Matt Holliday and Colorado Rockies In Line for 2017 Reunion?

On Friday night, former Colorado Rockies slugger Matt Holliday hit a home run in what is expected to be his last at-bat for the St. Louis Cardinals.

It was a magical moment and one that allowed Cardinals fans to show their appreciation for Holliday, who has spent seven and a half seasons with the club. It was also his 20^th homer of the season, marking the 10^th time in the last 11 seasons that Holliday has hit 20 or more round-trippers.

It has been reported that the Cardinals will not pick up Holliday’s $17 million option for the 2017 season. That means that the 36-year-old right-handed hitter could well be looking for a new team as the offseason rolls around.

Could that new team be the Rockies?

A Holliday return to the place where he began his Major League career is not out of the realm of possibilities. The Mile High City is a place where Holliday and the Rockies shared some incredible moments, including 2007’s run to the World Series.

Holliday hit .294 in the World Series that season, including swatting a home run in Game 3. It capped a 36-homer, 137-RBI season for Holliday, his best as a member of the Rockies. It was also a part of three All-Star campaigns he enjoyed in Colorado.

In five Colorado seasons, Holliday belted 156 homers and logged 615 RBI. He was a part of the Rockies clubhouse during some of the team’s best seasons and was loved by the Denver fan base.

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With the Rockies needing a first baseman in 2017 and Holliday needing a home, does it make sense for a reunion? The pieces certainly fit together. Holliday showed no sign of slowing down this season and a right-handed power hitter is something the Rockies desperately craved at times this season.

Certainly there are other options at first base. It’s expected that the Rockies will pursue Mark Reynolds in the offseason after his solid season. It’s also possible that Carlos Gonzalez could be persuaded to move to first base to help the Rockies get stronger at the position and eliminate some of the logjam of talent in the outfield.

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Holliday will turn 37 in the offseason. Certainly the clock is ticking on his career and the Rockies would have to spend a good chunk of money for a one-year contract. However, bringing Holliday back to Denver as a part of a potential playoff run 10 years after the Rockies made the World Series with him in the lineup is certainly an intriguing thought.