Colorado Rockies: What Matt Holliday could bring to the team

After completing the 2017 season with the New York Yankees, former Colorado Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday took a job as an fill-in analyst with MLB Network Radio. At the time, it appeared his playing career was over and Holliday was moving to other baseball-related jobs. However, this week, the Rox signed Holliday to a minor league deal. 

Back in the 1998 Major League Baseball draft, the Colorado Rockies drafted Matt Holliday, an outfielder from Stillwater High School in Stillwater, Okla., in the seventh round of the draft. At the time, the Rockies had no idea what impact Holliday would eventually have on the club.

In the beginning of the 2004 season, Holliday made his Major League debut with the club and made an instant impact, hitting .290 with 14 home runs in 121 games during the season. His biggest season with the Rockies, however, came in 2007 when Holliday hit .340 with 36 home runs and 137 RBI. That season, he led the Rockies all the way to the World Series in one of the best seasons in franchise history.

Holliday spent his fifth and final season with the Rockies in 2008 and was traded to the Oakland Athletics during the offseason. After spending time with the Athletics, St. Louis Cardinals, and New York Yankees, Holliday did not sign with a team before the beginning of the 2018 season and joined MLB Network Radio as a part time analyst.

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But now, Holliday, 38, is taking another chance with the Rockies and hopes to work back to the big leagues again. He reported to the Rockies rookie level team in Grand Junction, Colo., to get his feet wet again before eventually making the jump to the Triple-A level. From there, Holliday’s performance will determine the next step in this part of his career.

“It is surreal to be back in a Rockies uniform. It is a really neat thing,” Holliday said. “I was eager to get to come back to a Rockies organization that I am very fond of and have a lot of great memories with and hopefully will get to be a part of again.”

Rockies fans also hope that Holliday will be able to jump in and be ready to compete at the Major League level again before the end of the season.

So what role could he play for the Rockies, if he makes it back to the Majors? Likely, he would provide a bat off the bench and could play some outfield or first base if needed. However, he was very likely re-signed for his offensive capabilities rather than his defensive prowess (he has a -39 DRS in his career).

Also, a 40-man roster move would need to be made before Holliday returns to the Rockies.

If all works out, Holliday has the potential to be an important part of a 2018 Rockies team that is currently in the thick of the National League West race.