Colorado Rockies: Bad deals hurting Nolan Arenado’s long-term hopes

As the wait continues for the Colorado Rockies and Nolan Arenado to reach a record arbitration agreement, it is time to focus on the remaining top priorities for this winter: signing Arenado to a long-term deal and adding a couple more pieces (i.e. a catcher, right-handed bat, bullpen help) to put them in position for a 2019 playoff run.

If Nolan Arenado signs a deal presumably near $27 million, the opening day payroll will be at an estimated $142 million range. Some outlets have projected that the Colorado Rockies are eyeing a payroll around the $145 million range. If this is the case, it leaves the Rockies with little wiggle room to fill out the roster and negotiate with Nolan.

Recently, our Kevin Henry asked the question but it still remains: Have past contract missteps by Jeff Bridich cost the Rockies the chance to re-sign Nolan Arenado and add valuable free agents in 2019?

There are currently six questionable contracts that are currently chewing up $78.3 million of this season’s payroll and $71.8 million of next that could hinder the chances of re-signing Arenado and/or adding the final pieces to the ’19 puzzle.

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Here’s the rundown:

Charlie Blackmon: 6 yrs/$108 million 2019: $21.3 million

He is a crowd favorite, but Bridich likely overpaid to keep Chuck Nazty in Colorado as he enters the back end of his career. Coming off a record setting year in ’17, the 32-year-old Blackmon wasn’t as productive last season and was a defensive liability in center field, which could lead to a move to a corner outfield position this season.


Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB
2015	157	682	614	93	176	31	9	17	58	43	13	46	112	.287	.347	.450	.797	102	276	4	13	5	4	2
2016	143	641	578	111	187	35	5	29	82	17	9	43	102	.324	.381	.552	.933	130	319	2	13	3	4	4
2017	159	725	644	137	213	35	14	37	104	14	10	65	135	.331	.399	.601	1.000	141	387	4	10	3	3	9
2018	156	696	626	119	182	31	7	29	70	12	4	59	134	.291	.358	.502	.860	115	314	10	8	1	2	2

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Wade Davis: 3 yrs/$52 million 2019: $18 million

Depending how you view it, Davis has or hasn’t lived up to his record-breaking contract for a reliever that he signed before last season. In 2018, he did set a franchise season record with 43 saves. On the other hand, he went 3-6 with a 4.13 ERA, blowing six saves.


Year	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9	SO/W
2018	3	6	.333	4.13	69	0	63	0	0	43	65.1	43	31	30	8	26	0	78	2	0	6	261	114	3.65	1.056	5.9	1.1	3.6	10.7	3.00

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Ian Desmond: 5 yrs/$70 million 2019: $15 million

The versitile Desmond has been the most criticized player on the roster as he has failed to live up to his monster contract that he signed before the 2017 season. No need to pile on him. Let’s just let his stats from his two seasons in a Rockies’ uniform speak for themselves.

Year	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB
2017	95	373	339	47	93	11	1	7	40	15	4	24	87	.274	.326	.375	.701	72	127	13	4	2	4	1
2018	160	619	555	82	131	21	8	22	88	20	6	53	146	.236	.307	.422	.729	83	234	17	6	1	4	0

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Jake McGee: 3 yrs/$27 million 2019: $8.5 million

Part of the $106 million the Rockies spent on the bullpen in 2018, he was downright awful last season after a successful ’17 in Colorado. Don’t be surprised if he lives up to his contract and has a comeback season in ’19 as his career numbers seem to yo-yo yearly between good and bad.

Year	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GF	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	WP	BF	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9	SO/W
2016	2	3	.400	4.73	57	25	15	45.2	56	25	24	9	16	1	38	3	4	205	103	5.29	1.577	11.0	1.8	3.2	7.5	2.38
2017	0	2	.000	3.61	62	13	3	57.1	47	23	23	4	16	0	58	1	5	229	140	2.93	1.099	7.4	0.6	2.5	9.1	3.63
2018	2	4	.333	6.49	61	9	1	51.1	59	39	37	10	16	1	47	2	5	227	73	4.91	1.461	10.3	1.8	2.8	8.2	2.94

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Bryan Shaw: 3 yrs/$27 million 2019: $8.5 million

The third piece of the Rockies’ attempt to build a “Super Bullpen” fell flat with the signing of Shaw. After putting up solid numbers with Cleveland in five seasons, his 5.93 ERA in 2018 was a complete disappointment and he was left off the playoff roster. The Rockies are going to need a much better year from Shaw in 2019 to justify his contract.

Year	Tm	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GF	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9	SO/W
2013	CLE	7	3	.700	3.24	70	11	1	75.0	60	31	27	4	28	2	73	4	0	5	316	118	3.07	1.173	7.2	0.5	3.4	8.8	2.61
2014	CLE	5	5	.500	2.59	80	16	2	76.1	61	26	22	6	22	4	64	2	1	4	313	151	3.42	1.087	7.2	0.7	2.6	7.5	2.91
2015	CLE	3	3	.500	2.95	74	19	2	64.0	59	24	21	8	19	1	54	1	0	3	265	146	4.01	1.219	8.3	1.1	2.7	7.6	2.84
2016	CLE	2	5	.286	3.24	75	9	1	66.2	56	26	24	8	28	3	69	1	0	2	275	140	3.94	1.260	7.6	1.1	3.8	9.3	2.46
2017	CLE	4	6	.400	3.52	79	16	3	76.2	71	36	30	5	22	3	73	0	0	3	312	130	2.96	1.213	8.3	0.6	2.6	8.6	3.32
2018	COL	4	6	.400	5.93	61	14	0	54.2	70	43	36	9	28	1	54	1	0	8	257	79	4.92	1.793	11.5	1.5	4.6	8.9	1.93

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Mike Dunn: 3 yrs/$19 million 2019: $7 million (Final year of contract)

Dunn has been a major disappointment since signing with the Rockies in 2017. He has been plagued by injuries and, in his two seasons in Colorado, has gone 5-1 with a 5.61 ERA over 93 appearances and 67.1 innings pitched.

Year	W	L	W-L%	ERA	G	GS	GF	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	IBB	SO	HBP	BK	WP	BF	ERA+	FIP	WHIP	H9	HR9	BB9	SO9	SO/W	Awards
2017	5	1	.833	4.47	68	0	10	0	0	0	50.1	43	25	25	8	28	0	57	0	0	4	220	113	4.63	1.411	7.7	1.4	5.0	10.2	2.04
2018	0	0	9.00	25	0	6	0	0	0	17.0	22	17	17	1	18	0	12	0	0	1	83	53	5.69	2.353	11.6	0.5	9.5	6.4	0.67

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

The most worrisome thing about these players is that, minus Arenado and the newly acquired Daniel Murphy, they represent the six highest-paid players on this season’s club and all could be considered bad contracts.

The wasteful spending by Jeff Bridich on players who haven’t lived up to expectations could comeback to haunt them as go for their first-ever division title and attempt to lock down one of the best players in franchise history. Only time will tell.

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