Colorado Rockies: Top 3 moves we wish were April Fools’ jokes

Mr. Hampton goes to Colorado

Oh, what a disaster!

At the top of the list is the Rockies’ signing of starting pitcher Mike Hampton. Coming off a three-season sample size where Hampton recorded a strong 3.12 ERA, the Rockies signed Hampton to a mega 8-year, $161 million deal. At the time it sat as the largest contract in Major League Baseball.

Two seasons before the deal, Hampton had pitched to a 22-4 record for the Houston Astros, compiling a 2.90 ERA and finished second in National League Cy Young voting behind only Randy Johnson. Disappointingly, it was a slow burn from that point on as things began to go downhill slowly.

In his first year in Colorado, Hampton made 32 starts finishing a lackluster 14-13 with a 5.41 ERA. Somehow, Hampton was still an All-Star despite allowing a 10.5 H/9, a 3.8 BB/9, and recording a 5.4 K/9. It only got worse from there. In year two, Hampton regressed considerably still, posting a 6.15 ERA across 30 starts.

The following year the team say arrivederci to Hampton. What turned out to be a complicated three-team trade allowed the team to unload most of Hampton’s contract while receiving a few players in return, most notably Preston Wilson who turned out to be a great addition in Colorado.

If you were to ask fans about the worst deal in Rockies history, this would be the one and its not particularly close. Thankfully, never since then has Colorado invested as much money into an aging starting pitcher, or any starting pitcher for that matter, and learned the hardest lesson in the book.

Ian Desmond c’mon down!

In trying to describe the time Ian Desmond has thus far spent in Colorado, it can be summed up in one word: disappointing. The club signed Desmond before the 2017 season to a 5-year, $70 million contract to primarily play first base and bolster their lineup. Expectations have certainly been let down for fans.

Things started when, in spring training, Desmond suffered a fracture in his left hand after being hit by a 93-mph fastball. It led to a season in which Desmond appeared in just 95 games. He slashed .274/.326/.375 with seven home runs and 40 RBI. To make matters worse, Desmond recorded a .305 wOBA and 69 wRC+.

Last season, Desmond stayed healthy missing just two games. It was about the only ‘glass half full’ moment of his year. Desmond slashed .236/.307/.422. Surprisingly, he did hit 22 home runs but still failed to cross the threshold, and posted an 81 wRC+. While improved, it was still bad.

To make matters worse, Desmond has not been good in his time at first base. In 1348 2/3 innings there, he has a -7 DRS and -4.3 UZR/150.

The Rockies are four games into the new season, and so far it’s the same old lackluster production from Desmond. In nine plate appearances, he is slashing .154/.154/.385 with 2 RBIs, a .164 wOBA and -14 wRC+. Desmond already has been worth -0.2 WAR, per Fangraphs. Hopefully, he can figure it out and the season is still fresh. However, if Desmond cannot put a productive year together in 2019, this will mirror the Hampton contract as one of the worst in team history.

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Colorado draft Greg Reynolds No.2 overall

Ask any Rockies fan about Greg Reynolds, and they will talk about the draft which still haunts the hallowed walls of Coors. In 2006, the Rockies held the number two overall pick. It turned out to be a draft which would change the course of the franchise forever.

Reynolds exhibited everything a starting pitcher should display, standing at 6’7″, 225 pounds. He possessed the size to excel and was coming off a strong junior year at Stanford in which he finished with a 3.31 ERA. The Rockies liked what they saw in Reynolds, carrying high hopes he could transform the franchise. Sadly, it never came to fruition.

After working his way through the system, Reynolds made his debut on May 11 against the San Diego Padres. He pitched relatively well, going 5 2/3 innings and allowing four runs. His next start, Reynolds showed out hurling six scoreless innings versus the Minnesota Twins.

Things would soon spiral out of control. Reynolds finished the 2008 campaign 2-8 with a horrendous 8.13 ERA across 13 starts. It would not be until 2011 when Reynolds worked his way back up to the major league club, this time posting a 6.19 ERA over 13 games, including three starts.

While the porous production from Reynolds isn’t the reason why he closes off the list, it was the failure to capitalize on the likes of Evan Longoria, Andrew Miller, Clayton Kershaw, Tim Lincecum, and Max Scherzer that makes this moment in team history such a hard thing to swallow. The 2006 Amateur player draft will always remain the time of ‘what could have been?’.