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

Throughout Major League Baseball teams at some point find themselves prey to unimaginably lousy business decisions which cause fans to scratch their heads in awe. The Colorado Rockies have been no different.

April fools!

Each offseason a move is made by a team that at the time seems like a great idea. Most of the time when a free agent is given a large contract it ends up benefitting everyone. That being said, multiple times this has not been the case.

Take the Rockies, for example. When fans look back on specific trades and signings, there is plenty of optimism. Carlos Gonzalez turned into one of the best players in the team’s history, and most people had zero idea who Gonzalez was before his arrival in the Mile High city. The same can be said about now-former second baseman DJ LeMahieu. Dealing Ian Stewart and Casey Weathers in exchange, LeMahieu became one of the best to don purple pinstripes.

That brings us to the opposite end of the spectrum. Unfortunately, the club has also been on the wrong end of bad business dealings. So here we are. Instead of jovially lamenting on those exciting moves, it is time to revisit the bonehead moves with which fans 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.