Colorado Rockies: Early evaluation of the Big 4 signings

With the San Diego Padres in town to face the Colorado Rockies over the weekend, half of the big four offseason signings were in Coors Field to in a face off of high dollar contracts.

This offseason, Nolan Arenado, Manny Machado, Bryce Harper, and Mike Trout signed contracts worth a staggering $1.32 Billion over a combined 43 years.  Even though it is less than two months into these lucrative deals, let’s take a look at how these players’ stats stack up against each other and whether or not they are living up to their respective contracts.

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Nolan Arenado: 8-years/$260 million 

The oldest of the four has put up the best numbers so far.  After a slow start, Nolan has been unbelievable especially since the calendar turned to May where he is slashing .452/.489/.857 with 4 home runs and 12 RBI in 10 games.

Of the four, he probably has the best contract with an opt-out option after five years.

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Manny Machado: 10-years/$300 million 

Machado shocked everyone when he signed with the Padres.  His numbers have been down which was to be expected as he was entering a well-known pitchers’ stadium in Petco Park.

However, with the Padres having one of the best farm systems in the Majors, he may have signed into the best situation of the four.

Mike Trout: 12-years/$430 million 

It is hard to argue that Trout is not the best player in the MLB and that his new contract is a bargain for the Angels. Trout hasn’t gotten hot yet and he is still slashing .292/.468/.575 with a 2.6 WAR because of the respect he demands from opposing pitchers.

Once they rid themselves of a few of their bad contracts, Trout and the Angels should find themselves contending for titles on a regular basis.

Bryce Harper: 13-years/$330 million 

Full disclosure I believe Bryce Harper is the most overrated player in the MLB, so my opinion is a bit swayed.  I laugh every time I think about the fact that the Phillies are stuck with Harper until he is the ripe old age of 39.

Phillies fans have already shown their displeasure with Harper’s .230 batting average and high strikeout rate.  It might not be long until they completely turn on him once they come to the realization that they will be paying $25-plus million a year until 2032 for a guy who already has two sub-par seasons out of seven and is a career .275 hitter.

It is way too early to decide who has gotten the most out of their respective contracts but it has been so far so good for Nolan Arenado and Mike Trout.  It is going to be fascinating to watch how things play out for these four players over the next decade.