Colorado Rockies: Five interesting quotes from the end-of-season presser

Let’s make one thing very clear: No one in the front office or ownership of the Colorado Rockies believes the team is currently in rebuild mode.

That point was made time and time again during Tuesday morning’s end-of-season press gathering featuring Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort, general manager Jeff Bridich and manager Bud Black. This is a franchise that suffered through a bad season and can compete again for the National League postseason in 2020, the three men overseeing Colorado’s direction strong believe.

I was in the room when the three men spoke at chilly Coors Field on Tuesday and have listened to their comments several times both in-person and on replay (several times). There are a few moments that stand out to me about the 80-minute wide-ranging question-and-answer session that touched on everything from the use of analytics to Nolan Arenado‘s upcoming opt-out clause (after the 2021 season) to the new television contract extension announced the day after the Rockies finished off a sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers to cap the 2019 campaign.

On the following pages, I want to share with you the five quotes that stood out to me the most as well as some analysis of what they mean for the franchise.

Dick Monfort: “In hindsight, there may have been an opportunity to be a buyer that long-term might have helped us. Short term, it might not have done much. And that’s on me.”

The Rockies are well known as a team who don’t go too big at the trade deadline. This season at the July 31 deadline, Colorado was 50-59 after losing its fourth game in five outings. The playoffs were a remote chance at that point even, yet it seems the Rockies may have had a chance to secure a trade that could’ve helped the Rockies long-term.

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Could that have been Marcus Stroman, who ended up going to the Mets? Could that have been another pitcher? What about a position player? We’ll never truly know. What we do know, however, is that there seemed to be a little bit of a regret from Colorado’s owner that the trigger wasn’t pulled on a trade that likely would’ve cost Colorado prospects.

We may never know who that “opportunity” was, but it’s clear that the Rockies were looking at ways to improve despite the 2019 record. Will this missed opportunity make the Rockies a little less cautious in 2020 when trades are discussed? We’ll have to wait and see.

Jeff Bridich: “In those negotiations, I was the one who actually pushed for that opt-out for, if we’re going to use the word, window to be in there. To Nolan’s credit, he didn’t have a ton of interest in that initially being in there. It wasn’t a priority of his for it to be in there. I was the one who thought it might be a good idea.”

This is the quote that is going to be broken down for months to come.

Colorado Rockies

Why would Colorado’s GM put an opt-out clause into a contract if the player didn’t care about it or even suggest it to start? Bridich was asked about the clause later in the gathering and here’s what he said.

“When you commit to each other at a certain time, that’s what you got. You got a certain time.  And you have a certain period in everybody’s life. The life of the player, the life of the organization. Just trying to learn lessons from years and years and years, and contracts over contracts over contracts, not just in this organization, but in the industry. Let’s just put in a time where we come together and say, ‘OK, is this right to stay together?’ Seems pretty reasonable and realistic when there’s one career on the line and a lot of money on the line and really behind all that a commitment. Can we share a vision going forward? Nothing really more than that.”

Did the Rockies simply want to make sure that the organization and Arenado had enough wiggle room to get out of the contract if one or both sides changed their views and abilities to produce? For the Rockies, that would mean elevating the franchise back to its winning ways. For Arenado, that would mean continuing to perform at an Arenado-type level.

It’s hard to explain the reasoning behind giving the face of your franchise a way to leave early. However, it’s clear that the Rockies were thinking something might change during the next two seasons that would make a clean break easier. It’s an odd thought and one that will be broken down many, many ways until the clause is in the past.

Jeff Bridich: “I thought Daniel’s year all the way around was just OK.”

Colorado’s GM is talking about Daniel Murphy here, the biggest offseason signing for the Rockies heading into the 2019 campaign.

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The 34-year-old Murphy posted 0.2 WAR this season, hitting .279 in 478 plate appearances. That was the lowest batting average for Murphy since his first full season in the Majors in 2009 with the New York Mets. Of course, Murphy’s season was sidetracked in the second game of the season when he suffered an avulsion fracture of his left index finger. It wouldn’t be until early June that he raised his average above .240 as he rushed back to action without the finger fully healing.

It was disappointing for Murphy as he struggled in the field and at first base. However, Bud Black tried to spin it positively on Tuesday.

“I think another offseason with Daniel of getting in work at first base and taking the steps that he has told me he’s going to take this winter to come back with a vengeance and play like he’s capable both on defense and on offense, I think we’ll see a different Daniel Murphy next year.”

Rockies fans certainly hope so.

Dick Monfort: “I don’t think we have a lot of flexibility on next year of making some great big splash. Now that doesn’t mean that we can’t get creative and do some things that will help if the right deal comes along.”

Let’s face it. The Rockies are hamstrung because of some pricey contracts that are being paid to some veteran players who haven’t performed up to their deals.

That includes Murphy’s $8 million, another $15 million for Ian Desmond, $17 million designated for Wade Davis (who likely won’t be the closer in 2020), and a combined $18.5 million for Bryan Shaw and Jake McGee.

Colorado’s new TV contract doesn’t kick in until after next season, so there won’t be any windfall of money coming the Rockies way from that. Unless the payroll is increased (and it doesn’t sound like that will be the case), the only way the Rockies can make some extra room is to unload some veteran contracts. However, much of the money in those contracts is guaranteed, meaning Colorado will be paying players whether they’re in purple or not.

It will be interesting to see what “creative” might mean and what “the right deal”