Chris Taylor resigning with Dodgers a gut punch for Colorado Rockies

Let’s face it, Colorado Rockies fans, there hasn’t been a long to get excited about so far in this abbreviated offseason. However, there has been plenty to shake your head at and wonder if and when the fortunes of those in purple will change.

Sure, there have been the occasional Colorado Rockies rumors that float by, like those juicy ones involving Kris Bryant coming to Denver to play because it’s so close to his hometown of Las Vegas (spoiler alert: It really isn’t if you look at any map). There were even some earlier in the offseason that talked about what a perfect fit Los Angeles Dodgers super utility player Chris Taylor would be for the Rockies. He’s versatile, knows the National League West, may have come with a lower price tag than other free agents out there, and has a career .284/.375/.541 slash line in 128 plate appearances at Coors Field.

Well, when Taylor reupped with the Dodgers on a four-year, $60 million deal as the lockout drew near, it signaled that the Rockies hopes couldn’t hold a candle to Taylor’s desire to return to Los Angeles, where he will likely continue to relish his role as one of the many Rockies-killers on the Dodgers roster.

Remember this little nugget off the bat of Taylor during that September 2018 stretch run when the Dodgers and Rockies were battling for National League West supremacy?

Man, that seems like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it? Yet Adam Ottavino is long gone and Taylor is back … once again … to do more damage to the Rockies.

Taylor is one of a group of players who seemed like they might have been a fit for the Rockies this offseason. But one by one, players like Taylor, Kyle Schwarber, Dylan Bundy, Steven Matz, Alex Wood, and others who have been pursued have either inked a contract with another team or are close enough to watch their hopes of putting on a Colorado uniform turn into dust like Thanos had just snapped his fingers.

At some point, there will be a new Collective Bargaining Agreement in place and the offseason will once again kick back into high gear. When it does, the Rockies are expected (not guaranteed, but expected, mind you) to make some moves and bring some fresh faces into the organization. There are still plenty of options out there, but Taylor signing with the Dodgers is a reminder that Colorado isn’t a destination for free agents at the moment, especially those who have ties with the Dodgers.