Sooner then later, the Rockies have to decide if Kris Bryant can still be a productive big-leaguer

It’s only three games. By no means is it time to hit the panic button. But there’s no reason the question can’t be asked, because it’s certainly the elephant in the room.

And that question is: Will Kris Bryant be a productive major league baseball player ever again?

In fairness to Bryant, and to the Rockies, who have stuck by him, much of his lack of production since coming to Colorado has been due to his health. Bryant has had terrible luck in the injury department, and even in his glory years with the Cubs, his body was failing him at a young age.

So if the answer is no, Bryant can’t be a productive big league player any longer, it’s not his fault. If the answer is indeed no, then it’s easy to point the finger at Bryant’s body, in particular his back. It would be OK to say Bryant got robbed of his baseball prime because of hard-luck injuries.

And if that’t the case, then Bryant and the Rockies have every right to move on. If that’s the case, then it would be completely reasonable for Bud Black, Bryant and the Rockies to come up with a solution, and that solution would most likely be Bryant not being able to even DH full-time any longer.

Unfortunately though, neither party believes the answer to the lingering questions is a no. Both parties want so badly to believe that yes, Bryant can still be an effective player on a day-to-day basis. 

Of course Bryant believes that because he’s been to the mountaintop. He’s a former MVP, a World Series champion, and at one time, was the most gifted third baseman in baseball. It’s hard for anyone to let go of that kind of career. 

It’s also easy to see why the Rockies want to believe it. In 2022, the Rockies gave Bryant a 7 year, $182,000,000 contract, including $7,000,000 in signing bonus, $182,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $26,000,000. This season, Bryant will earn a base salary of $26,000,000, while carrying a total salary of $27,000,000.

That’s a big investment for a franchise that never invests big. So naturally, the Rockies are begging for a return on that investment, and they’re going to give Bryant every opportunity to do just that.

However, that’s going to come at a cost. Through three games this season, Bryant doesn’t have a batting average. In two starts against the Rays, he was 0-for-8 with three strikeouts and four runners left on base. Not only is that poor production, but, Bryant was batting cleanup. And he’s already needed an off day just three games into the season.

If Bryant and the Rockies were looking at 2025 as a comeback season, the start could not have been worse.

Now it’s early. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and no-one has pushed the panic button yet. But, the longer the season goes on, if Bryant doesn’t start to come out of it, then, no matter how badly he wants it, and no better how much the Rockies need him to be the guy, at some point changes will have to be made.

As is always the case in baseball, time will tell. But there’s no denying it, time is not on KB’s side, and the answer to the question, every day, it becomes more likely that the answer is a resounding NO.

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