ROCKIES: All-star center fielder Charlie Blackmon avoids arbitration by accepting one-year, $14M deal.
Charlie Blackmon, the Rockies’ popular all-star center fielder and 2017 National League batting champion, finalized a oneyear, $14 million contract Friday, avoiding arbitration. It’s an impressive raise for Blackmon, who made $7.3 million last season.
The possibility remains that Blackmon will sign a long-term deal with the Rockies, but serious discussions won’t heat up until spring. Blackmon is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2018 season.
“I would love to sign a long-term deal to stay in Colorado,” Blackmon said Friday. “We’ll see what happens.”
Also on Friday, second baseman DJ LeMahieu settled with the Rockies on an $8.5 million salary for 2018, according to the MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. And right-handed starter Chad Bettis signed a one-year deal for $2 million.
Thursday, left-handed reliever Chris Rusin avoided arbitration by signing a oneyear deal worth $1,287,500.
Blackmon, 31, hit .331 to win the National League batting crown, mashed 37 home runs and drove in 102 runs from the leadoff spot, setting a major-league record. His 383 total bases were the most all time by a leadoff hitter in one season, and he became just the third player since 1914 to have 85 or more extra-base hits. Blackmon had 102 RBIs, surpassing Darin Erstad’s previous mark of 100 for a leadoff hitter set with the Angels.
Blackmon has been a member of the Rockies organization since he was drafted in the second round in 2008.
In 2017, he became one of seven players in history to post at least 135 runs, 210 hits, 35 doubles, 14 triples, 35 home runs and 100 RBIs in a season and the first since Stan Musial for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1948.
Rusin, 31, was a stalwart in Colorado’s bullpen in 2017, posting a a 2.65 ERA in 85 innings. He will be a key and versatile component of Colorado’s bullpen in 2018.