Is Bryant’s contract worst in Colorado sports history?
Q » Is it safe to say Kris Bryant’s deal is one of the worst signings in Colorado sports history? He’s played 135 games since we signed him in 2022, and his .249/. 329/. 391 slash is not worth a seven- year, $ 138 million deal. He’s not the player he was in 2016. At this point, I’d settle for what he did in 2021 if he could stay healthy. Is there any chance we can move him, or are we stuck with him until 2028?
— Mike, Denver
PATRICK » Bryant’s deal certainly is shaping up as one of the worst. For the record, it was for seven years and $ 182 million ( not $ 138 million), making it the largest free- agent contract in Rockies history. People within the baseball industry have told me that the Rockies overpaid by as much as $ 50 million.
Perhaps if Bryant finally gets healthy for an extended time, he can hit .265 with 25 homers like in 2021 when he played for the Cubs and the Giants. But right now, I don’t see that happening.
There’s no way the Rockies can unload Bryant’s contract. If they were to trade him, they would have to eat a substantial amount of the money owed to Bryant.
Q » I am completely baffled by Kyle Freeland’s struggles. While I don’t dissect stats, I do watch every game, and it seems he hasn’t been solid since his dazzling debut year. It certainly seems the sample size is big enough to conclude that he was a one- season wonder. I know how much it has to eat at him, with his passionate desire to represent Denver and the Rockies. Do you have any thoughts on Kyle?
— Julie Luckey, Boulder
PATRICK » One thing I should point out is that Freeland’s best season was not his debut 2017 season, when he finished 1111 with a solid 4.10 ERA, but in 2018, when he went 17- 7 and posted a remarkable 2.85 ERA and finished fourth in voting for the NL Cy Young Award.
I think it’s unfair to call him “a one- season wonder,” but Freeland has never come close to matching the terrific ’ 18 season. I have talked to a lot of people about Freeland, including Freeland himself, and these are my conclusions:
• Freeland is a technician, not a power pitcher. He can be excellent when his command is precise, but when his pitches miss their spot, he gets hit hard.
• In 2018, Freeland pitched inside to right- handed hitters with great effect. But hitters have made adjustments, and Freeland hasn’t counterpunched as well as he would like.
• At various times, Freeland has struggled to command his changeup and slider, two pitches that need to be on point for him to succeed.
Q » What are your thoughts on Michael Toglia so far this year? There have been flashes of power, but he can’t seem to get any consistency on the plate.
— Marshall, Parker
PATRICK » Four of Toglia’s five hits this season have been home runs. His 59.1 hard- hit percentage ranks 11th in the majors ( minimum 25 plate appearances), and his 93.3 mph exit velocity ranks 13th in the NL. There is no question he has power. But right now, Toglia is an all- or- nothing hitter, as evidenced by his .143/. 167/. 468 slashline. The Rockies want him to evolve into their first baseman of the future, but right now, that future looks a long way away.