*Photo from the San Francisco Examiner*
Who should you add if you want to make your team better? Well, a former NL MVP is a good start. The Colorado Rockies and 3B/OF Kris Bryant have agreed to a 7 year, $182 million deal, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The Rockies have confirmed the deal.
Bryant makes $26 million annually in his new deal, matching St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt as the 24th highest annual salary in baseball history. His deal is the second richest contract given out by the Rockies in team history, trailing only the 8 year, $260 million extension signed by Nolan Arenado in 2019.
In Colorado, with Ryan McMahon and his new contract extension occupying 3rd base, the plan is for Bryant to spend the majority of his time in left field. He has not started over 100 games a season at any one position since 2019, when he spent 115 games at 3rd base for the Chicago Cubs. The hope is that, with a full time role, Bryant can find some stability in the Rocky Mountains.
Last season, with the Cubs and San Francisco Giants, Bryant hit for a .265 average, with a .481 slugging percentage and .835 OPS, hitting 25 home runs to go with 73 RBI's, with an all star game appearance in 144 regular season games. He hit one home run and had 8 total hits in the 2021 NLDS for the Giants.
In his career, which has 4 all star game appearances, a world series title, and the 2017 NL MVP award, Bryant has a .278 average with a .880 OPS, mashing 167 home runs with 487 RBI's in 884 regular season games. In the playoffs, Bryant has a .253 average and .749 OPS, hitting 7 home runs with 18 RBI's in 44 playoff games.
With the Rockies, Bryant hopes to bring offensive stability in a time of transition, as Trevor Story is gone in free agency. Bryant joins a starting outfield group that has Charlie Blackmon in right field and Sam Hilliard in center, with Raimel Tapia likely to come off the bench as a 4th outfielder.
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