The Colorado Rockies have paid Kris Bryant $101 million to play 170 games.<\/p>\n
This breaks down to roughly $594,117 (and a whopping 65 cents) per game that Kris Briant has earned through the first four years of his seven year, $182 million contract that he signed prior to the 2022 season. In those 170 games, Bryant has hit .244\/.324\/.370 with 29 doubles, 17 home runs, and 61 RBIs to the tune of -1.6 wins above replacement per Baseball Reference<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n What\u2019s more important is what Bryant has done over the other 478 games during his Rockies tenure, or rather, what he hasn\u2019t done: been on the field.<\/p>\n The former National League Rookie of the Year and MVP has been plagued by a variety of injuries since signing his contract. He\u2019s missed significant time in each of his four seasons. However, it\u2019s his most recent diagnosis that is the source of the Rockies\u2019 troubles.<\/p>\n Among his other maladies\u2014plantar fasciitis, a bruised heel, a fractured finger, and a rib contusion to name a few\u2014Bryant has struggled with back issues since signing his contract. In early 2024 he revealed the extent of the damage.<\/p>\n \u201cI guess it\u2019s hard to speak on because I\u2019m not a doctor, but the discs in my back are pretty much dried up, so there\u2019s a couple of discs that \u2026 they don\u2019t function like they did 10 years ago,\u201d Bryant revealed to the Denver Post in May<\/a> of last season. \u201cMy facet joints are a little \u2014 not a little \u2014 they are pretty severely arthritic, and (there are) a lot of bone spurs and stuff like that. It\u2019s just part of getting older. That\u2019s the way the doctor explained it to me. So I just have to find a way to manage it as best I can.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Bryant appeared in just 37 games that year, but there was hope that\u2014although he would never live up to his albatross of a contract\u2014with a move to designated hitter and a reduced workload he could still potentially provide some value to the Rockies.<\/p>\n Things have only gotten worse since then. Bryant was diagnosed with lumbar degenerative disc disease in 2025 and he appeared in just 11 games. He revealed he was basically unable to perform any baseball activities without pain and the condition was unresponsive to treatment throughout the season.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the running and the hitting the ground with my feet and the compression into my spine,\u201d Bryant explained to the Denver Post<\/a>. \u201cAnd it\u2019s the sharp bending-over sensations when I\u2019m diving for a ball or diving back to the bag. Those quick movements that are unorthodox, those always got me.\u201d<\/p>\n However, his condition has continued to worsen and is now affecting him off the field as well.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cIf you asked me two or three months ago, I would say (my back pain) was not affecting my everyday life,\u201d he said. \u201cBut now it is, which is really annoying to me because usually when you kind of just rest, it\u2019s supposed to get better. So maybe I\u2019m at a point where I should just do a bunch of stuff to see if that helps me.\u201d<\/p>\n Extensive treatments including extensive rehabilitation and physical therapy, epidurals, and an ablation procedure last May<\/a> have done little to help. He has also tried Pilates to strengthen his core at the suggestion of Rockies\u2019 head trainer Keith Dugger. One of his few remaining options is lumbar disc fusion, a surgery that would undoubtedly spell an official end to his playing career.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the Rockies are in the middle of the hunt for their new head of baseball operations. While there has been much in terms of secrecy\u2014and confusion<\/a>\u2014the thought is that the new front office leader will be installed before the general manager meetings in Las Vegas begin next Monday.<\/p>\n Once a new head of baseball operations is chosen, he will have a lot of difficult and important evaluations and decisions to make. Arguably one of the crucial is just what to do with Kris Bryant.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Bryant\u2019s three years and $81 million remaining on his contract are a shackle around the organization\u2019s wrist not only in terms of the money spent, but also the roster space taken up by Bryant and the uncertainty of his future.<\/p>\n For many Rockies fans, it\u2019s plain to see that Bryant is unlikely to ever suit up for the Rockies\u2014or any team\u2014again. Degenerative back conditions aren\u2019t exactly something that improves with age and Bryant, now 34, hasn\u2019t had any luck with treatment. However, Bryant himself has yet to admit that, even as he sat on the sidelines watching the Rockies careen off the cliff to a historically awful season whilst being unable to help.<\/p>\n \u201cThis past year, sitting back and having to watch was just sad,\u201d he said to Patrick Saunders<\/a>. \u201cBut watching the playoffs and seeing some of my friends still playing, that gives me the motivation to try and play. So I don\u2019t have those conversations (about retirement), thank goodness, because I don\u2019t want to. I just want to be a baseball player.\u201d<\/p>\n Bryant has yet to speak with the Rockies about the end of his career as well.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cPersonally, I don\u2019t want to be involved in those (discussions) because I want to be a baseball player,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s the thing that eats at me the most. It\u2019s tough to describe. I\u2019ve played this game for 30 years now, not professionally, of course, but it\u2019s all I have ever known.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s difficult not to empathize with Bryant. Retiring means walking away from his best years and everything he\u2019s ever known as an adult. What person in their 30s or older hasn\u2019t dreamed of returning to their glory days when everything didn\u2019t hurt and you were capable of doing what you loved the most?<\/p>\n Unfortunately for Bryant, waiting for the slight possibility he might return to being a productive player\u2014or even being able to take the field at all\u2014is a luxury the Colorado Rockies simply do not have. The team has cratered to rock bottom in the last seven seasons and a ground-up rebuild with the aforementioned new head of baseball operations is hopefully imminent.<\/p>\n One of the first things on the plate of Amiel Sawdaye, Matt Forman, or whomever is hired for the role should be a lengthy conversation with Kris Bryant\u2019s camp. Bryant is absolutely owed his money, but paying him $27 million for each of the next three seasons and trying to find wiggle room on the 40-man roster when he has to be on it is an unnecessary hindrance towards the rebuild process.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n There are solutions to be had, such as a deferred payment settlement based on the injury where the Rockies are able to stretch that $81 million over a longer period of time to free up resources. However, for any such solution to be reached, Bryant must first be willing to admit heartbreaking defeat.<\/p>\n If he is unwilling, than the one of the first vital tasks of the Rockies\u2019 new head of baseball operations is would be an unenviable one.<\/p>\n To make him admit it. Both for the long term health of the organization but likely also the long term health of Kris Bryant.<\/p>\n Arizona Fall League<\/p>\n Mesa Solar Sox 6, Salt River Rafters 5<\/a><\/p>\n First baseman Charlie Condon was the only Rockies prospect to start for the Rafters on Sunday. He went 1-for-3 with a run, an RBI, and a walk without striking out. Jared Thomas made a brief appearance as a pinch runner in the ninth inning, but the Rafters were unable to come from behind for the victory. Reliever Austin Smith struck out two batters in 1 1\/3 hitless and scoreless innings to finish out the game.<\/p>\n Rockies prospect Denton making most of AFL opportunity | MLB.com<\/a><\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n After a solid season with the High-A Spokane Indians, reliever Cade Denton is performing well in the Arizona Fall League. His fastball velocity has returned to it\u2019s 94-96 MPH range, which helps complete his arsenal so he can make the most of his strikeout stuff.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s got some unique characteristics to his fastball,\u201d said Rockies coordinator of pitching strategies and current Salt River pitching coach Flint Wallace. \u201cSo it doesn\u2019t react like most hitters think it\u2019s going to. And the velocity is back up. Those two combinations have brought some swing and miss, especially at the top of the zone later in counts.\u201d<\/p>\n