For many years, the internet has been a free space for many people. The advent of online gaming and social media opened up opportunities that were not accessible to those living in economies where access was limited or expensive. However, with high speed internet becoming more commonplace around the world as well as increased regulation on what can be said publicly online, it is now harder than ever before to live without paying an entry fee into this “free” society.
The “free meaning” is a word that has many meanings. In this case, we are referring to the freedom of something being free.
Hold on, let me recalculate my estimates… no, the Colorado Rockies aren’t the National League West favorites.
Kris Bryant’s journey to free agency has been a wild, often turbulent one, with an MVP award and a World Series win in his second season in 2016, a failed grievance against the Chicago Cubs for manipulating his service time, injuries along the way, and a comeback season in 2021. I’m not sure he expected to sign with the Rockies at the end of it. But that’s where he’ll be heading after sources informed ESPN he signed a seven-year, $182 million contract with the Rockies, which is the second-largest in franchise history behind Nolan Arenado’s, and certainly the most given to a free agent, exceeding the $121 million given to Mike Hampton in 2001.
The Rockies ended 32.5 games behind the San Francisco Giants last season, so the team is a bit of a surprise, but Bryant’s market has always been tough to forecast. And that market became even smaller when Kyle Schwarber and Jesse Winker, two prospective landing locations, filled offensive gaps with Kyle Schwarber and Jesse Winker, respectively. Given his alternatives, Bryant did remarkably well to get this contract; back in November, expectations for his contract varied from five years/$90 million (ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel), six years/$160 million (MLB Trade Rumors), and eight years/$200 million (FanGraphs), so this is right at the high end. “The Rockies only bid against themselves,” the greatest Rockies fan I know emailed me. (See, for example, Ian Desmond and Charlie Blackmon.) But, practically, what other clubs remained in Bryant’s market? Maybe the Giants, who got a close look at Bryant in the last two months of last season; but it’s not in Farhan Zaidi’s nature to commit that type of money to a 30-year-old position player with some questionable numbers.
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Some of those deep measures are the source of my fear regarding Bryant’s future. His exit velocities are far from exceptional (42nd percentile hard-hit rate in 2021, 29th percentile average exit velocity). Despite this, 25 home runs were hit in 2021, because to above-average contact rates and a launch angle that favors fly balls. Bryant’s Statcast defensive measures were likewise awful, with an outs above average rating in the bottom of the first percentile of all players. He may have suffered as a result of his ability to play all over the field. His numbers were the worst at third base and right field (particularly while he was with the Giants, who had a lot of territory to cover). His speed is also beginning to deteriorate, as one would anticipate given his age; he was in the 91st percentile in 2017 but dropped down to the 71st percentile last season.
While the Rockies may see his defensive flexibility as a positive, I believe Bryant would benefit from focusing on one position at this juncture in his career. That should probably be left field in 2021, with Ryan McMahon tearing it up on defense at third base. Raimel Tapia’s 80 OPS+ shouldn’t be a deterrent to Bryant playing there on a regular basis. The second alternative would be to move C.J. Cron to first base. But I don’t like the concept of paying Bryant $180 million to play first base, where his bat is just slightly stronger than the typical first baseman’s (.834 OPS in 2021 versus.792 for first basemen) — and that’s only in year five, six, and seven of this contract.
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Okay, I’ll admit that I’m being a bit gloomy here. Since… who, Larry Walker? Is this the first time the Rockies have brought in a proven star-level hitter? And it’ll be interesting to watch how the Coors Effect affects Bryant’s stats; if you’re a fantasy baseball player, Bryant’s worth just skyrocketed. (For what it’s worth, Bryant has a lifetime OPS of 757 at Coors Field, but that’s useless since he’s only appeared in 16 games there.) Bryant is a solid hitter who gets on base often, hits with power, and provides defensive versatility. With the exception of 2020, he has been quite steady, with 121 OPS+ in 2018, 132 in 2019, and 124 in 2021. He’s not the MVP-caliber player he was in 2016 and 2017, but 3- to 4-WAR players don’t come around every day, and with improved defense, he might be a 4- to 5-WAR player.
The immediate concern is that if the Rockies can’t compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers — or maybe even the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres in 2022 and 2023 — where does that leave Bryant’s contract over the next five years, when his performance may begin to deteriorate? It’s encouraging to see the Rockies join the free-agent frenzy, but like many of their previous “major” acquisitions — Blackmon, Desmond, and that year when they signed all those relievers — I’m doubtful this will pan out (leave alone that at $180 million, I’d rather have Trevor Story). Bryant’s finest value came from a club that had a chance to win over the following three seasons; the Rockies aren’t that squad. But, hey, at least the proprietors are making a profit!
Grade: C-
Free is a word that means “without cost, charge, or money.”. The word has been used to describe something as being free since the late 14th century. It can also mean “not restricted by rules,” and in this sense it usually refers to freedom of speech. Reference: free robux.
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