Kris Bryant Signs Blockbuster Contract With Rockies

Just one year after trading away franchise icon third baseman Nolan Arenado (presumably because they didn't want to pay him), the Colorado Rockies have done an abrupt about-face and handed a 7-year, $182M contract to free agent Kris Bryant. 

Kris Bryant is heading to the Rockies, per @JonHeyman pic.twitter.com/uD7VDojJVK

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) March 16, 2022

On a scale of 1 to 10, the industry shock over the Rockies’ deal with Kris Bryant has been turned up to 11.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) March 16, 2022

As MLB Insider Buster Olney notes, "On a scale of 1 to 10, the industry shock over the Rockies’ deal with Kris Bryant has been turned up to 11."

Bryant and Arenado are the same age (30), and, comparing their career marks, it becomes even more curious:

Bryant:   Career bWAR: 28.7, 167 HR, .880 OPS in 7 seasons

Arenado: Career bWAR: 44.3, 269 HR, .880 OPS in 9 seasons

Bryant now gets a chance to add some bloated HR totals to his numbers as well, moving to the thin air at Coors Field. The former Chicago Cub and San Francisco Giant also has more lineup flexibility, as he can also play 1B and OF, in addition to 3B. 

We reported earlier this week that the Rockies had become the surprise leader in the Bryant sweepstakes, and although many around baseball wondered why a rebuilding team would make such a move, Colorado confused and stunned us all with this signing.

Those close to Bryant, however, are not surprised, as reported by Bob Nightengale, due, largely, to geography.  

Several close friends of Bryant’s predicted he would sign with Colorado all along:
Great hitter’s ballpark.
Beautiful city.
Comfortable place to play.
Close to his hometown of Las Vegas.
The negative, of course, is their lack of competitiveness in a loaded division.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 16, 2022

Bryant finished 2021 hitting .265 with an .835 OPS and 25 homers. He goes now from one of the toughest ballparks on hitters, to the best.