When we think of extension candidates, we think of players like Albert Pujols or Clayton Kershaw – franchise players nearing free agency or young players establishing themselves as big league stars. Players like Troy Tulowitzki, who already have extensions, don't usually come to mind, but that didn't stop the Rockies from extending Tulo with a $119MM deal that will keep him in Denver through the 2020 season. Here are some reactions to the extension from around the web:
- ESPN.com's Keith Law writes that the contract is excessive and risky, even though Tulowitzki is "among the ten most valuable position players in baseball."
- Dave Cameron of FanGraphs says this "seems like a deal [the Rockies] should have sat on for another year at least."
- Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe points out that this deal makes Boston's Dustin Pedroia extension look pretty good. Pedroia is under team control through 2015 on a contract that will pay him $44.5MM at most for 2011-15.
- Yahoo's Jeff Passan argues that argues that the deal is bad for Tulowitzki and "ill-conceived and unconscionable" for the Rockies.
- I respectfully disagree with Passan on Tulowitzki, who seems to like playing for the Rockies. It seems doubtful that Tulo will regret signing an extension that pays him $20MM per season.
hmm off the top of my head, not entirely certain i’m seeing the parallels between pedroia and tulowitzki
Thats what I am thinking…
Both were players under team control for a few more years that signed long extensions before they went through all of their arbitration years. I don’t think he is comparing their playing style..
Both were players under team control for a few more years that signed long extensions before they went through all of their arbitration years. I don’t think he is comparing their playing style..
Pedroia’s a fellow middle infielder who was locked up with 4 years of team control remaining.
Granted, he was still pre-arbitration, so the real comparison would be Tulo’s original deal and Pedroia’s current deal. Either way, Pedroia’s looks better.
It’s an odd comparison, for sure.
Pedroia’s a fellow middle infielder who was locked up with 4 years of team control remaining.
Granted, he was still pre-arbitration, so the real comparison would be Tulo’s original deal and Pedroia’s current deal. Either way, Pedroia’s looks better.
It’s an odd comparison, for sure.
Dave Cameron from fangraphs was the one who actually pointed it out when, earlier today, he tweeted:
Dustin Pedroia, 2008: +6.6 WAR, 4 years from FA, 6 yr/$40M contract. Tulowitzki, 2010: +6.4 WAR, 4 years from FA, 10 year/$157M contract
Peter Abraham just put it into context
Dave Cameron from fangraphs was the one who actually pointed it out when, earlier today, he tweeted:
Dustin Pedroia, 2008: +6.6 WAR, 4 years from FA, 6 yr/$40M contract. Tulowitzki, 2010: +6.4 WAR, 4 years from FA, 10 year/$157M contract
Peter Abraham just put it into context
They both play shortstop?…..
Pedroia plays 2B.
Oh, my bad. I meant they both play second base. :0)
They both play shortstop?…..
I’m with you! Tulo > Pedroia and they are two entirely different types of players
Tulo≈Pedroia as in 17.8 WAR≈17.9 WAR
THANK YOU. plus I feel like that Pedy is more valuable to the Sox than Tulo is to the Rockies. There is a reason why Pedroia was MVP he is that good.
You actually bring up Pedroia as MVP? He didn’t even deserve that award, so maybe you should use something else.
Would you like to tell me who was better that year? Go ahead! And then Insert foot into mouth.
LOL? Really? He wasn’t even the best on his own team! Youk should have had it. And above all that, going with who actually had a much better year, it should’ve been Mauers.
LOL? Really? He wasn’t even the best on his own team! Youk should have had it. And above all that, going with who actually had a much better year, it should’ve been Mauers.
He can try and tell you, but i’m sure his foot is already too far into his mouth to speak….
He can try and tell you, but i’m sure his foot is already too far into his mouth to speak….
Saying that MVP isn’t a good “stat” to use when talking about someones value is a fair point, but do you have anything to back up your claim that Pedroia didn’t deserve the MVP or was it just a baseless claim?
Saying that MVP isn’t a good “stat” to use when talking about someones value is a fair point, but do you have anything to back up your claim that Pedroia didn’t deserve the MVP or was it just a baseless claim?
REALLY. Didn’t deserve the award? He hit .326 had 17 HR 83 RBI 213 hits 54 doubles 118 runs scored 20 stolen bases and 1 caught stealing. OH and by the way Silver Slugger and Gold Glove that year. He was the reason why they made it to the ALCS that year. AND if you think Morneau should have won it well he hit .26 less than Pedroia had 26 less hits. OH and Morneau 74 extra base hits Pedroia 73. Little guy played LARGE.
No he didnt deserve the award, Youk probably deserved it more. But with that said even if he had the best numbers which he didn’t his numbers still wouldn’t be considered elite when looking back at past MVP numbers. If anything he was helped out considerably by players like Quinton getting injured.
Yeah Youkilis had a good year that year no doubt, but Pedroia was more valuable. It is easier to replace a good corner infielder than it is to replace a good middle infielder. Carlos getting hurt maybe hurt his chances, but as we saw this year…getting hurt does not necessarily mean you lose the award. Josh Hamilton ring a bell? He got hurt, and he still won MVP. And I can guarantee he DID deserve it this year.
Yeah Youkilis had a good year that year no doubt, but Pedroia was more valuable. It is easier to replace a good corner infielder than it is to replace a good middle infielder. Carlos getting hurt maybe hurt his chances, but as we saw this year…getting hurt does not necessarily mean you lose the award. Josh Hamilton ring a bell? He got hurt, and he still won MVP. And I can guarantee he DID deserve it this year.
No he didnt deserve the award, Youk probably deserved it more. But with that said even if he had the best numbers which he didn’t his numbers still wouldn’t be considered elite when looking back at past MVP numbers. If anything he was helped out considerably by players like Quinton getting injured.
could agree more
Tulo≈Pedroia as in 17.8 WAR≈17.9 WAR
I think I just had a Mike Hampton flashback.
Hes a great player and I really hope this contract will work out for the Rockies.
Granted Tulo and Pedroia are two completely different players, but this shows a strength for Epstien. The contracts to Youk, Pedroia, and Lester are all quite team friendly. This really puts it into perspective though.
Oh stop trying to find reason #102 to suck up to Theo. The Tulo deal makes the Rockies Gm look a little suspect more so than it helps Theo look anymore intelligent than he did on Sunday. It’s not exactly earth shattering intelligence to sign a player who’s had two or three all-star caliber years to an extension that buys out there arb years and maybe a couple of free agent years too.
Wow. Change your name before you respond to a Boston fan’s comments about Theo. Nobody in their right mind is even going to listen to a Yankee fan talk about anything. And no, I’m not a Boston fan, both teams could go to hell for all I care.
PS. – Putting the date in your name just screams bandwagoner.
You really added a lot to this conversation congratulations. Who cares if someone has the year they became a fan in their screen name, espially one as far back as the year 1978, you do realize if he was a true winner picker he probably wouldnt of stuck with the team in the 80s. I for one was born in 91 so i probably to became a fan while they won a ws, it doesnt necessarily mean anything. Besides all that, it’s just plain ignorant to ignore a poster becuase he roots for a certain team.
It is ignorant to ignore a poster for their team, I agree. However, it is not ignorant to ignore responding to such an arrogant post.
Which is why your response was more than appropriate.
I like how you try to ignore the fact that your fellow Yankees fan makes no sense whatsoever and only uses that opportunity to bash another poster and team. Reread my post, then look up the definition for irony.
If you had made your post attacking him i’d be fine with it but instead you chose to bash yankees fans in general, honestly if your post didnt catch my attention i would’ve replied to his message as well. I also know or think i know this poster from the espn board and have ignored him for some time. But if it makes you feel better i’ll post what i would’ve have posted now.
If you thought my attacks on Yankee fans were baseless, you should have ignored me. You didn’t. So you must know what I’m talking about, and want to defend yourself from what I say. Makes sense, and I don’t blame you. Yankees fans are notorious for a reason.
You attacked yankees, i am yankee fan so obviously i would defend myself that doesnt make what you said any less baseless. I only agreed with the notion that 73er was a bad poster, but if you were to ask me my opinion on most yankee fans i encountered i would say that i thought positively of most of them. If you were to ask which fans i think were the worst i would say A’s fans yet if i saw an A’s fan posting here i would never say anything that ignorant. You can go on about fanbases reputations all you want but you arent doing your own reputation any good.
Judging by your posts, I’d say you care a little too much about how people perceive you on the internet. Having a hard time in high school? I guess I could understand caring that much if I didn’t have many friends in reality. It’s ok though. I’ve obviously hurt your feelings. Pity me.
Judging by your post it seems to me that someone took a psych class in college and now thinks he’s the reincarnation of freud. I’m not sure how you figured that someone born in 91 would still be in highschool but then again it’s clear you’re not too bright.
Judging by your posts, I’d say you care a little too much about how people perceive you on the internet. Having a hard time in high school? I guess I could understand caring that much if I didn’t have many friends in reality. It’s ok though. I’ve obviously hurt your feelings. Pity me.
You attacked yankees, i am yankee fan so obviously i would defend myself that doesnt make what you said any less baseless. I only agreed with the notion that 73er was a bad poster, but if you were to ask me my opinion on most yankee fans i encountered i would say that i thought positively of most of them. If you were to ask which fans i think were the worst i would say A’s fans yet if i saw an A’s fan posting here i would never say anything that ignorant. You can go on about fanbases reputations all you want but you arent doing your own reputation any good.
If you thought my attacks on Yankee fans were baseless, you should have ignored me. You didn’t. So you must know what I’m talking about, and want to defend yourself from what I say. Makes sense, and I don’t blame you. Yankees fans are notorious for a reason.
Nope..not me. This is the only board I post on. I really don’t get what the backlash of what I said was. Ppl need hugs now a days.
Really? 1978 is the year I attended my first game. Later that day I went to Burger King and they were giving out Yankee team sets of baseball cards. Bucky Dent and Ed Figueroa. I was a kid at the time so I’m not sure how bandwagon comes in. I hope that was sarcasm.
Last year I actually attended a game at Fenway park also YFS 78 and.. It was the Yankee massacre series when the Yanks pretty much knocked Boston out before they fought back again before that 1 game playoff after the season. Anyway.. No sense in anyone attacking one of the nice NYY fans here for sure.
Wow. Change your name before you respond to a Boston fan’s comments about Theo. Nobody in their right mind is even going to listen to a Yankee fan talk about anything. And no, I’m not a Boston fan, both teams could go to hell for all I care.
PS. – Putting the date in your name just screams bandwagoner.
Did you say something?
Yeah. I said that Theo isn’t any smarter than he was before the Rockies signed Tulo to another extension. Never said Theo wasn’t smart. However, the Rockies signing Tulo to a premature extension 4 years before his current deal ends doesn’t make the Pedroia signing look any better in retrospect.
If ppl would get their heads from out of their hineys (spelling ???) then they would have noticed it wasn’t an insult to Theo at all.
Settle down guy. All I was stating is that this contract puts into perspective how great of deals those were. I never said he was smarter now or anything either. Just that I always knew they were good deals, but seeing Tulo’s deal emphasizes the deals Theo made. Calm down, it’s the internet. A SERIES OF TUBES.
Did you say something?
all-star? I think you meant to say MVP caliber
It’s not sucking up to theo it’s the truth the deals he made with players like Pedoira and Youkillis were very solid and quite unbelievable. Sure getting players to give up years of arbitration for real money wasn’t a technique epstein invented (im not sure where kevin says that) but it was two great deals. Cano for instance was signed to such a deal and it’s undeniably less of a bargain. Just because epstien is the gm of a rival team doesnt mean you shouldnt give him credit for the good moves he’s done. In many ways it;’s this attitude that turns posters into junior ballbags.
Wow…do ppl just read what they want to read? Am I missing something? Did I ever make mention of the “brilliance” of Brian Cashman or any other Yankee official? No, I don’t think I did. So take your bi-partisan opinion and shove it. It IS or SHOULD be possible for poster “A” to make a comment about “X” w/o someone pulling something out their “a**” that has nothing to do w/ anything.
But since you mentioned it.
Cano’s deal- 4/$30 mil w/ a $14 mil and $15 mil option. Potential total value of 6/$59- Potential annual avg of $10 mil per.
-Signed after his 3rd full season. Buys out 3 arb years, 1 free agent year and possibly 2 more FA years w/ the 2 options.
Pedroia’s deal-6/$40 mil w/ a $11 mil option. Potential total value of 7/$51- Potential annual avg of $7 mil per.
-Signed after 2nd full season. Buys out 1 cost controled year, 3 arbitration years. 2 FA agent years and possibly 1 more w/ the option.
Youk’s deal-4/$41 w/ a $13 mil option. Potential total value of 5/$54 mil. Potential avg of just under $11 mil per.
-Signed after his 4th season. Buys out 2 arb years. 2 FA years and possibly a 3rd w/ the option.
All three deals are relatively good ones. W/ Cano the Yanks
a) bought out all 3 of his arb years
b) committed themselves to fewer years than Pedroia’s deal and fewer total dollars than either Pedroia or Youks in case Cano became a bust.
c) The Yanks reward Cano better for his two FA years compared to Pedroia but Cano’s performance is more comparable to a power hitting 1B (like Youks) compared to a 2B.
Finaly, I have a lot of respect for Theo and what he’s built in Boston. However, if Boston fans would get their heads out the clam chowder bowl then you can agree that signing young star players to team friendly deals aren’t exactly the machinations of a super intelectual GM and in fact is quite routine among most players not represented by Scott Boras (see Aaron Hill, Adam Lind, Rickey Romero, Brian McCann, Ryan Braun, Yovnai Gallardo, Adam Wainwright, Chris Young, Juston Upton, etc). It’s something that literally every GM worth his salt does.
I was simply pointing out to the guy that the Tulo deal doesn’t, in retrospect, make Theo any smarter than he was before Tulo got his extention. One has nothing to do with the other and my comments shouldn’t have been taken as an insult or warranted any comparison to Cashman who I have never refered to as a genius.
Good for Tulo. I’m a Giants fan, but he’s definitely my favorite player of this generation
Yikes. I guess the Rockies can justify this move from a revenue standpoint. You know as a fan what jersey is not going to be irrelevant in ten years at least. How many players can you say that about? Clearly the Rockies are thinking about Christmas with this one.
Tulo deal will work fine. But I would have pushed for club options on the last 3-4 years of his contract. Players can always decline after age 32-34.
Tulo deal will work fine. But I would have pushed for club options on the last 3-4 years of his contract. Players can always decline after age 32-34.
Why does the fact that Tulo and Pedroia are different types of players make the comparison bad if they provide similar value? (Which they do.) The only thing that messes up the comparison is that Pedroia was still arbitration-eligible, which really makes a comparison to Tulo’s old deal a lot more apt.
Because they play different position Tulo and Hanley are the best at their weak position while the second base position has quite a few more names.
Because they play different position Tulo and Hanley are the best at their weak position while the second base position has quite a few more names.
Why does the fact that Tulo and Pedroia are different types of players make the comparison bad if they provide similar value? (Which they do.) The only thing that messes up the comparison is that Pedroia was still arbitration-eligible, which really makes a comparison to Tulo’s old deal a lot more apt.
Passan is only pissed because that’s one less FA rumor and controversy that he can pull at of his pockets on to Yahoo. This is great for Tulo.
Passan is only pissed because that’s one less FA rumor and controversy that he can pull at of his pockets on to Yahoo. This is great for Tulo.
Good for him but terrible for baseball and the Rockies. They should have went with a Tampa Bay Rays type approach on this. Again, I am not comparing the players like the previous commenters think Abraham is doing with Pedroia, but TB got a nice team friendly long-term deal with Evan Longoria. He will be paid half of what Tulo gets and still be locked up for another 6 years. This seems like way too long, way too much, and way too early.
It is hard to convince players (and their union) to take deals like Longo’s. I am sure most teams would be all over it if they could.
Longoria signed that deal after being in the big leagues for basically a week. Expecting Tulo to sign anything like that after being in the big leauges for 4 or 5 years makes no sense
Good for him but terrible for baseball and the Rockies. They should have went with a Tampa Bay Rays type approach on this. Again, I am not comparing the players like the previous commenters think Abraham is doing with Pedroia, but TB got a nice team friendly long-term deal with Evan Longoria. He will be paid half of what Tulo gets and still be locked up for another 6 years. This seems like way too long, way too much, and way too early.
I’m very excited for this and the intangables that come with it make it completely worth the deal – locking up Tulo will give players like CarGo, Ubaldo, etc. reasons for wanting to stay, knowing he wasn’t going anywhere. Also giving the fans someone they can really get behind for years to come. He has stated he wants to be the best player that has ever played and he wants to be a Rockie for life – both things make him VERY fan friendly…that sells tickets which in turn brings in more revenue for better players to support him. Those are things that you don’t see in stats, etc.
Is that the same sentiment Rocks fans have had for Helton over the past few years too? I’m sure he wanted to be the best too.
Burnett, A-Rod, Igawa…..need I say more?
No but you could say how that’s relevant, for one thing there are much worse contracts you could of picked than listing two guys that helped the Yankees get a WS title, and Igawa who’s paid close to 5 million a year. Furthermore you’re comparing two way different teams as the yankees can afford those players and still have money while the Rockies cant.
In one of your above posts you stated you were born in ’91, so I won’t hold it against you if you don’t understand some things.
And may I ask, how is his age relevant? I think 19 is old enough to understand a comment thread on a baseball related website. Also, YanksFan brought up a valid point, Helton’s deal doesn’t look too good right now, and Tulowitzki’s deal looks a lot similar. Mentioning names of three over-payed players, who play for the Yankees, who can afford them, is not relevant at all. They have no bearing on whether Helton or Tulowitzki are over-payed or not.
Wow….if my name were Brian Cashman or ended in Steinbrenner then maybe what you said would have some impact. But since I’m neither of the aformentioned and am not responsible for those deals and never made the claim that the Yankees were “brilliant geniuses” then I’ll take it for what it is. An unintelligent way of saying “I’m rubber and your glue….”.
i would for sure say that Helton put butts in the seats – sure, he did have injuries and didn’t completely live up to the $, but the intangables with him were very appealing – at least to me.
Is that the same sentiment Rocks fans have had for Helton over the past few years too? I’m sure he wanted to be the best too.
I’m very excited for this and the intangables that come with it make it completely worth the deal – locking up Tulo will give players like CarGo, Ubaldo, etc. reasons for wanting to stay, knowing he wasn’t going anywhere. Also giving the fans someone they can really get behind for years to come. He has stated he wants to be the best player that has ever played and he wants to be a Rockie for life – both things make him VERY fan friendly…that sells tickets which in turn brings in more revenue for better players to support him. Those are things that you don’t see in stats, etc.
Rockies are trying to turn Denver into a baseball town, taking advantage of a horrible football team without stars (sorry Orton fans lol)
They are top 10 in atendance so it’s not like they’re doing that bad right now.
Not to mention Melo wanting to leave.
Rockies are trying to turn Denver into a baseball town, taking advantage of a horrible football team without stars (sorry Orton fans lol)
The Rockies may look back on this in about 5 years and think, “didn’t we do this with Todd Helton a while back?” There was no reason to lock Tulo up for that long and for that much, especially with Helton already owed so much deferred money (along with Hampton and Neagle.) I’m not saying that Tulo doesn’t deserve it, but given what’s happened to Helton along the way, it’s not inconceivable that Tulo could strain his back and have the last few years of his career look like Don Mattingly’s as well.
That being said, Albert Pujols just started drooling… that sets the bar pretty high for him and his extension, given what he’s done compared to Tulo. I see $10 beers at Busch Stadium real soon to pay for his extension…
He’s a first baseman so he’ll probably be compared to Howard first.
And? So they compare him to Tulo second. His post still makes sense. The more money a player makes (no matter the position) means it bodes well for all players in the game, not just that certain position.
You compare players position to position Tulo got 20 million in large part because he plays ss where hitting is scarce. If he were a first baseman hed get a lot less, gm’s view positional value when making deals and Pujols should probably be compared to other first basemen before guys like Tulo and Muaer and nowhere did i say his post didnt make sense. Besides i dont think Pujols will be looking at another players deals as much as he will just be asking to be the highest paid player.
He’s a first baseman so he’ll probably be compared to Howard first.
Hampton and Neagle are off the books…..but the reason you bring him up is to point out bad deals….do you really think those 2 were the same type of player as Tulo is? A 26 year old All-star SS, and MVP candidate not at his peak yet, versus 2 pitchers in the non-humidor era and one that had only one good year in his career (Neagle) at his signing?
Helton’s contract is only bad NOW. But he’s had a great career for the Rockies and was worth it for the team, the franchise and the fans. I’m glad Helton is a Rockie for life, and if that means an extra 50c for nacho’s I’ll gladly pay it. It beats seeing him in a Red Sox uniform, while a front office is trying to tell me we aren’t a farm team for the Yankees and the Red Sox
If I had to guess, Tulo will be a 1B by the end of this deal…
I’d say he’s a bit more likely to move to the hot corner.
I sent the deposit today for my 2011 season tickets, but this deal just doesn’t sit well with me at all. There was zero reason to make this deal at this time, for that many years. I don’t balk at the annual dollar figure, but the total length of the deal is a major issue as far as I am concerned.
My guess is that we will be seeing an accompanying increase in ticket prices over the next few years in Denver. That’s probably warranted since the Rockies were 25th in baseball in average ticket price in 2010 ($19.50) but I don’t see any way around fairly steep increases the next few years as they pursue extensions with Ubaldo and CarGo as well.
There are plenty of reasons for this deal.
Everyone keeps talking about if/when Tulo gets worse (which is more likely to happen later than sooner). Why is everyone ignoring what happens if/when Tulo gets better (which is more likely to happen sooner than later)??
He’s already an MVP candidate for the foreseeable future if he stays healthy. How much money gets put on the table when his contract is up if he’s already got an MVP trophy and a couple more seasons of leading his team to the playoffs or World Series??
If the Yankees were to offer, say, $25MM per year for six, the Rockies would presumably have to ante up or lose him. Everyone says the Rockies can’t afford $20MM, so obviously $25MM is out of the question. Congratulations, your star player just out-priced himself for your team. Trade him and move on.
Is it a risky deal?? Sure. Is it a bad deal?? No.
-C
One thing i absolutly hate is the fact that when someone like the Yank’s or Red Sox want a player they can dump insane amounts of cash on them and it puts that player out of the reach of “smaller market” teams…so, knowing CarGo, for example, is a Borass client and the chances of us keeping him are slim to none when it comes time really sucks – so, to have Tulo say, “i want to be a franchise player – i want to stay here…i love it here, etc.” to me means a ton. But, then i come on here and people say how stupid the move is for the Rockies – well, what if he does continue to play amazing and in 4 years he does have the “big market” teams come knocking and we can’t afford him. I’m sure if he plays as well or better each year other teams would pay well more than we are for him after 4 years of MVP type of playing…risk goes both ways…
I don’t think ppl are question the idea of signing Tulo to a big contract. In fact, I think the discussion is why do it now as opposed to waiting until 2013? There’s risk involved in any multi year deal involving tens of millions but a lot can happen between 2011-2014 that might change the leverage the Rocks might have had for a future extension. If you consider the Rocks a small market team then issuing a costly extension 3 years early just seems unnecessary. Now maybe something would’ve happened 3 years from now that may have changed Tulo’s desire to stay and that’s the other risk involveed. It’s a tough road to navigate but I can honestly say, that regardless of who “we” root for, we hope this works out well for the Rocks and Tulo.
I think that the worry of signing him right before his option year is that he would already have a ton of suitors knocking offering huge bucks, teams like the Yankees and the Red Sox. Now, if Tulo really is a franchise player like he claims (and I believe it whole heartedly) then he wouldn’t have cared he would have worked out a contract with the Rockies anyway, but probably would lock in more money if he continued to perform at his 2007, 2009 and 2010 levels.
Being one the best SS’s in baseball both offensively and defensively means that everyone and their mother would be calling to check on his availability. This really prevents Tulo from the possibility of getting dollar signs in his eyes and either signing else where or jacking up his price on the Rox to keep him.
Yeah wow a lot of hate here. Tulo is awesome, fun to watch, and deserving of franchise player. i can get on board with saying they should have waited a year before this contract, but some things go deeper than just numbers. I think this deal is good for marlins fans cause they can give Hanley the same thing (hopefully, commence making fun of me for saying). Both players are similar in talent, with Tulo being better defensively, H2R being faster and possibly better offensively. This would make me feel good as rockies fan since there will be an amazing shortstop to watch for years. Again, if H2R has a great 11 and 12 they should give him the same deal…
Wow..I just realized that, effectively, Tulo’s owed 10/$158 mil and if the option is picked up and he collects on this; salaries for 2020 and 2021 may increase by $6M annually based on MVP votes, Gold Gloves, Silver Sluggers or All-Star selections; then the total contract could be 11/$181 mil.
That would place his deal behind Arod, Jeter, Manny, Sabathia, Texeira, Cabrera and Mauer. Good company. The bright side is that most of these guys were worth their deals or at least stayed at an all-star level for the overwhelming majority of the deal.
I get so annoyed with red sox fans over-valuing their players. I live in Massachusetts and hear it every single day. To say that Pedroia has even close to the same value as Tulo is absolutely ridiculous. A shortstop with 30+ hr power who can also hit for average and play even decent defense is amazing. Pedroia is a good ballplayer, but I’ve seen him day in and out up here and he is not elite talent. Tulo is a top 10 elite player because of position and talent! He’s probably the #1 shortstop out there and shortstop is an elite position. Pedi isn’t even a top 3 2nd baseman IMO, you could make an argument for #3 but he is far behind Cano & Utley.
And the Rockies hamstring their payroll yet again. Tulowitzki’s a great talent, but I get the sense that the Rockies are following the Twins’ model with Mauer, except for the part where the Twins had sustained success for the greater part of a decade before nailing down their franchise player in Mauer. I’ll be curious to see what the Rockies do when Gonzales and Jimenez are due for paydays after throwing so much at Tulowitzki and De La Rosa this offseason, with the tail end of Helton’s mammoth deal still trailing.
They have a great team, but not a complete team. So long live the mile-high mullet, I guess. They’re gonna need for him to play like a $20MM player for the next decade.
CarGo is a Boras client. He is not going to re-sign with the Rockies for any amount of money and will become a Free Agent. So the “what are the Rockies going to do about him” is a moot question.
As a Rockie fan this is great news. We actually have a young star, and heart of the franchise team, and we were able to pay him and keep him. This is great news from a fan’s perspective, to see our front office actually pay a player. The Rockies front office here is not viewed well here. The casual fan in Denver doesn’t understand the revolving door.
Then I come on here and see the hate….the most thought out hate is “why now”. Answer: This is to tell the Denver Fans, that the Rockies want to win, and want to keep pieces here. Please believe in what we are doing and have faith. We aren’t a farm team for the Yankees and the Red Sox.
Did this have to be done this off-season? For Tulo..maybe not. For the Rockies fans….yes. And I ask….really does one season really make that much difference when you have a 26 year old who hasn’t even reached the peak of his career?
Gonzalez will be dealt for prospects in a couple years (Boras Client). This deal is plenty long due to the injury history, but I would rather have ten years and 100+ MIl to Tulo right now than be trying to sing Jeter for roughly the same money for three years when he’s 36. Tulo is the foundation for the team – it is nice to not see him just walk as a free agent.