It wasn’t looking likely that Kris Bryant would get back onto the field before the season was over, and the Rockies slugger confirmed to MLB.com’s Thomas Harding that his 2022 season is indeed done. Bryant’s first season in Colorado concludes with only 42 games played, and a .306/.376/.475 slash line over 181 plate appearances.
Three separate stints on the injured list spoiled Bryant’s year, including two absences related to lower-back problems. Bryant hasn’t played since July 31 due to foot injuries, including both a bone bruise and plantar fasciitis in his right foot. With the Rockies already out of contention by August, Bryant said he received a platelet-rich plasma injection on August 24, and “if we were in the playoff hunt, I probably would have pushed through and got a cortisone shot. The PRP is more healing, while cortisone masks the pain.”
The decision puts Bryant in better position to be fully ready for 2023, and he indicated that he is ahead of schedule in his recovery. “I wanted to get as close to being able to play a game as I could, because then I can formulate an offseason approach that’s better,” Bryant said.
Though injuries have been an increasing factor for Bryant in recent years, 2022 represents far and away the lowest game total of his seven regulation-length Major League seasons. (Bryant’s 42 games with Colorado barely topped his 34 appearances in the shortened 2020 campaign.) Unsurprisingly, Bryant described his season as “a little depressing, just not playing baseball….Every year from February to October, I’m used to playing baseball. And for the most part this year, I’ve been watching.”
Bryant and the Rockies can only hope for better things in 2023 and beyond, as Bryant still has six seasons remaining on his seven-year, $182MM free agent deal from last winter. On the plus side, Bryant hit well when he was healthy this year, though he hit much better on the road (.996 OPS in 70 PA) than he did at Coors Field (.761 OPS in 111 PA). The sample sizes are probably too small to draw any major conclusions, of course, but naturally the Rockies are hoping for more consistent production from Bryant at his new home ballpark.
I honestly can’t say I know much about Colorado, but I would think their would be a good fan base there to support the club. Can anyone speak on that? Is there a fan base in the fog somewhere waiting for a competent front office?
Rockies draw well. 11th in the league.
That’s cause they play the dodgers 10 times a year in Colorado
The Rockies are perennially in the top 10 in attendance – similar to the Angels. It’s a pretty awesome stadium to catch a game.
Which puts very little pressure on their incompetent front office (a bunch of rich guy’s relatives and classmates?). Bryant contract was confusing to begin with, Rockies were not very close to competing with the Padres or Dodgers and the Giants were coming off a massive year.
It’s a stars-and-scrubs business model. You get a couple of cornerstone guys to draw the fans in and profit. Similarly to the Angels locking in Trout and Rendon and having no plans for a supporting cast.
Non playoff teams shouldn’t ever be signing muti year free agents ever. That’s pretty much a rule all the brilliant Ivy League gms stick by and intelligent fans keep repeating. If you’re reading this and disagreeing it’s because you don’t fit into one of those two qualifiers I made above and are now thinking about the one example where a team got lucky signing a guy who actually worked vs the 30-40 times it didn’t and was total failure.
YBC, Angels games are always a fun and peaceful experience. Never even seen a scuffle in the stands there. People there even say things like “excuse me” instead of just ramming people out of the way in the concourse en route to their hot dogs. And I gotta say that Dodger Stadium has changed so much for the better the past 10 years that I can say it is pretty damrn nice there now too.
The fan base is quite large. I love going to coors field. Such a great ball park. I’ve only been a 3rd of the baseball stadiums but Coors is in my top 5. Even being a cubs fans I would put Wrigley 2 and petco 1. Highly recommend going there if you get the chance.
If you do and you enjoy a great craft beer. You gotta try Upslope. I get the Lager but they have an IPA and Hazy IPA and about 8 other seasonal beers.
You obviously have never been to PNC Park. You know…the nicest ballpark in MLB, with a minor league team playing there
With that ballpark. They really need competence out of management. Which they have never had.
This contract is not going to age well
Cubs dodged a bullet. Not only with KB, but Baez and Rizzo too.
Although Rizzo sure found Yankee Stadiums short porch, verrry friendly.
So true. FO knew what they were doing.
Yeah, not paying union wages to good players who would have made the Cubs competitive in 2022. Really “smart”.
Pocket watching fans gotta go, contracts dont matter at all. Like, stop it. Its useless discourse. Rizzo is better than Wisdom, period. Baez and Bryant are also better than the scrubs the Cubs played there this year. Grow up.
Better check the stats from this season. Bryant played in 41 games. Baez was terrible.
Baez was a below average player. Check out Nico Hoerner’s stats. Anyone making the money Bryant is being paid 41 games is a joke.
Nico Hoerner has played 10 times better than Baez has this season, both offensively and defensively.
A’sfaninUK is one of the most obnoxious and unlikable people on this site.
I hate the cubs and even I can admit not paying those players was a good move. Why field a marginally better team that still doesn’t make the playoffs at the cost of millions?
A’sfaninUK repeatedly has top 3 dumbest takes on here consistently. The kinda guy you nearly feel bad for taking money off of yearly in fantasy baseball.
The Giants also dodge a bullet.
Even as a Cubs fan a part of me wanted them extended. At the very least Rizzo. I’m glad they moved on. They acquired so many potential superstar players. Most of them are panning out so well so far. The future is very bright for the cubs.
The Cubs were worried about his long term health at 3B when they drafted him fearing that his height and constant bending would be bad for him. Why they started playing him more in the OF and at 1B when Rizzo was injured. Kind of Ironic that it was his feet that betrayed him first. They thought his back would go first. Rizzo’s back always made a long term deal a risk and Baez although spectacular at times had way too much swing and miss in his game, which is the same problem they have with Wisdom. Since they have the DH in both Leagues now Bryant should at least be able to do that I would think. But some players can’t handle just hitting so it will be interesting to see. Gotta give Hoyer his props here so far.
It will be fine as long as he moves to 1B/DH. He can still hit.
Matt Mervis will be the Cubs first baseman next year, and I expect will exceed KB in: games played, HRs, RBIs and also probably Runs scored.
KB can play 5 positions so thats one very valuable thing about him. Very versatile. Baez is the same way and he can play even more than KB. I Don’t doubt he’ll move to 1B/DH
42 games. Doesn’t matter if he plays 9 positions. Who has the worst contract…Bryant or Strasburg? Every team that didn’t sign Bryant is breathing big sighs of relief.
5 positions? I count two – 3rd and OF. I guess he could play first but I never saw that.
However, I saw him play in person a lot last year with the Giants. He can play them but not well. In right he got terrible terrible terrible jumps on balls and was sluggish with reads to his glove. It’s an adventure on every hit there except simple fly balls to his exact position.
Not with bad feet he can’t.
Yet another Scott Boras highly overrated dog who got paid, checked out early and left no forwarding address…….
What does any of this even mean?
Stop siding with the bad guys, the owners deserve to have their pockets run by the players, its literally how its set up to work. The day the owners said “we dont have the money” but somehow still had the money to own the team, is the day we should have told them “NOPE” and they have to sell. Not an excuse. Youre a billionaire and you have a business in a billion dollar industry, stop being incompetent and find a way that doesnt screw over literally everyone except the team owners.
Then real equity would go towards a living wage for minor leaguers and increased arbitration payouts for players under team control that are putting up big numbers (and may get injured or throw their arms out while doing it). Player’s union needs to represent everyone.
Oh look, an ignorant socialist. I am shocked.
No owner deserves to get ripped off in the way Bryant and Strasburg are doing to their teams. Paying for performance is ok. Best way to “fix” baseball is to move toward non-guaranteed contracts and a salary cap. Funny hearing someone say that they have the right to tell an owner he has to sell his team if they don’t want to pay non performing rip off artists.
Maybe the answer is they shouldn’t have inked that one. He could also bounce back, so it is what it is. Gut feeling, hes a Rockie until they’re so sick of it they pay someone to make him go away.
Bad guys? What is this, a B movie? Is the owner twisting a mustache while sitting in a dark office?
Signing players to atrocious contracts is just bad business. It’s not ‘set up to work that way.’ You sign two or three of these contracts and it crushes the development of players who play the same positions, it keeps a roster spot you’re stuck with, and most importantly it affects your team’s performance. You sit there and you think Bryant is going to be your starting right fielder and #3 hitter and you plan around that, then he doesn’t play 120 games and your entire team suffers due to his absence.
Teams are run like businesses because they are businesses. You lose money on investments and it trickles down and affects the way you can conduct business. In the end the fan does suffer because they won’t be able to put a competitive team on the field.
Socialist fiscal policies and unfettered immigration have served the UK well.
Ellsbury 2.0
Ellsbury 2.0 haha That is HARSH!
Stupid comp, you dont know ball
Maybe he was just making a joke…It made ME laugh, and I assure you friend that I know ball if nothing else..
Oh look, Asfan once again telling someone they don’t know ball. How ironic. Dude has some of the worst takes I’ve ever read here. At least he’s consistent with his ignorance though.
It’s easier to just mute the trolls instead of replying. Half the comments seem to be trolls but I just mute them instead of giving them any attention
Trade him to the RS and eat half the salary.
I dunno why, but I suspect he’d come back and be a star if that happens.
get well better kb, see you next year
I have to assume the only reason you sign with the Rockies in 2022 is because you want to only play 42 games a year and don’t want anyone to worry about it.
To answer first post: there is a great fan base in Colorado, better than the mindless owner deserves. I wish the fans would stay away to force Montfort to actually try to field a winner instead of settling for mediocrity.
Lifetime Phillie fan who has lived in Chicago for the past 13yrs…..
I may be wrong, but Bryant seemed genuine…..always said the right things and did the right community stuff? Sure he took the cash grab, but Colorado from I have heard from friends is a sweet place to live?
Hope I wasn’t snookered….but I root for the guy….and will going forward……
It’s a great place to live. The sunset at Coors is gorgeous. If you’re into that kinda of thing. If you get a chance to go there. Don’t go in April. It’s cold as hell there. Could be 50d and wet and raining one day the next day could be 75 ans not a cloud in the sky. Kinda like Chicago but less brutal winters.
I got there at least twice a year.
Snookers Bryant sicced Boras on another gullible owner.
He’s going to come back and be a top 10 MVP vote getting next year, bet on it.
I’ll take that bet. How much should we wager?
As a Cubs fan, watching Kris Bryant play,I believe that he peaked in 2016. But of course the Cubs FO genius Theo Epstein and his FO flunkies Hoyer & Co thought they knew more and were constantly changing KB’s swing. That did more harm than good. If I were the Rockies I would never have given KB more than a 2 year prove it contract.
I wouldn’t doubt if the deal turns into another Arenado situation He’d never approve it but it would be funny if he was traded to St Louis. If you’re not aware. He’s gone on record saying St. Louis is boring.
I get that this isn’t exactly the comparison you are making, but Arenado is ten times the athlete that Bryant is. I doubt Bryant ages like Nolan.
Bryant’s an old man in an aging body. One injury after another. Who really expects him to get healthier as he ages? Totally unrealistic. The blood sucking leech Boras once again finds another sucker to pay one of his washed up bums. Delighted the Braves don’t do business w/the crook.
He’s a year younger than Arenado. I didn’t know 30 years old made someone an old man
Pretty good he got that 7th year. Really worth it for the team that paid up
Congrats to the Giants for knowing better than to re-sign him. Cubs had him. Let him leave. SF had him. Let him leave. Rox have him. Wonder how much they’ll have to eat to deal him off? 90%?
Just remember how smart the Cubs were and to think that he was drafted way before Aaron Judge. It is a sad story for sure, but the Rockies made a huge mistake and don’t think their players aren’t paying attention.
So were 31 other players.
Bryant took all that cheese in return for not playing any meaningful baseball in September for the next eight years. Can’t really fault him. Hey, who among us here would turn down $182 million smackers?
Other than on days when the thin air at Coors gives spectators one of those football-like 17-14 scores, the Rockies area pretty boring team.
And until they find a way to teach pitchers how to pitch there successfully, no elite SP is gonna want to sign with them unless they pay said pitcher stupid money (Mike Hampton, anyone?).
The Rockies are to the NL West what the Pirates have been to the NL Central for the past twenty years. A rudderless ship destined to lose 90 games or more a year. I’d wager every veteran player on the team hopes to be traded in the off-season.
Were I him, or any player signing a long term contract, I’d want to 1) play in a city I liked 2) play for a winning organization, 3) not want a contract so outsized that it put pressure on me, 4) not want to be in a lineup where I was THE guy, money-wise (see #2.) In short, I’d want to enjoy my life. Millions are enough for the rest of your life if you’re acceptably smart. You don’t really need 180 of them.
I mean not to mention apparently the Denver school system was really good for Hampton’s kids to make him pitch there lol
Ha trade him to Boston for Casas and let them
Pay 75% of salary. Chaim is dumb enough to do it
If in playoff hunt would push through it? That’s sad. Should push through just to play. Be a competitor ⚾️
Money well spent.