DENVER — “Yes.”
Jeff Bridich was somewhat mocked for saying “yes” three weeks ago when asked if his team could win a World Series in 2018.
The laughter has quieted down now.
On Friday, the Colorado Rockies went all in, signing electric 32-year-old closer Wade Davis to a three year, $52 million contract.
The money going to Davis brings the sum of the Rockies offseason spendings to $114.5 million. The closer is the crown jewel in the foursome Colorado has already acquired which includes Bryan Shaw, Jake McGee and Chris Iannetta.
At first glance, all these names and all this money may make it seem like the Blake Street Bombers are taking after the Bronx Bombers and trying to win via free agency. But this couldn’t be further from the truth.
It was no secret that Colorado had a lot of work to do this offseason, but none of it revolved around acquiring a core player. All of the moves the Rockies have made—albeit expensive—have been supplemental to the core they already have.
Bridich targeted the team’s needs and jumped on them like a hawk, in what might be his finest display thus far as the club’s general manager.
The baseball offseason is all about making sure there are fewer questions surrounding your roster when Spring Training rolls around. While the Rockies still have some questions, all of their biggest concerns for this winter have been addressed.
If Davis, who will become the highest-paid reliever in baseball history over the course of his contract, can be exactly what Greg Holland was last year, this signing is an absolute home run. Although, maybe “home run” isn’t the right term as he’s only allowed six of those over his last two seasons (102 innings).
Davis earned 32 saves last year and four more in the postseason. He has been one of the game’s premier strikeout artists over the last half dozen years, and he’s been virtually unhittable since converting to a closer.
“Cool, calm and collected,” Bridich said. “The heartbeat, it’s slow in pressure situations. Having heard stories, there’s that inner belief in those situations. He’s a competitor and taken very seriously when he enters a game.”
The reason Davis was signed over Holland is because—if all else were even—Davis has shown a constant ability to throw multiple innings over the course of his career. Last year, the Rockies and Holland were reluctant to go more than three outs at a time.
This is important because it signals exactly what the Rockies goal is: World Series.
The way postseason baseball is played, the Rockies will need multiple relievers who can work more than three outs at a time. With Chris Rusin, Shaw, McGee and Davis, Colorado is set there.
“There’s a foundation that has been set for a deep bullpen as long as guys stay healthy and pitch to their capabilities,” Bridich said. “We have an opportunity to be deep and balanced, in terms of left and right and youth and veterans.”
Obviously, Colorado needs to be one of the five best teams in the National League before the postseason is applicable, but it’s clear that the moves the Rockies are making all have the playoffs in mind.
It’s also clear that this—their 25th season—is maybe just the second year in franchise history the team has an actual shot at winning the NL West.
In addition to the stellar, bountiful, spry rotation the club has built in-house, they’ve built one of the best bullpens in the game with savvy moves. In a perfect world, the club will only need a decent offense centered around Charlie Blackmon, Nolan Arenado, DJ LeMahieu, Trevor Story and either David Dahl or Ian Desmond to carry them to October.
Projection systems may disagree with this evaluation of the Rockies, but the club is almost the same as last year with a few notable changes. The entire pitching staff now knows how to pitch in the big leagues and should be a year better, the Rockies top hitting prospects have arrived or will arrive during the 2018 season and, most importantly, they’ve locked down the late innings.
“We’re excited that as an organization we’re having talented, experienced guys that want to pitch for us,” Bridich said.
It says a lot about a mid-market franchise like the Rockies that they’ve been able to acquire good talent through free agency in the last several years. There has long been a narrative that the Rockies are cheap, that’s never been true, and it certainly isn’t today.
The Rockies set their sights on a crown, and their general manager is doing everything in his power to obtain it.
Welcome to the new era of Colorado Rockies baseball.
