The Colorado Rockies have reportedly agreed to terms with free agent Carlos González. Bob Nightengale with USA Today is reporting that the deal is for $8 million. Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports was the first to report talks between the Rockies and González last night.
At the beginning of the offseason, it was all but guaranteed that Rockies fans were going to have to watch one of their team’s greatest players play for a different team in 2018. Gonzalez’s new contract demands did not fit into the plans for a team that wanted to rebuild it’s bullpen and already had a slew of major-league outfielders on it’s roster. However, the 2017-2018 offseason was a weird one and with spring training two weeks underway and González still looking for a place to play it appears that his contract demands now align with what the Rockies were willing to pay.
Acquired as the centerpiece of the Matt Holliday trade, González quickly replaced Holliday in the lineup and also in the hearts of Rockies fans. While he was a streaky hitter, González’s play from 2009 till last season was one of the few reasons the Rockies team was bearable to watch. Unfortunately, just as the rest of the team finally got good enough t compete in 2017, González struggled to perform at his usual standard. For most of last season, González was a black hole in the Rockies lineup before finally turning things around in September.
While it’s tough to figure out where González fits in the Rockies lineup and roster without knowing which version of González is going to show up on opening day, it’s indisputable that this signing will sit well with the Rockies players who have viewed González as a lead both on and off the field.
For fans, it should be a huge relief that we don’t have to worry about having to watch González sign with the despicable San Francisco Giants this offseason and see one of the all-time favorite players in Rockies history playing for a rival. Let’s hope Gonzaález will produce like he did prior to last season, but if not, it will be on Bud Black to mitigate the damage more effectively then he did last season.