The baseball Hot Stove Season should be a time of hope for fans. It’s an opportunity to play armchair general manager and dream about the possibilities that come with spring and a new season while avoiding the reality of shorter, colder days and endless snow shoveling. With the Rockies having gone through a long 71-91 season, it’s time to begin planning for what can be in 2020.
So which of the many free agents should the Rockies pursu...
Wait. What’s that? Oh yeah. The Rockies have no money.
At least, they don’t have enough money to do any actual pursuing this offseason. According to Dick Monfort: “I don’t think we have a lot of flexibility next year for making some great big splash.”
The baseball writers have taken the Rockies at their word, which means that when speculative articles come out (like this one and this one and this one and this one), the Rockies are mostly absent. Why dream about Gerrit Cole or Stephen Strasburg or Zack Wheeler or Yasmani Grandal in purple pinstripes? It ain’t happening, folks. There’s no money.
As a fan, it’s discouraging — it’s like everyone else is getting a PlayStation for their birthday while we get some playing cards from the bargain bin. It takes all the fun out of the off season, and it makes 2020 seem a lot less exciting. The Rockies are clear: Despite other general managers and analysts saying the Rockies simply aren’t deep enough, the Rockies themselves believe in their core, and they’re staying with them (mostly), along with what they can pick up in trades and maybe some bargains on the free agent market.
Maybe “flexibility” is a euphemism the wealthy use for being broke — or perhaps it’s another way to choose not to spend money on something — but the end result is the same. If nothing else, in embracing their lack of financial flexibility, the Rockies deserve credit for honesty.
Just to be clear, the Rockies do not appear to be living paycheck to paycheck. While no one knows the details of the Rockies’ bank account, Forbes estimates that they are worth $1.2 billion after the Monforts paid $97 million for the team. It’s also estimated that the Rockies’ current TV deal with AT&T SportsNet is worth $40 million, with the new deal, starting in 2021 for an unknown amount. Moreover, in 2019, the Rockies were sixth in MLB attendance with 2,993,244 taking in games at Coors Field. Despite what would appear to be significant revenue streams, based on Monfort’s comments, until the 2021 TV deal begins, the Rockies’ cupboard is bare.
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Rockies fans, I know you love this team as much as I do, and after giving it some thought, I think we need to work together and help our financially strapped team. Moreover, Dick Monfort and Jeff Bridich may not be worried about Nolan Arenado opting out in 2021, but a sizable number of Rockies fans are, and it might be helpful for us to make a case for our commitment to this team winning by putting up some money.
So I hope you join me in supporting the Colorado Rockies Financial Flexibility GoFundMe I’ve created, so that they can afford a starting pitcher or perhaps a lefty reliever or maybe more data analysts. It’s on us, folks, because Dick Monfort lacks the financial flexibility to make these kinds of purchases. After you’ve made a donation, leave a comment about how to spend the money, and vote in the poll. We will send our recommendation with the final amount.
You’ll find the Colorado Rockies Financial Flexiblity GoFundMe right there with the Huntington Beach High School Oilers’ GoFundMe for some batting cages, improved field drainage, and a clubhouse renovation and the Blythewood Bengals’ GoFundMe for new uniforms, equipment, and technology for improved player development. If those communities can come together to support their local baseball team, then surely we Rockies fans can as well. Let’s all work together to help Dick Monfort, and let’s show Nolan Arenado our commitment.
You may decide to forgo attending games so that you can give more to the GoFundMe. This will allow you to avoid paying for tickets, concessions, gear, and travel. Instead, you can put the entire amount in the GoFundMe, which will go straight to payroll. You can enjoy the games from the comfort of your home as you make the most of the AT&T SportsNet broadcast. (Actually, you’ll have to enjoy the game from your home because AT&T SportsNet doesn’t have an app for streaming, and MLB won’t allow regional viewers to watch on their stream.) And your donations will be tax deductible, an added plus.
I know you’re probably dealing with things like rent and insurance payments and student debt and the other kinds of expenses that come with, well, being alive. But I hope you will contribute what you can because this is important. It might even make the offseason a little more fun.