- Rockies keep Tulowitzki through 2020. (Denver Post)
- Rockies commit to the mullet, but not everyone is impressed. (Big League Stew)
- Tulowitzki's big dollar mistake (Yahoo Sports)
- Rockies jump the gun with Tulo's new deal. (Rob Neyer)
- The official new face of the Colorado Rockies. (Purple Row)
- Can someone please explain the Tulowitzki deal to me? (Hardball Talk)
- Rockies sign all-star shortstop through 2020. (Rockies Review)
Not a whole lot of congratulations coming the Rockies way over the past 24 hours. That's to be expected given the length of the contract and the risks involved in such deals. It's unlikely Tulowitzki will hold his value for the entirety of the contract, I think we all understand that. It would be a total disaster if his skills fell off before his original contract was set to expire. We get that too.
That said, sometimes teams have to take risks to stay competitive and keep the fan base happy. Tulowitzki, when healthy, which is a key, has shown he can be a franchise player. It's also pretty clear he WANTS to be here long-term and the fan base has accepted him wholeheartedly. Those two factors alone make it far less risky from the Rockies standpoint, and if this franchise accomplishes the ultimate goal even one time over the next decade with Tulo leading the way, it'll be brilliant business.
I guess we'll know for sure 10 years from now when we look back at this contract as we've looked back at Todd Helton's. Yes, Todd's contract hampered the team over the past couple of seasons. Maybe it even kept the team from making a move that would put them over the top last season.
But to me it was worthwhile because I don't think this team makes the 2007 World Series without Todd Helton anchoring the greatest single season team defensive effort in MLB history, and contributing his usual clutch hits down the stretch.
It's also safe to assume this team will be structured better over the course of this contract than they were throughout Helton's contract. The Rockies have a different mindset now than they did then, and a better reputation. A winning reputation. An expectation that they will be at or around the playoff hunt come September. That makes doing business a little easier when it comes to adding key pieces.
I'm on record right now saying I like that deal. I don't necessarily love it or consider it a guarantee for future success, but I like that our ownership and front office are not afraid to lock up a guy they love and face the backlash they're receiving today around the league. Believe me, there are some teams that shy away from deals for that reason, so it's nice to know ours will face it head on.