The Rockies’ Bullies Are Not Going Away

Rockies in NL West Basement

The Rockies were 12-40 vs the NL West this season. Unfortunately for the Rockies, the rest of the division was very good this year. The Arizona Diamondbacks finished fourth in the NL West at 80-82, just three games out of the final Wild Card spot in the NL. Additionally, they were a full 37 games ahead of the last-place Rockies. The Rockies were the most competitive against the Diamondbacks, but still finished just 5-8 in the season series. The Rockies finished a combined 7-32 against the rest of their division, including going a paltry 3-24 on the road.

San Francisco and Los Angeles have been especially problematic for the Rockies. Per Statmuse, since 2021, the Rockies are 6-33 and 8-28 on the road against the Giants and Dodgers, respectively. This made their prospects even worse when they couldn’t win at home this year either. The most disturbing trend, however, is that the Rockies have been porous on the road in the division even before this miserable season. With years ahead still in this rebuild, there is likely more losing on the road in store for Colorado.

But the Rockies are facing more than a talent deficit against their NL West foes. These Rockies would be last place in any division. But they have the unfortunate predicament of being in a division with the Padres and Dodgers. They are two of the biggest spenders in MLB, who are seemingly in a rivalry with each other to outspend the other.

Rockies Aren’t Playing the Same Game as Their Division Foes

The Rockies finally embraced the youth movement this season and started their rebuild. But for years, they postponed it. The front office expected improvement from largely the same roster that had just recorded 100+ losses the season before. Although they spend more than some of their fellow cellar dwellers in MLB, they continuously spend their money poorly.

Currently, the Rockies have $27 million of their $128 million payroll this season tied up with veteran Kris Bryant. He played in just 11 games this season and 170 games in the past four seasons. Bryant still has $81 million guaranteed remaining on his contract over the next three seasons. With the payroll the Rockies operate with from year to year, they can’t afford to miss this badly. Literally and figuratively.

The Rockies currently rank 21st in MLB in payroll, per Spotrac. The next closest in the NL West are the Diamondbacks and the Giants. Both rank in the top 14 in payroll and are $50 million ahead of the Rockies. Their Southern California counterparts have built an even bigger gap. Both rank in the top nine league-wide in payroll.

Remember 2018

The Padres under active general manager A.J. Preller currently possess a payroll of $216 million. But not to be outdone, the Dodgers are first in MLB with a $350 million payroll. They are paying a combined $76 million to Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, and Shohei Ohtani this season. Their spending sprees are not likely to stop anytime soon. The Rockies will never be a free agent destination like the Padres or Dodgers, especially not for pitchers.

It will be a moot point during the rebuild as well. But when the Rockies are ready to be competitive again, they will have to bridge the gap somewhat. The Dodgers are spending  $200+ million more than the Rockies on their roster. That’s an untenable number if Colorado wants to compete in the NL West. The Rockies had a payroll of $143 million in 2018, their last postseason appearance. That figure was good for seventh in MLB, ahead of the entire NL West besides the Dodgers. They ranked second in MLB that year with a $199 million payroll.

The Rockies will never outspend the Dodgers, especially with how much the Dodgers’ payroll has grown. But the Rockies showed the willingness to spend among the top 10 in baseball when they felt their team had a legitimate shot at contending. Owner Dick Monfort will have to remember that when the Rockies are ready to contend again. If they remain around the bottom 10 in baseball in payroll, that goal will be infinitely harder to achieve.

Rockies’ Future in NL West

The Rockies are likely staring down their fourth straight 100+ loss season next year. The Padres and Dodgers will surely contribute a lot to that total. But one silver lining for the Rockies is a recent rule change that made MLB teams play every other team at least once in the 162-game regular season. In doing so, each team would play its division foes just 13 times a season instead of 19.

Considering the Rockies’ immense road struggles in their division, this was a welcome change. But the Rockies will have to get back to winning at Coors Field to truly take advantage of this change. In a way, the Rockies rebuild actually times up nicely right now. Even if the Rockies were spending money on their roster right now, the Dodgers and Padres would both be formidable opponents. Depending on where both teams are in a few years, the Rockies could be in a better position to compete when their rebuild is over.

The Rockies were 41-36 against the NL West in 2018, forcing a game 163 with the Dodgers to decide the NL West. Being in one of the strongest divisions year in and year out is not ideal for a team trying to find its way back to relevance. But there’s nothing the Rockies can do about that. They have to play the schedule in front of them. There could be a few more rough seasons ahead as the Rockies rebuild. But they have competed in this division before. The bullies on their block aren’t going anywhere. But the Rockies will have to remember they can be a bully too when it’s time again.