Former Rockies VP reveals 'what if' scenario involving Kyle Schwarber, Kris Bryant

Could the Colorado Rockies have avoided one of the biggest mistakes in franchise history by signing Kyle Schwarber instead of Kris Bryant? According to one former Rockies vice president, it sounds like a possible scenario.

In an interview with MLB Network on Tuesday, former Rockies VP and assistant general manager of baseball operations Zack Rosenthal gave some insight on how Colorado's seven-year, $182M deal with Kris Bryant came together before the 2022 season. That same offseason, Schwarber inked a four-year pact with the Philadelphia Phillies worth $79M.

The differences in production between the two deals are staggering. Schwarber accumulated 11.1 bWAR and smashed 187 home runs while posting a 134 OPS+ in 627 games. Bryant, meanwhile, has played in just 170 games while battling a multitude of injuries. He has posted a minus-1.6 bWAR and 84 OPS+ while questions continue about his ability to continue playing due to lumbar degenerative disc disease.

“There was a lot going on with the Rockies at that time, right? We had just come off a couple of pretty good years," Rosenthal said on Tuesday, referring to Colorado's postseason run in 2017 and 2018. "Obviously, you know, obviously, the Nolan Arenado trade had gone down (in February 2021) and this was as much of a signing about putting the Rockies back on the map and show everybody that, ‘Hey, we’re willing to spend some money and ownership is willing to do that.’ 

“In terms of the negotiations, to be honest, Scott (Boras) deals with owners a lot on these types of contracts and there was a lot of that going on (with the Bryant contract). So exactly how (the negotiations) went? I wasn’t in the room for every conversation, but eventually, it was to a point where we were actually having other conversations at the same time with other big name free agents over the course of that winter.

"Kyle Schwarber was a target. He was somebody we had talked to for awhile, and it just came down to — at the end of the day — what the guys at the top of the food chain wanted to do and how they thought it would impact the on-field and off-field for the club."

It's unclear exactly how close the Rockies were to actually signing Schwarber instead of Bryant. Additionally, while Schwarber may not have individually been able to save the Rockies from three consecutive 100-loss seasons had the Rockies signed him, the thought of Schwarber hitting home runs in Denver on a consistent basis is not only an intriguing thought, but also one that certainly would have improved Colorado's offensive output.

That "impact" of signing Bryant has been hard to value as he has rarely been on the field because of injuries. However, in the 712 plate appearances he has logged, Bryant is slashing just .244/.324/.370 and has just 46 extra-base hits despite calling Coors Field home.

Could the Rockies be in on Schwarber this offseason with new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta now at the helm? With Bryant's contract still on the books and Schwarber expected to generate more money this offseason than he did before the 2022 campaign, that possibility will likely remain a "what if" scenario forever.