Holliday Sweepstakes Still Open

C’mon Rockies.  The best bat on the market is still out there.  He is a homegrown talent that has turned into a star.  He was one of the most popular figures when he was here.  He will greatly improve your team and he has a soft spot for your organization.  His name is Matt Holliday.

I know it’s still a long shot to sign him but the Rockies chances of getting Holliday are increasing by the hour.  With few suitors, Holliday is chasing $$$ right now.  If the Rox want to make an impact this offseason, they need to make a big splash and sign Holliday. 

However, at the end of the day, there is still one huge hurdle to overcome, those owners.  What they don’t realize is an investment in Holliday is a smart investment.  It attracts fans to your ballpark, it increases your profile as a team and it instantly makes you a favorite to win the pennant.  Those reasons alone should entice the Monfort’s to attempt to sign Holliday.  There are additional factors that come into play that help the Rockies:

1. As of right now, there are only two teams interested in Holliday, the Cardinals and the Mets.  New York is currently talking with Jason Bay and if they can get a deal done, they will sign him.  St. Louis has reportedly offered Holliday an eight-year deal but no one can confirm that.  With only two teams in the running for Holliday’s services, the Rockies will have less competition than originally thought.  This leads me to my next point.
2. It doesn’t look like Holliday is going to receive a Mark Teixeira deal (eight-years, $180 million).  The big spenders, the Yankees and Red Sox, currently have no interest in Holliday.  That could all change but the Rox know right now that the price won’t be driven up by those two teams or the Cardinals and Mets.  St. Louis can’t go crazy because they eventually have to sign Albert Pujols, Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter to new deals.  And the Mets already have a huge payroll and signing Bay over Holliday makes more sense financially for them.
3. Before the Rockies traded Holliday last offseason, they offered him a four-year, $68 million deal plus a fifth year option for a total of $85 million.  Holliday rejected the deal and was sent to Oakland.  However, if the Rockies were willing to offer Holliday a deal last year, why not now?  They know what type of player he is and he fits perfectly into their locker room.  They would have to offer Holliday at least a six-year deal for around $96 million because the Cardinals reportedly offered Holliday $16 million a year. 

In the end, a six-year deal worth $18 million a year might be enough.  So, the Rockies are in the same boat as last season in terms of dollars.  It’s the length of the deal that bothers them.  However, another shot at a World Series title in the next few seasons is well worth the investment if you ask me.  Is it to the Monfort’s?  Don’t hold your breath.

Tags: Adam Wainwright, Albert Pujols, Boston Red Sox, Chris Carpenter, Colorado Rockies, Jason Bay, Mark Teixeira, Matt Holliday, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Oakland A's, St. Louis Cardinals