| Douglas Benton. 30th January, 2007 - 11:36 pm
 The Colorado Rockies had been in talks with the Boston Red Sox over first baseman Todd Helton in exchange for a host of players, including some young pitching prospects. The Rockies have battled to become more than a Coors Field circus act since their inception in 1994, but they continued to remove this image by pulling out of talks and for right now, holding onto the most proven player in franchise history.
Since the days of Larry Walker, Vinny Castilla and Dante Bichette, Helton and his excellent play have been the only bright spots for the Rockies. From 1999 to 2004, Helton played at an All-Star level both at the plate and in the field as he carried the Rockies by demonstrating his hitting ability and athletic ability in the field.
During this time period, Helton never hit less than 30 home runs and had at least 100 RBI in five of the six seasons. He also never hit worse than .329, helping his career average which now stands at a cool .333.
His fielding also wasn’t bad as he used his long 6-foot-2 frame to reach many ground balls and provide a great target at first base. Now, injuries have slowed him some in both areas, but he has still battled and been a leader for the Rockies as they have started the transition toward the playoffs with many of their young players.
However, owner Charlie Monfort had decided its better to spread out the money over multiple positions rather than having it centered in one player.
“We realize it’s not wise to have that much tied up in one player on a payroll,” Monfort said in a January 26 article in the Denver Post. The article also gave figures that Helton is expected to make $16.6 million next year as part of a $55 million payroll for the team.
Without Helton, the Rockies were going to be left with a below average offense to be headlined by outfielder Matt Holliday, who is a fine young player, but isn’t ready to carry an offense. Now, they can pair Holliday with Helton to create a solid one-two punch to go with second baseman Kaz Matsui and centerfielder Willy Taveras.
They will also have an emerging rotation headlined by left-hander Jeff Francis and right-hander Rodrigo Lopez, which will now have a chance to pitch from the lead and give the ball to closer Brian Fuentes, who is one of the most underrated closers in the game.
Helton’s stats and reputation speak for themselves, but his service to a franchise which hasn’t always helped him out with talent should be commended. He never has demanded a trade and kept the Rockies relevant through the tough years. The Rockies flirted with the chance to lose out of this and any winning in the future, but they resisted and secured at least a chance of winning in 2007. |
