Dodgers, Rockies Aggressive in Wake of Giants World Series Win

Behind dominant pitching and superb situational hitting, the San Francisco Giants won the 2010 World Series. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies—San Francisco’s foes in the National League West—have done what they can to make it difficult for the Giants to not only repeat as division champs but as the head honchos of the baseball world.

After San Francisco re-signed power-hitter Aubrey Huff, the Dodgers inked durable veteran starting pitcher Jon Garland to a one-year deal worth $5 million. Garland is an interesting case study. This isn’t because of his statistics, though they have been impressive. Rather, it is because of his yearly decision to sign very short-term deals.

He did so with the Diamondbacks, then, prior to this season, signed a one-year pact with the San Diego Padres, and now again. He’s deserving of a three-to-four year deal, at least, especially considering Cliff Lee, also 31, is looking for a seven-year contract on the open market.

Garland’s ERA has continuously hovered around four throughout his career, but he’s shown to be a workhorse. Since 2002, he has made no fewer than 32 starts. And, as is expected when so many starts are made year after year, he threw no less than 192 innings over the eight-year span.

Since 2006 he hasn’t won more than 14 games in a season, but he’s clearly an innings-eater and backed by the right offense he could see that win total increase.

He may have the necessary offense behind him, especially with the Dodgers signing Juan Uribe not long after his deal became official. Uribe was one of the more important players on the Giants (Los Angeles’ hated rival). He is also a rarity. No many players can play three infield positions, do so effectively, and hit for as much power as he did.

His on-base percentage wasn’t pretty this past season, just .318, nor was his batting average, which stood at .248, but he led the team with 24 homers, drove in 85, and compiled many clutch hits in the playoffs that made the Giants' World Series win possible. Now, he heads to the Dark Side—the West Coast equivalent of a Red Sox becoming a Yankee.

The 31-year old signed for the amount of money and years Garland should have set as a starting point: $21 million over three years. IncrediblY stocky at six foot, 230 pounds, Uribe has a low center of gravity reminiscent of Boston’s Dustin Pedroia, and tries to crush everything.

He isn’t flashy. He’s not going to hit .300. But he plays the game the right way, knows the game, and produces. On top of that, he rarely commits errors, no matter if he’s playing shortstop, second base, or third base. His attributes prove he is deserving of the annual salary increase of $3 million—a raise the Giants should have been smart enough to give.

While San Francisco should have kept him around, the Rockies were aggressive in locking up two players integral to their success. Their chances of re-signing 29-year old Jorge de la Rosa appeared slim throughout the first few weeks of free-agency, but, in the end, they clearly had a better chance than any other team.

Despite an injury-shortened 2010 in which he went 8-7 with a 4.22 ERA, Colorado gave the 29-year-old a three-year deal worth $32 million. He won 16 games in 2009, and allowed opponents to hit just .235 against him this past season. Given his overall body of work he is well overpaid.

But he reportedly turned down offers spanning four years to stay in Colorado, and the team undoubtedly thinks highly of his repertoire and his potential for long-term success.

Another player the Rockies think highly of is 26-year-old shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. He wasn’t up for a new contract, yet Colorado wanted to make sure he would be with them beyond his current deal, which extends through 2014. So, they gave him a ten-year extension, in essence restructuring his current deal and adding six more years.

He will be paid $157.75 million over the duration of the deal, which goes through the 2020 season, including $119 million over the final six seasons. He is perhaps the best-hitting shortstop in baseball, and this past season carried the Rockies to the tune of a .315 average, 27 homers, and 92 RBIs.

He hit 15 of his homers and drove in 40 of his RBIs in a torrid month of August that helped push Colorado into playoff contention. But the Rockies payroll is set at around $80 million. Despite his talents, is he really worth a quarter of their payroll?

A General Manager of a low-revenue team, as documented in an article by Yahoo! Sports‘ Jeff Passan, doesn’t think throwing such a percentage at one player is smart: “If there’s a guy to spend a quarter of your payroll on, he’s it. But you just don’t spend a quarter of your payroll on anyone. Period.”

I agree with his statement. Tulowitzki is a great talent. He’s young. And if he stays healthy he could be one of the more dangerous hitters of his generation. But the contract he received leaves the Rockies hamstrung. Now, in giving him such length, they have to operate with tight margins for years to come—the next ten years.

Now they can’t go out and spend on the top offensive and pitching help of future free-agency classes. Now, trading for a star with a big deal attached is out of the question.

Colorado may bring out the party favors in celebrating this monumental deal, but little do they know that they may have no choice but to let Ubaldo Jimenez and Carlos Gonzalez leave once their contracts expire in 2014. Gonzalez, 25, formed a deadly one-two punch with Tulowitzki, hitting .336 with 34 homers and 117 RBIs this season. He is also a client of Scott Boras, who, as with all of this other clients, will try to get him the big bucks. If Gonzalez continues to perform at this level, he will be in line for the money Tulowitzki received.

Jimenez, 26, is the ace of their staff, having won 19 games with a 2.68 ERA this past season. He will be in line for nine-figures as well when his deal is up if he keeps performing like a Cy-Young-worthy right-hander. Both will command upwards of $20 million annually, and Colorado won’t be able to keep both, let alone one.

Therefore, though they secure a star, albeit one who will be making $20 million annually starting when he is 30, and a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher, they will most likely lose two contributors as well. Because of this, their championship window is small. Win in the next four years with this core or, from then on, it will be Tulowitzki and little else.

Without the duo of Gonzalez and Jimenez supporting him, Colorado will be hard-pressed to contend with the Dodgers, Giants, and San Diego Padres in the NL West.