Colorado Rockies' Plan: Back to the Drawing Board

The Colorado Rockies' owners are making a statement. The statement is being heard loud and clear by both fans and the media.

The statement is: "We will never be a consistent winner."

The recent comments made in the Denver Post by Matt Holliday are probably the most telling statements from a member of the franchise. The comments merely confirmed what most fans had been suspecting for years.

Holliday was quoted as saying, "I specifically don't want to spend my career collecting paychecks and having October off. I want to be in a situation where I feel like I can make the postseason every year, not only if the perfect storm comes together."

The All-Star left fielder has made it clear numerous times throughout the season that he wants to be paid what he deserves, but that playing for a franchise that is committed to winning on a yearly basis is the most important thing to him.

The Rockies' owners, brothers Dick and Charlie Monfort, have slapped Holliday in the face. They essentially have told him that they do not want to even talk with him about signing a long-term deal, clearly turned off by Holliday's agent, Scott Boras. 

Reports have come out that the Rox offered Holliday a four-year deal worth around $72 million. Holliday is looking for something along the lines of $120 million over six years, with a no-trade clause.

In recent years, the Rockies have balked at long-term deals, especially when no-trade clauses are involved. The franchise is gun-shy, due to the failures of Mike Hampton and Denny Neagle, who both signed long-term deals that the Rockies regretted less than a year later.

While the hesitation is understandable, the Rockies' new approach is bewildering. Due to the failures of the previous long-term deals, the franchise decided to build from within, in which they focus on the draft and developing players. The plan worked. It may have worked better than any Rockies fan could have expected.

For years of struggle, Rockies fans were told to be patient as the talent made its way through the ranks and up to the big-league field. Fans were told that this would be the future of the Rockies, and that they would have at least competitive Rockies teams for years to come.

That promise seemed a reality when Charlie Monfort was quoted after the Rockies miracle run to the World Series in '07 as saying that he wanted to keep the core of that team together so that they could make more runs to the postseason.

Fans thought that the Rockies' ownership was actually coming through on the commitment that they made to them during those struggling years. In the offseason after the miracle pennant run of 2007, the Rockies locked up many of their young players. 

Rookie of the Year runner-up Troy Tulowitzki was signed to a seven-year deal that locked him up with the team throughout his arbitration years. Manny Corpas, Aaron Cook, and Brad Hawpe were also signed to long-term deals.

Fans were both surprised and excited with the moves and were waiting for the same type of announcement regarding stars Garrett Atkins and Matt Holliday. 

The announcement never came, but fans were assured that deals were being worked out with the two home-grown talents.

After a 2008 season full of disappointment, the commitment to winning is nowhere to be found. 

The Rockies have quickly placed both Holliday and Atkins on the trading block, both players seemingly disgruntled by the way things have been handled by ownership.

The original thought was that one of the sluggers would be moved with Ian Stewart being Major-League ready and needing a spot to play. The Rockies could move either Holliday or Atkins and get a front-line starting pitcher in return. It is a questionable move, but one needed in order to shore up the issues of the starting rotation.

The reports out of the general managers meetings in Dana Point, CA, are showing that the Rockies are more than willing to part with their sluggers.

All signs point to the Rockies trading Holliday in the next few weeks to the St. Louis Cardinals in a package where the centerpiece is Ryan Ludwick. 

While Ryan Ludwick is a good player, he has been injury prone, and, at 30 years old, is older than Holliday.

The addition of Ludwick would also not alleviate the issues that kept the Rockies from winning in 2008, starting pitching.

The Rockies' management is sending a loud and clear message to Rockies fans this offseason. The message is that they will make more money putting 20,000 fans in the seats every night and paying a mediocre team, than they can getting 35,000 fans per game and paying for a winning team.

The message is loud and clear. The Monfort brothers do not care about winning. Owning this team is simply a money-making venture and nothing more.

The move to trade Holliday and Atkins is a clear slap in the face to faithful fans of the Rockies and a return to form for the greedy Monforts.