The Rockies have declined their 2022 club option on infielder/outfielder Ian Desmond, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman. It’d have paid him $15MM, but he’ll instead receive a $2MM buyout.
It’s wholly unsurprising news after Desmond forwent his salary and opted out of both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The former Nationals star signed a five-year, $70MM contract with the Rockies during the 2016 Winter Meetings. It was an unexpected fit, and the Rockies’ attempts to install Desmond as their primary first baseman proved to be a sizable misstep, as Desmond never really found his footing despite the hitter-friendly nature of his home park.
Desmond posted just a .274/.326/.375 batting line (70 wRC+) in his first season with the Rockies and never seemed to gain comfort playing at first base. By 2019, he was back in the outfield full-time and was a bit more productive at the plate, although still nowhere near his previous standard. Ultimately, Desmond suited up for three years with the Rockies and turned in a combined .252/.313/.429 batting line (81 wRC+).
It’s not clear at this time whether Desmond will return to baseball. In announcing his decision to opt out of the season back in February, Desmond used the phrase “for now” and indicated a strong desire to be with his family following a trying year in 2020. As Anna Katherine Clemmons of the New York Times wrote in an April profile of Desmond, he and his wife had recently welcomed their fifth child and he’d recently established the Newtown Connection nonprofit in Sarasota, Fla. — a program that “allows youth to participate in modified, inclusive, and fast-paced baseball activities, drills, and games to develop their skills” and “uses competitive baseball and softball experiences to promote character development and an active lifestyle, instilling the values of leadership, accountability, teamwork, and the pursuit of excellence,” per the program’s web site.
Now 36 years old, Desmond is a two-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger Award winner who carries a career .263/.315/.427 batting line with matching totals of 181 home runs and 181 stolen bases.
Can’t believe the Rockies didn’t want to pay $15mm for a RH bench outfielder with poor defense and an irrational fear of the coof
Can’t believe someone got paid $2M to NOT play for the Rockies. Don’t fault the man for jumping a sinking ship.
When the man is busting holes in the bottom of the boat, you can’t blame the ship for sinking.
@hiflew if you’re trying to tell me Ian Desmond is busting holes in the bottom of the ship—-Man oh man. This Rockies ship was already sunk. If anything he gave them a life raft by not taking the 21+ MM he was owed the last 2 years.
Horrendous FO.
hiflew
When the man is busting holes in the bottom of the boat
=========================================
That’s why he opted out. He went to the bottom of the boat, and found multiple GMs already busting holes.
@RunDMC: I agree. I’m shocked they still have to pay the buyout. He was under contract both of the last 2 years and refused to play. Now that he’s finally not going to even be expected to play they still have to pay him millions of dollars? Once he basically retired out of the last 2 guaranteed years of his contract the buyout should have been voided. He didn’t fulfill his end of the deal. Why do the Rockies still have to pay him $2 million to buy him out when he refuses to play anyway? I wonder if the had picked up the option if he would have refused to play again. If that happened my guess is the Rockies wouldn’t have had to pay him anything. It’s pretty ridiculous though. It seems like only the owners have to fulfill their contractual obligations. It’s like it’s just a suggestion for the player. All the contract really means is the player can show up and play if he feels like it and you have to pay him for that time but if he decides to take time off it’s okay. He can just show up later when he needs money and they have to start paying him again.
@Chipper Jones congratulations, you are doing your part to help further divide this country.
@osfandan – Our once great Country will continue to be divided as long as people continue to be fooled by the unholy deceitful world view of Progressive Liberalism.
Perhaps he didn’t want to jeopardize the health of his five children.
So he doesn’t actually participate at his nonprofit? He just stays home and avoids outside human contact? Interesting
Lol
You still think COVID affects children with any modicum of severity? Yeesh.
@LazingLeopard – COVID affects everyone differently. My family all got COVID. I was sick as a dog for over a week with like almost every symptom possible while simultaneously my two young Grade School were running around happy as can be with barely a cough.
Geg42, you cannot be serious.
740k dead, majority of whom are folks like your pic, but yeah, irrational fear of christian flu..
still made more money than you types ever will, is more of a human than you can ever hope to be.
Every day I wake up and thank Donald Trump for this wonderful vaccine!
@mfm4200 – Your irrational hate is palpable.
Here’s the story on why Ian Desmond hasn’t played in MLB for years now….google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2021/04/01/sports…
I personally understand why he stopped playing and that’s his choice. Nothing wrong with that. The Rockies shouldn’t still have to pay him a $2 million buyout when he has been refusing to play for years though.
The Mets missed jacka$$…..your trolling everywhere. LOSER
Why, so Monfort can just keep the money instead?
He had a contract that ran through a certain year and had an option, and if the Rockies really needed to save that $2M, they could’ve exercised the option and gambled that he didn’t play in 2022 and they’d be clear of the money.
Just super weird to see you post multiple times that owners should be able to break their contracts with a player.
Sounds like Desmond has already moved on from MLB with some great initiatives in Sarasota. Commendable. These athletes are so wealthy at a relatively early stage of life, I imagine the retiring early approach (seems to be Desmond’s direction) will become more common.
To be fair MLB moved on from Desmond first. It’s why he signed with the Rockies…
I’m retiring back to work.
Can’t wait for the crime documentary to come out detailing how a guy named Ian stole millions from a Colorado-based corporation
Hopefully Mike Hampton gives a nice intro with his 8/$121M deal in COL he signed because of Colorado’s school system.
Funniest excuse ever for taking the most money. Manhattan and its surrounding suburbs have the best schools on the planet.
Glad they got him off their books
Desmond was a big part of what made the Nats competitive during his time in Washington. He was also generous with the local community here. I wish him well and am sure he will continue to succeed at whatever he pursues next.
The only surprise here is that COL didn’t make the announcement just seconds after the final out of the WS. Have to give Desmond credit for parlaying one great year in TEX into 5/70 with the Rockies.
Always viewed it as a variant. of the Hampton plan. It’s the same thing, except you don’t use the schools excuse.
Bold of you to assume that there is some kind of Hampson plan
$47 million. He opted out of his final two seasons and was not paid. He simply getting the $2 miking buyout this year.
He opted out of his career. Live scared, face consequences.
Or he found other things to do with his life, which seems to be the case.
Good for him.
Wish some of the posters here would do that; find other things to do with their life.
You mean like yourself??? Dumpsterdivingidiot
What consequences? He made a choice.
And seems like he is really living life with his family and charitable causes that mean a lot to him.
Not getting paid for the last two years? Making a choice still has consequences, whether you think they matter much or not.
look at this tough little internet kiddo. lmao
One of the stupidest signings ever.
GM: We signed Desmond.
Owner: So Desmond is our SS?
GM: Not really, we have Story at SS.
Owner: Then the OF?
GM: Not really. We have Parra, Blackmon and Cargo.
Owner: But Parra kinda sucks, right?
GM: Yeah, but I just signed him to a $30M/3 contract.
Owner: 2B?
GM: I think so. We have some guy named DJ LeMahieu there, but he’ll never amount to anything.
So he’s taking 2m because he hasn’t retired or opted out of a 3rd consecutive season…..
Guaranteed contracts. Man what a sham it is to have security.
Was he that horrific at short that no one wanted to try him out as a third or second baseman?
I’m excited for some inclusive baseball activities.
Twins could use him
Read the NY Times article and you will understand better.
Said no one ever.
Rockies signing Desmond was the Rockies’ second dumbest decision in their illustrious front office history. Giving away Arenado was #1.
In defense of Desmond signing Neagle and Hampton were worse signings