NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – In a free-agent signing likely to reverberate in the trade market, the Rockies agreed to terms with Ian Desmond on Wednesday on a five-year, $70 million deal.
Desmond could play first base or perhaps right field with Carlos Gonzalez sliding to first (former Rockies GM Dan O’Dowd has told me he believes CarGo would be a superb first baseman). Desmond’s versatility also gives the Rockies options to be a big player in the trade market, and they have a further motivation to do that.
After all, the Rockies now forfeit the No. 11 pick in the draft because Desmond was given a qualifying offer by the Rangers. The teams with 10 worst records only lose a second-round pick for doing the same, so Colorado loses the highest possible pick that is eligible for the system.
So recouping talent beyond Desmond could become more valuable. Because both Desmond and David Dahl, off of a strong rookie campaign, can play center fielder, the Rockies could make Charlie Blackmon available at a time when many teams — such as the Cardinals, A’s and Nationals — are looking for a cost-effective option in center.
There are persistent questions in the sport whether a team can win consistently with the challenges of playing at high altitude. But the Rockies have built an interesting talent base with CarGo, Dahl, Nolan Arenado, D.J. Lemahieu, Trevor Story, and a twenty-something rotation with Tyler Anderson, Chad Bettis, Tyler Chatwood, Jon Gray and Jeff Hoffman.
Desmond, 31, adds to that base. Two years before free agency, Desmond rejected a seven-year, $107 million extension from the Nationals. He had a poor walk year on both sides of the ball in 2015, yet Washington nevertheless put the qualifying offer on him. That combination chilled his market going into 2016.
Desmond did not sign until the end of February, going to the Rangers for just $8 million and under the proviso he move from shortstop to the outfield. But Desmond took well to center field and made the All-Star team, and even a second-half slide did not stop him from signing a pact that will be worth $83 million over six years if Colorado picks up his option.
Thus, in the period since rejecting the $107 million, Desmond has made or is now guaranteed to make $95.5 million over eight years, with a chance for it to be $108.5 million over nine years.
The Rangers not only received the benefit of Desmond’s rebound season, they now get a compensation pick between the first and second rounds next June. Every team that picks after the Rockies now moves up one spot. For example, the Yankees were slated to draft at No. 17 and now will go at No. 16, barring another team relinquishing its pick.