Colorado Rockies Sign Veteran Outfielder Charlie Blackmon to 1-Year Extension
Veteran outfielder Charlie Blackmon has signed a one-year extension with the Colorado Rockies, the club announced Friday evening.
The deal is for one year, $13 million, according to a report from FanSided's Robert Murray. There will be an addition $2 million in performance bonuses based on plate appearances, per Murray.
Blackmon is in the final days of a six-year, $113 million contract that he inked with the Rockies back in 2018. After earning $21.5 million in each of the prior four seasons, the 37-year-old made $15 million in 2023.
Blackmon has spent his entire professional career as a member the Rockies organization, initially joining the franchise as a second round pick out of Georgia Tech in the 2008 MLB Draft. Although he made his major league debut in 2011, it took Blackmon until 2014 to become an everyday member of Colorado's lineup.
Over the next nine seasons, Blackmon appeared in 1,253 of the Rockies' 1,356 games. As franchise cornerstones Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Gonzalez, Nolan Arenado, Trevor Story and DJ LeMahieu came and went, Blackmon remained a staple at Coors Field.
Blackmon's production has dropped off a bit in recent years, though, especially in regards to his power, speed and defense.
After hitting .306 with an .880 OPS and 28 home runs and 20 stolen bases per 162 games from 2014 to 2020, Blackmon has hit .272 with a .766 OPS and 16 homers and five stolen bases per 162 games since. The four-time All-Star has also largely stepped away from his usual spot in the outfield, spending the majority of 2023 as a designated hitter.
Blackmon is batting .285 with eight home runs, 40 RBI, four stolen bases, an .821 OPS and a 1.5 WAR through 94 games this year. He is heading into the offseason on a hot streak as well, putting up a .444 batting average, 1.222 OPS and two stolen bases just across Colorado's last four games.
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