Rockies Should Release Kris Bryant, But They Can’t Escape the Money

The Colorado Rockies would be better off releasing Kris Bryant, but the financials will follow them whether they do or not.

Colorado Rockies designated hitter Kris Bryant. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

If one looks at the Colorado Rockies’ future, Kris Bryant isn’t a part of it.

He’s on the 60-day injured list with lumbar degenerative disk disease. He didn’t participate in spring training. He’s not with the team. Ablation procedures haven’t helped. He’s explored experimental procedures. Traditional procedures would probably curtail or end his career.

Colorado has moved on without him. First base belongs to TJ Rumfield right now, but it could belong to Charlie Condon one day. Both could swap out at designated hitter, too. The Rockies have other batters to hit at DH, too.

The Rockies signed Bryant’s bat at its best. But they haven’t gotten that since he signed. The wise decision for Colorado would be to release him now. But, while that gets him off the roster, it doesn’t come with any financial benefits to Colorado.

The Lack of Benefits of Releasing Kris Bryant

Colorado Rockies designated hitter Kris Bryant. | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

In other sports, releasing a high-priced player can have some benefit. In the NFL, for example, releasing a costly player accelerates a team’s cap hit, but there are ways to space that hit out over two years. Otherwise, unguaranteed money — such as base salaries — go away.

That isn’t the case in baseball. A contract like Bryant’s is guaranteed. He signed a seven-year, $182 million contract before the 2022 season and has three years remaining. There is $81 million remaining on the deal. That means that even though Bryant hasn’t touched a bat this season he’s getting a paycheck every two weeks, just like the rest of the active players.

So there is no exit strategy to getting out of Bryant’s deal for the Rockies, short of trading him, which seems highly unlikely. Colorado is on the hook for the money. It’s spent. There are only a couple of options for the Rockies to stretch out the money.

First, Colorado could do what the Los Angeles Angels are trying to do with Anthony Rendon, whose injury issues dwarf Bryant’s. He has one year left on his deal, which was worth $38 million. He and the Angels worked out a deal to defer Rendon’s 2026 salary for several years, though the details aren’t known. For now, Rendon is on the Angels’ 60-day IL and will miss the season. The Rockies could work with Bryant to defer the money over a number of years.

Second, Bryant could retire. Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg had to retire in 2024 due to a myriad of injuries. He hadn’t pitched in two years due to thoracic outlet syndrome. He signed a seven-year, $245 million deal after the 2019 World Series title. His deal ends after this season, but Strasburg’s money still sits on the Nationals’ salary rolls. He’s owed $35 million this season, and it counts against Washington’s tax rolls.

From a competitive standpoint releasing Bryant makes sense. It opens a spot on the 40-man roster for someone like Condon. But anyone expecting to get financial relief from such a move has another thing coming.