A recent swoon has taken the Colorado Rockies from definite contenders to possible sellers. If they decide to stay the course and compete, they might look to add a versatile player like Ryan Theriot.
Theriot, 30, is an interesting name since he wouldn’t figure to be just a stopgap at second base. He’s a .287 career hitter who has stolen 28, 22 and 21 bases in the past three seasons and is on pace for 26 this year.
Theriot lost in arbitration to the Cubs last winter, settling for $2.6 million instead of the $3.4 he requested. He would be in line to make $4 million-$5 million next season. Which brings us to Barmes, who is in a similar situation.
Barmes’ future as the Rockies’ second baseman is cloudy because of his arbitration-eligible status. He is making $3.35 million this season and could jump to around $5 million next year. It’s highly questionable whether the Rockies would be willing to pay that kind of money for a second baseman. Denver Post.
If you’re not willing to pay $5 million per year for Clint Barmes, why would you pay $5 million per year for Ryan Theriot? Shrug.
For that very reason, Theriot is not expected to be tendered a contract by the Cubs this winter. That does not, of course, mean that the Cubs could not re-sign Theriot to a lower deal, but he would have the opportunity to go elsewhere. With that in mind, the Cubs would likely be content to move him.