Kris Bryant, who signed a Colorado Rockies franchise-record free-agent deal for seven years, $182 million in the spring of 2022, has gotten off to a poor start with the franchise.
Bryant has played in just 32 percent of the Rockies' games since joining the team.
Ravaged by injuries, Bryant has not come anywhere close to the MVP-caliber play he showed in 2016 when he slashed .292/.385/.554, hit 39 homers and led the Cubs to their first World Series title in more than 100 years.
But Bryant believes he can still be the player that the Rockies need him to be, especially if they are going to rebound from a 103-loss season, according to Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post:
“‘In my mind, I think the biggest thing is you just look at the back of someone’s baseball card and you kind of think, ‘Hey, this is the type of player that they are,'” Bryant said Saturday at Rockies Fanfest at Coors Field. “I know that’s the type of player I am.”
Bryant has dealt with plantar fasciitis, a bruised left heel and a broken left index finger that limited him to 122 games — 42 in 2022, 80 in 2023 — in his first two seasons with the Rockies. Bryant, however, says he’s healthy at this point.
“I feel good,” he said. “I’m super eager to get back onto the field with a clear mindset and control what I can control. Last year wasn’t too fun, but it was important to step back and realize that I have played this game for a long time and I have survived a lot of scares and never really had any broken bones.”
The Rockies are reportedly planning on moving Bryant to first base next season.
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