Monfort and Bridich confirmed every fan’s worst fears about the Rockies

It was a blistery, chilled morning on the second day of February when Punxsutawney Phil emerged from his dwelling at Gobbler’s Knob and forecasted six more weeks of winter. Fittingly, some 1,500 miles away, a dark cloud formed over 20th and Blake.

In what felt like a requiem for competitive spirit, Rockies owner Dick Monfort and general manager Jeff Bridich pierced the hearts of the fans who have stuck by their side through years of middling performances and below-average baseball. Their words, and those of the player they most recently cast aside, told us everything we need to know about what the future holds for this franchise.

Monfort, who ultimately signed off on the deal that sent arguably the greatest player in franchise history to the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend, wasted little time before deflecting the blame.

“If I had my druthers, I would rather have Nolan Arenado, but it was Nolan’s choice,” Monfort said. “He wanted to move on.”

Oh really? So all that has transpired is the result of a player who turned his back on the team? Never mind the tension and distrust that brewed for more than a year between the organization and its star third baseman. Never mind the lack of intestinal fortitude displayed year in and year out as the rest of Major League Baseball passed the Rockies by. As long as the Rooftop is full and Rockie Dogs are flying off the shelves, it doesn’t really matter, right?

Don’t expect that notion to change, either. Monfort made his stance abundantly clear when asked what he would say to Rockies fans who are upset over the current state of the team.

“We know that we’re not going to ever get out there and go for Gerrit Cole or some of the really top (level) free agents,” Monfort said. “We’re in a grouping, a mid-market team where we just can’t take that risk.”

In short: The Rockies are not Los Angeles or New York, so they’re not going to try. That may work for those who are currently pulling the strings, but I for one refuse to allow market size to be used as an excuse for apathy and poor performance. The Rockies are not the only small market team in the league, nor are they going to play outside of the state of Colorado any time soon. So figure it out.

Taking risks is a part of life, and without them there can be no reward. Sitting back and banking on a farm system that is widely considered one of the worst in all of baseball is the sports equivalent of sitting at a blackjack table and repeatedly hitting on 16 because you think you know better, and it appears Monfort is a gambling man.

The blame for this week’s events certainly doesn’t fall squarely on the shoulders of ownership though, as Jeff Bridich bluntly stated. When asked whether or not Arenado’s departure is the result of an organizational failure, Bridich simply replied: “If we are looking to pass blame here, you can blame me.”

Well, since permission has officially been given, Bridich is largely to blame for the Rockies’ new reality. Monfort didn’t singlehandedly alienate one of the best players in baseball. Bridich did. He didn’t flippantly dismiss Arenado’s clearly stated desire to win and provide false hope about the continued acquisition of talent to create a team that can truly contend. Bridich did, and the public outcry over his apparently unlimited job security is justified.

Broncos fans have come out in droves during recent seasons to call for John Elway’s job, and there’s some justification there, as well. But I’ll give Elway this: He at least brought the Broncos some form of sustained success. He was instrumental in acquiring Peyton Manning, and built teams that went to two Super Bowls, winning one. That’s something you can put your name on. What has Bridich done?

Well, he’s overseen a team that has won less than half of its games during his six-year tenure (.480) and finished fourth in the NL West on average. That just doesn’t cut it. He’s also spent more than $281M in free agency for players who fizzled out relatively quickly. There’s no way he could survive so many swings and misses, right? Wrong. When asked plainly if he considered firing Bridich, Monfort once again defended the actions of his General Manager.

“No, I have thought about firing myself,” Monfort said. “But I have not thought about firing Jeff.”

There you have it. As stated by the two most influential people in the organization, the Colorado Rockies are a team that: makes little apology for causing irreparable damage between the team and the best player to ever put on its uniform, will never be in the hunt for marquee players in free agency because they play in a small market and will not hold its front office accountable for below average performances.

When Bridich took over in October of 2014, he made a proclamation that further amplifies how far off track the team has wandered during his tenure.

“We are not where we want to be, we know that. But we do have people who are determined to get there,” Bridich said. “Make no mistake, this organization wants to win and this organization is determined to win.”

I think it’s safe to say, that promise feels as empty as the locker that once held Arenado’s name plate over it.

Punxsutawney Phil may have promised six more weeks of winter this year, but it will pale in comparison to the six more years of mediocrity that Rockies fans may be forced to endure.