The Rockies received around $16 million from Major League Baseball’s revenue-sharing fund this year, but it doesn’t appear that money will be used to add players for the pennant race.
General manager Dan O’Dowd is looking for trades to help the team as the July 31 trading deadline nears, but there are no indications the team will be adding any high-dollar players as the team struggles to stay in the National League West race. After defeating the Diamondbacks 9-7 on Sunday at Arizona, the Rockies have won two of their past 13 games.
Roster moves in the past week
have been minor tweaks, with
players shuttling between Denver
and Triple-A Colorado Springs.
The Rockies were among 17
big-league teams that received
money this year from the revenue-
sharing pool of $308 million
to $312 million, according to numerous
publications.
The agreement between Major
League Baseball and the players
association specifies that receipts
from the revenue-sharing
plan, in which the richer clubs
give to the poor, are to be used
for the “betterment of the club.”
It was designed to help improve
competitive balance. That can
mean pumping money into your
minor-league system or adding
to the major-league roster.
“We don’t discuss any financial
details regarding the club,” Rockies
spokesman Jay Alves said
when asked how the team directed
the revenue-sharing money.
The Rockies’ opening-day payroll
was about $42 million. The
Rockies’ cash outlay goes beyond
their current roster, however.
They have had to fund approximately
$40 million to three players
Denny Neagle, Mike Hampton
and Larry Walker no longer
with the team, payments that
stretch far into the future.
Teams receiving revenue-sharing
help this season ranged from
about $2 million sent to Baltimore,
at the low end, to $33 million
forwarded to Tampa Bay,
according to USA Today.
During the all-star break this
month, baseball commissioner
Bud Selig projected the revenue-
sharing pool would grow to
$323 million this year.
Irv Moss can be reached at 303-820-1296 or imoss@denverpost.com.
