Did the Rockies Overpay for Michael Cuddyer?

Three years and $31.5 million. That is a lot of money. That is what Michael Cuddyer will make as a member of the Colorado Rockies through 2014. Is he worth it though? Keith Law doesn't think so (insider required).

Law thinks that the Rockies did as much bad as good with this deal. Not only does he cite Cuddyer's growing struggle against good fastballs, but he also pans his defense. His glove is only good enough to handle a corner spot, but his bat is not strong enough to profile there.

Additionally, Law reminds us that the Rockies teams that have achieved success in the recent past were strong defensively. Coors Field offers a lot of real estate to cover and a guy like Cuddyer could easily account for several runs put on the top half of the scoreboard over the course of a season.

Even though he has similar feelings about the Twins' deal for Josh Willingham (committing money and years money to a defensively challenged corner man), Law thinks they came out better than the Rockies because Willingham offers strong OBP skills - not to mention the financial commitment ($21 million) is a fraction of what the Rockies are paying Cuddyer..

I generally agree with Keith Law here. I understand contracts have been bloating over the years, but $31.5 million seems like it could have been spent better elsewhere.

Cuddyer has had a very nice career, but he's 32 which means his best years are probably long behind him. Committing that money to an aging and declining player who was already leaning toward the one-dimensional side will prove to be foolish.

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