Kris Bryant makes startling admission about signing with Rockies

May 14, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies right fielder Kris Bryant (23) during the sixth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Kris Bryant recently made a startling admission about his decision to sign with the Colorado Rockies two years ago, and it sounds like he has some regrets.

Bryant surprised many when he signed with Colorado prior to the start of the 2022 season, and he opened up about that decision in a new interview. The outfielder recalled that he had discussions with the Rockies prior to the start of the MLB lockout late in 2021, but those discussions were forced to stop during labor negotiations. When the lockout ended in March 2022, Bryant admitted that he felt immediate pressure to make a decision on a new team, and may have rushed into making one.

“It’s like, ‘Oh shoot, I need to get there,'” Bryant told Sam Blum of The Athletic. “There were other teams interested, but I didn’t want to wait around. … It was a completely different situation for a lot of free agents at the time. I guess I didn’t do as much research into the prospects as I could.”

Bryant’s implication is that he perhaps assumed that the Rockies were closer to contention than they actually were. Had he checked into the team’s prospects and pipeline, he may have realized that was not the case, particularly as they had just traded Nolan Arenado to St. Louis several months earlier.

The odd thing is that even at the time, Bryant’s decision was considered a surprise. It may be a bit awkward for him that he essentially admitted to rushing into a decision without doing his homework, especially since he still has another five seasons to go on the seven-year, $182 million deal he signed.

Bryant has battled injury issues since signing with Colorado. Last season, he hit just .233 with 10 home runs in 80 games.