Report: Rockies ship Holliday to Oakland
Sports Network | November 10, 2008
Denver, CO (Sports Network) - The Colorado Rockies have apparently traded outfielder Matt Holliday to the Oakland Athletics. CNNSI.com's Jon Heyman is reporting the deal, but did not know who was going back to Colorado in return.
Holliday, a two-time All-Star, hit .321 last season - his fourth straight .300 campaign - but saw his power numbers dip, as he hit 25 home runs with 88 RBI. It was the first time since 2005 that he failed to top 30 HRs and 100 RBIs.
He had been the runner-up to Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins for the NL MVP Award in 2007 when he set career-highs, hitting .340 with 36 home runs and 137 RBI.
Eligible to become a free agent at the end of the 2009 season, Colorado reportedly had offered Holliday $68 million guaranteed over four years (plus a fifth year option that could have taken it to $85 million), but he turned the deal down, instead wanting to hit the open market.
Holliday is a career .319 hitter and has hit 128 home runs, while knocking in 483 runs in his five years with the Rockies. However, he is a .280 hitter away from hitter-friendly Coors Field with 44 homers and 176 RBI in 339 games.
St. Louis and Philadelphia were also expected to be in the running for Holliday.
