Jock Itch Rockies finally get it right with Tulo signing

The jersey thing can’t be overstated: You can now safely buy a Troy Tulowitzki jersey without the fear that it will be obsolete in another season. Tulo has been signed through 2020 and has cast his lot as a Rockie for life. I’ve been a little hard on Tulo because I think he’s a bit of a hot dog and just assumed he was biding his time before he could join the New York Yankees as their premier shortstop. But Tulo has made his intentions clear: With his new contract, he not only wants to wear the purple pinstripes for a long time, but has vowed to bring a World Series championship to the Mile High City.

Rockies fans were immediately ecstatic about Tulo signing on for a near-record seven-year, $134 million extension that can carry him through to 2020. But there was the usual chorus of doubters who felt committing that much money over such a long period of time was madness. Those people are not Rockies fans. I say not wrapping up someone of Tulo’s caliber is madness. He’s arguably the best shortstop in the game, had a transcendental September, and is only 26 years old. Fans love him, and he will be selling tickets and winning games for a long time in Denver. So why is this a bad idea? It’s not. The Rockies finally did something smart when we expected the exact opposite from the front office.

Lost in the Tulo hoopla was the re-signing of pitcher Jorge De La Rosa. Again, management spent a lot of coin to secure him, but they only gave him a two-year contract (with options for more), which is another uncommonly shrewd move by the Rockies. De La Rosa should have a breakout season next year if he stays healthy, and since the Rockies have been burned by pitcher contracts before, giving JDLR two years again shows there’s a light and on and somebody is home at Rockies HQ. That De La Rosa turned down more lucrative offers to stay in Denver says a lot about the organization, and about players like him, and about Tulo’s desire to stay here.

What this also signals is that the Rockies are ready to make a push right now for that World Series title Tulo has promised. Nailing down Tulo and securing De La Rosa shows they’re willing to spend now to keep themselves in position to do well. Knowing that the other budding All-Star on the team, Carlos Gonzalez, will more than likely be heading out of town once his contract is up in four years makes this current push even more critical. But toss in Ubaldo Jimenez having another strong year, and the World Series champion Colorado Rockies could be a reality before Gonzalez packs his bags.

If you’ve been disillusioned with the way local teams run off talent or won’t spend the cash to make the team better, look no further than the Colorado Rockies as the recent free spenders angling to make a run at a championship. It sounds funny considering the Rox used to be way down the list of the local franchises that would ever crack open the checkbook to do so. But the Rockies did something last week that the rest of the Denver sports teams should take note of: They gave their fans something to hang their hats on for the future. It’s not risky because Tulo is young and will be one of the best at his position for some time. Rockies fans now have their John Elway.

Tulowitzki should be commended for not chasing a few dollars more and establishing a legacy for himself in Colorado. It’s only December, but it’s never too early to get excited for Rockies baseball, especially when there’s so much negativity surrounding the other professional teams. And since buying a Broncos jersey is a risky proposition, and laying out cash for a Carmelo seems preposterous, getting one with Tulowitzki on the back is a safe bet, for now and for the future.