To hold on to Holliday, Fuentes and Cook through arbitration this Winter would cost approximately $20 million incremental dollars. Add to that equation the cost of trying to lock up both Atkins and Holliday and you can quickly see why keeping Todd Helton (who is still a fine player) represents a significant opportunity cost.
It's not about whether Helton is still a good hitter (he is) or whether he still makes the team better (he does). You can't evaluate it in a vacuum. It's the other pieces that fall into place (or don't fall into place) around him on the roster that dictate whether or not it's a good move.
|