Rockies Outfielder Ian Desmond is opting out of the 2021 season, at least temporarily. He made the announcement on his Instagram page (h / t for Robert Murray of FanSided)
“In the past few months, I’ve had difficult conversations. I asked a lot of questions and thought a lot. For now, I decided to cancel the 2021 season. My desire to be with my family is greater than the desire to go back and play baseball in these circumstances. I will continue to train and see how things happen, ”Desmond wrote as part of his statement.
Desmond also opted out of the 2020 season due to concerns about COVID-19. Doing so meant losing the prorated portion of his $ 15 million salary last year. Now, in the last guaranteed season of his contract, Desmond would be in line with a $ 8 million salary this season. Instead, the respected veteran will exercise his right to stay away from the game. His statement leaves a potential return open at the end of the season, but it is certainly possible that this will mark the end of Desmond’s term in Colorado. His contract contains a $ 15 million club option for 2022, but it will certainly be purchased, even if Desmond returns to the field sometime this year.
As Joel Sherman of the New York Post points out (on twitter), the Rockies are the only team in the league that has not hired a free agent from the major league this offseason. It remains to be seen whether the club plans to reinvest Desmond’s lost salary elsewhere on the list. His departure will open a vacancy on the Rockies’ 40-man roster, which was previously full.
More broadly, it would not be a surprise to see more players following in Desmond’s footsteps in the coming weeks. More than twenty players left the sport last season. With COVID-19 rates in many parts of the United States now higher than last summer, other players in the league certainly share Desmond’s concerns about returning to the field right now.