Bernard StoneAs the Chicago Cubs arrived at Coors Field for a three-game series beginning June 9, 2026, the Colorado Rockies were already short six players. Chase Dollander and Welinton Herrera were both on the injured list with elbow UCL injuries. Brenton Doyle was out with a left oblique contusion. Mickey Moniak was nursing right ankle tendinitis. All of them had finalized salary arbitration deals just months earlier — guaranteed contracts that now represent a financial planning lesson for any professional athlete at the crossroads of career and injury.
The January Arbitration Deals That Define Rockies Finances in 2026
The Rockies avoided hearings with all six eligible players before the January 2026 deadline. The final figures:
- Mickey Moniak: $4 million (currently on IL with ankle tendinitis)
- Brenton Doyle: $3.1 million (on IL with oblique contusion)
- Ryan Feltner: $2.45 million
- Jimmy Herget: $1.55 million
- Tyler Freeman: $1.525 million
- Brennan Bernardino: $925,000
The Cubs followed a similar path. Starting pitchers Justin Steele, Edward Cabrera, and Javier Assad all finalized pre-arbitration deals rather than going through the hearing process. Combined across both rosters, more than $15 million in guaranteed 2026 salary is held by players who have already experienced significant injury time this season.
These deals are guaranteed — even a player who cannot throw a pitch still collects their full contract. But guaranteed salary creates a false sense of financial security that wealth managers specializing in professional athletes say is among the most common and costly misconceptions in sports.
Why a Guaranteed Contract Is Not a Financial Plan
A $4 million guaranteed salary sounds like a windfall — and for most Americans, it is. But MLB careers average just 5.6 seasons, and arbitration-eligible players are typically in only their third or fourth year in the league, meaning they are near their earning peak while still far from financial independence.
For a player like Mickey Moniak, earning $4 million while sidelined with ankle tendinitis, the questions compound quickly: Does the injury affect my value at next year's arbitration hearing? Is enough of this income protected from the 40–50% combined federal, state, and multi-state tax burden MLB players face? What happens to endorsement income during two months on the IL?
Certified financial planners who work with professional athletes describe the arbitration years as a critical vulnerability window: players earn more than ever before, but often lack the infrastructure to protect those earnings from taxes, lifestyle inflation, and career-ending injury risk.
The Multi-State Tax Problem No One Warns Athletes About
Every MLB road game creates a tax obligation in another state. A Rockies player earning $3.1 million who plays 30 road games across 15 states will owe taxes in every one of those jurisdictions under the so-called "jock tax." States like California and New York — which host the Dodgers, Giants, Yankees, and Mets — charge among the highest income tax rates in the country.
The result: a Rockies player earning $3.1 million may take home $1.6 million or less after accounting for federal income tax, Colorado state tax, jock taxes across road-game states, agent commissions (typically 5%), and union dues. This is not unusual. It is the financial reality for the majority of MLB players in their arbitration years — and it is why financial advisors who don't specialize in professional sports often underestimate what their athlete clients actually net.
Financial advisors registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority are required to act in their clients' best interest. FINRA's investor education resources at finra.org/investors include tools to verify that any financial professional you hire is properly registered and has a clean disciplinary record.
Pete Crow-Armstrong vs. Hunter Goodman: Different Trajectories, Same Financial Window
The June series at Coors Field also highlights two players approaching what could be transformative earning years. Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong recently won NL Player of the Week honors after delivering 11 hits and 4 home runs — he ranks in the 92nd percentile for home run skill across the league. Rockies slugger Hunter Goodman has been one of Colorado's few bright spots, posting 17 home runs with an .829 OPS despite his team's struggles.
Both players are likely to become arbitration-eligible within the next two seasons, facing the same crossroads: their first genuinely large paycheck, arriving while they still have a decade of potential earning ahead — if they avoid injury.
Financial advisors who specialize in professional athletes consistently recommend the same framework: no more than 20% of gross salary on living expenses, 40% to long-term diversified investments, 20% to a multi-state tax reserve, and 20% to savings and insurance. Players who follow this in their first two arbitration years routinely achieve financial independence before their careers end. Those who don't often find their earnings left nothing behind.
The UCL Epidemic and What It Costs in Lifetime Earnings
Three Rockies pitchers are currently missing time with arm injuries: José Quintana (left elbow sprain), Chase Dollander (right elbow UCL sprain), and Welinton Herrera (left elbow UCL tear). UCL injuries are particularly destructive to long-term financial planning because they typically require Tommy John surgery — a procedure with a 12-to-18-month recovery that interrupts an athlete's arbitration clock entirely.
A pitcher who would command $3–5 million per arbitration season may lose two full years of earning potential to a UCL injury — a gap of $6–10 million in career income. This is why sports financial planners say disability insurance is not optional: it is the only tool that converts a career-ending injury from a financial catastrophe into a manageable transition.
"The biggest mistake is treating your arm as your retirement plan," financial planners who work with MLB players often note. The off-field financial infrastructure has to be in place before the injury, not after.
Four Steps Every Arbitration-Eligible Player Should Take Now
Whether you play for the Cubs, the Rockies, or any other team, the window between your first arbitration deal and your first multi-year free-agent contract is where long-term financial security is either built or lost:
- Hire a sports-specialist CFP®: A Certified Financial Planner with MLB experience understands jock taxes, salary advance structures, and agent-commission accounting. General advisors often miss these entirely.
- Buy supplemental disability insurance immediately: Team-provided coverage typically caps at a fraction of actual salary. A supplemental policy closes the gap.
- Begin diversified investing in year one: Real estate, index funds, and private business investments should start during the first arbitration-eligible contract, not after the final career paycheck arrives.
- Separate base salary from performance income in your budget: Build monthly expenses only on base salary. Treat bonuses, incentives, and endorsements as surplus to invest, not spend.
The Cubs and Rockies series at Coors Field is a reminder that baseball careers can end faster than a 95-mile-per-hour fastball. The financial window those careers create is real — protecting it requires planning that starts now.
Expert Zoom connects athletes with certified financial planners who specialize in professional sports careers and understand the unique tax challenges involved.
This article provides general financial information only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Consult a qualified financial professional for guidance specific to your situation.
