FanGraphs looks at the reasons for Brad Hawpe’s release:

The Rockies release of Hawpe might come as a surprise, but that’s only because of his past production. This year his value has taken a serious hit. With the Rockies out of contention his release does make a degree of sense. Chances are that unless he produced a monster year they weren’t going to pick up his $10 million option for 2011. The team set a payroll record this year at over $84 million, and already has almost $50 million committed to nine players next year. That doesn’t include arbitration raises, either. In effect, this is just Hawpe hitting free agency a month and chance (sic) ahead of schedule.

I’ll also note that Hawpe’s numbers this year look as good as they do because of his hitting at home. His road number collapsed. One of his strengths was that he hit almost as well on the road during his first six seasons as he did at the batters paradise of Coors Field. Teams might look at his road numbers and decide he can’t help.

I’ll also note that Hawpe is 31. Like so many Rockies, he came to the majors late, already in his prime at age 25. This served the Rockies well, as they were able to capture these primes cheaply, and have these players spent by the time they became free agents (see Garrett Atkins). Holding players in the minors is a good way for smaller markets to save money and still compete, but it also means it’s tough to build a good, long-term team.