Colorado Rockies

If the New York Mets want to make a splash in the trade market, the Colorado Rockies are reportedly ready and willing to speak with them about Nolan Arenado.

Per MLB Network's Jon Morosi (h/t Danny Abriano of SNY.tv), the Rockies "want to engage with" the Mets about the five-time All-Star. 

Arenado's long-term future with the Rockies has been cloudy for some time. 

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported in January that the 29-year-old was unhappy with the team's inactivity in free agency after they finished 71-91 in 2019. 

"There's a lot of disrespect from people there that I don't want to be a part of," Arenado told MLB.com's Thomas Harding in a text message. "You can quote that."

Arenado is entering the second season of an eight-year, $260 million extension he signed in February 2019. The deal includes an opt-out after the 2022 season. 

The Mets could be a potentially hot destination for players this offseason. New team owner Steve Cohen has made it clear he wants to spend money on his roster and hopes to win a World Series within three to five years.

Per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Fox Sports, James McCann is "closing in" on a four-year, $40 million deal with the Mets. 

A potential Arenado deal would cost New York a lot more than that in terms of money and prospects. He's proved himself to be worth a significant cost as arguably the most complete third baseman in Major League Baseball. The California native has won eight straight Gold Glove awards and has a .293/.349/.541 slash line in 1,079 career games with the Rockies. 

Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado said Tuesday he's unsure what the future holds with a decision looming about whether to opt out of the rest of his eight-year, $260 million contract he signed in 2019 after the 2021 MLB season. 

"I don't know what's gonna happen," Arenado told ESPN's Karl Ravech. "I think this year will be interesting. I'm hopeful that wherever—I wanna play for a winner. If that's in Colorado, that's great. And, at the end of the day, that's what it's all about: I just wanna win."

Arenado has been a foundational piece for the Rockies since he made his debut in 2013. He ranks fourth among all third basemen in WAR (32.2) over the past eight years, per FanGraphs.

The 29-year-old California native is also one of the league's best defenders having just won his eighth consecutive Gold Glove Award.

Colorado hasn't been able to build a consistent winner around him, though. It's reached the playoffs just twice during his career and hasn't advanced beyond the Division Series.

The Rockies posted a 26-34 record during the coronavirus-shortened 2020 campaign. Their minus-78 run differential was the second-worst mark in the National League ahead of only the Pittsburgh Pirates (-79).

Barring a couple of blockbuster offseason moves, they'll likely enter next season well behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres in the projected NL West standings. That still leaves a path to the postseason, but it looks like a narrow one on paper.

The other factor is the uncertain economics of the eventual post-COVID-19 world in MLB. This winter may provide some hints about whether free agents are taking a major hit in the size of contracts they receive, which Arenado will have to consider with five years and $164 million left on his deal after 2021.

That said, if the five-time All-Star's main focus is winning, Colorado will be a tough sell.

The reigning champion Dodgers aren't going anywhere in the immediate future and the Padres are a team on the rise after their impressive breakout in 2020. There would be a lot of clubs that would love the third baseman's all-around ability that could provide him with a better chance to chase a title.

At minimum, Arenado's comments put additional pressure on the Rockies' front office to make some moves to alter the team's short-term outlook.

The Colorado Rockies announced third baseman Nolan Arenado was placed on the 10-day injured list with left AC joint inflammation and a left shoulder bone bruise.

The stint is retroactive to Sunday.

The 29-year-old has been one of the most durable players in Major League Baseball of late and appeared in 155 or more games every season from 2015 through 2019.

Scoring runs is rarely a problem in Colorado, but the absence of Arenado leaves a significant void for Rockies manager Bud Black to fill. He led the National League in RBI in 2015 and 2016, and he led or tied for the league lead in homers three times since 2015. He also led the NL in doubles in 2017. 

Last season, Arenado continued his offensive tear with a robust .315/.379/.583 slash line with 41 homers and 118 RBI in 155 games. He has a .253/.303/.434 slash line through 48 games in 2020. 

Arenado has been one of the best players in Major League Baseball since 2015. The California native has won the Gold Glove in each of his seven seasons. 

The Rockies rewarded his efforts in February 2019 with an eight-year contract extension worth $260 million.

Without their franchise player available, the Rockies will likely insert Ryan McMahon or Garrett Hampson into the lineup at the hot corner.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Matt Kemp announced on Instagram he will not play in Wednesday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks to join the protest against police brutality:

"Tonight I stand with my fellow professional athletes in protest of the injustices my people continue to suffer. I could not play this game I love so much tonight knowing the hurt and anguish my people continue to feel. In a world where we are the ones who need to remain calm while a trained professional points a gun in our face; a world where the people in uniforms who took an oath to protect us are the same ones killing us; a world where we become hashtags before we even reach our potential; we must stand together, speak out, protest, and be the change we demand, require, and need so bad. To the families who have experienced these tragedies first hand my heart breaks for you, my prayers are with you and I use my platform to speak on your behalf. I will be protesting tonight’s game in honor of all of my fallen brothers and sisters at the hands of police brutality. #BLM #JacobBlake #BreonnaTaylor #GeorgeFloyd #Saytheirnames"

The announcement comes after the Milwaukee Bucks refused to play in their NBA playoff game earlier in the day in protest, which was followed by all three NBA games to be postponed. The decision comes in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Sunday.

The Milwaukee Brewers and Cincinnati Reds decided to sit out their MLB game on Wednesday as well, per Jared Diamond of the Wall Street Journal. Jim Bowden of CBS Sports HQ reported the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants have also decided not to play tonight.

Though other MLB games have continued as scheduled, individual players have opted to sit out such as Chicago Cubs outfielder Jason Heyward, per The Athletic's Patrick Mooney.

Kemp and Heyward are among the small percentage of Black players in MLB, making up 7.8 percent of all players in the league as of April.

In June, Kemp posted a video with other Black players calling for change while stating "Black Lives Matter."

The 35-year-old is in his first year with the Rockies after signing a one-year deal in July and appearing in 24 of the team's first 30 games during the shortened season. He is hitting .246 with a .338 on-base percentage to go with two home runs.

An abbreviated summer training camp in Major League Baseball hasn't squandered the usual dose of "feel good" stories that fans normally get when rosters are finalized. 

On Friday, pitcher Daniel Bard became one of them. 

Daniel Bard, Matt Kemp and Chris Owings have been informed they made the team. pic.twitter.com/dLw6BDfpXQ

— Colorado Rockies (@Rockies) July 17, 2020

The Colorado Rockies announced that Bard made the team after seven years out of the majors. Now 35, Bard last pitched one inning for the Boston Red Sox in 2013 before the reliever was designated for assignment after five years with the club. 

After his time in Boston ended, Bard bounced around between the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, New York Mets and St. Louis Cardinals organizations but never found his way back into an MLB park. 

Instead, he seemed to develop some yips on the mound, losing control of his pitches along the way and, briefly, his career.

Bard, who could touch 100 mph with his fastball, retired in 2017 and joined the Arizona Diamondbacks a few months later as a player mentor. 

But his time off the mound gave his body a chance to reset and the Rockies gave him an opportunity to prove it further with a minor league deal in February. When MLB went on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic in March, the 6'4", 197-pound Houston native continued to put in work and use the extra time to fine-tune his comeback. 

The former first-round pick out of North Carolina explained what's changed to MassLive's Chris Cotillo on The Fenway Rundown podcast in May:

"The way I feel now trumps anything I felt from 2012 to 2017 when I retired. It's hard to describe. It just feels—throwing and pitching feels natural. It feels fun. Body feels free and easy. That's not to say there's not still challenges. I have some good days and some not-so-good days. But at the same time, the overall feeling is just like, 'This is what throwing a baseball is meant to feel like.' It's the way I felt for my first three years in Boston. It's the way I felt in college and coming up through the minor leagues for the first part. When I stumbled onto that feeling, I couldn't deny it."

The right-hander will resume his MLB career with a lifetime 3.67 ERA, 1.220 WHIP, 252 strikeouts and 121 walks in 257.1 innings pitched. 

He'll look to help the Rockies return to the playoffs after a streak of back-to-back postseason appearances was snapped in 2019.

The Colorado Rockies have reportedly signed veteran Matt Kemp to a minor league deal, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

He will replace Ian Desmond on the roster after Desmond announced he would opt out of the 2020 season. The 34-year-old explained his reasoning in an Instagram post Monday:

In a very powerful Instagram post, Ian Desmond explains why he's opting out of the 2020 season.https://t.co/lBTlkaIjf7 pic.twitter.com/6b4hdmkRcS

— Cut4 (@Cut4) June 30, 2020

Kemp appeared in just 20 major league games last season with the Cincinnati Reds, hitting .200 with one home run.

The 35-year-old later received a chance with the New York Mets but was released after just eight Triple-A games.

After signing with the Miami Marlins in December, he appeared in 11 spring training games but once again struggled with a .143 batting average.

Despite his recent problems, Kemp is only two years removed from earning an All-Star selection with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018. He hit .290 with 21 home runs and an .818 OPS that year, showing he's capable of being productive despite his advanced age.

Additionally, the introduction of a designated hitter to the National League creates another option for Kemp to provide value to the Rockies.

The two-time Gold Glove outfielder has been a burden defensively in recent years, totaling minus-83 defensive runs saved in the last six seasons combined, per FanGraphs.

He had been working at first base during the spring with the Marlins, providing Colorado with another option.

Though Kemp might not be able to replace Desmond and his 42 home runs over the past two years, the veteran could still help the Rockies this season.

Colorado Rockies outfielder Ian Desmond announced he's opting out of the 2020 MLB season, citing the coronavirus pandemic and the need to be with his family.

"But that doesn't mean I'm leaving baseball behind for the year," Desmond said. "I'll be right here, at my old Little League, and I'm working with everyone involved to make sure we can get Sarasota Youth Baseball back on track."

His announcement came at the end of a lengthy post lamenting the lack of diversity across MLB, increasing costs of youth baseball, and the racism he has experienced in his life.

Desmond wrote: "In clubhouses we've got racist, sexist, homophobic jokes or flat-out problems. We've got cheating. We've got a minority issue from the top down. One African American GM. Two African American managers. Less than 8% Black players. No Black majority team owners."

— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) June 30, 2020

Desmond opened by saying he visited the Little League fields in Sarasota, Florida, on which he played growing up. He said the fields looked "run down" and "neglected," lamenting how traditional Little Leagues have given way to travel baseball and showcase events that can be cost-prohibitive for some young players:

"I had the most heartbreak and the most fulfillment right there on those fields – in the same exact place. I felt the hurt of racism, the loneliness of abandonment, and so many other emotions. But I also felt the triumph of success. The love of others. The support of a group of men pulling for each other and picking one another up as a team.

"I got to experience that because it was a place where baseball could be played by any kid who wanted it. It was there, it was affordable, and it was staffed by people who cared.

"But if we don't have these parks, academies, teachers, coaches, religious institutions – if we don't have communities investing in people's lives -- what happens to the kids who are just heartbroken and never get that moment of fulfillment?"

Desmond also said there's a "puzzling lack of focus" on increasing diversity in MLB and "a lack of focus on making baseball accessible and possible for all kids, not just those who are privileged enough to afford it."

Diversity has been a longstanding issue across MLB—particularly in front offices and ownership—and it's extending beyond the league as well. Echoing what Desmond said, Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell told Al Jazeera America's Ray Glier in 2014 that baseball is simply becoming far too expensive, especially in relation to other sports.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic could exacerbate the situation, with many minor league players finding themselves out of a job. Most minor league players never go on to great MLB careers, but Kansas City Royals general manager Dayton Moore explained how they can be invaluable toward the long-term health of baseball:

In a conference call with local media members today, Royals GM Dayton Moore said this about the club's decision to stand by their minor league players: pic.twitter.com/8ZfWWx95Jh

— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) May 29, 2020

Should some of those released minor league players fall out of the game altogether, the sport could lose out on the same kind of people who helped Desmond ultimately reach the majors.

The 34-year-old will at least do what he can to pay it forward.

He's the fourth player to opt out for the upcoming 60-game season. The Washington Nationals announced Ryan Zimmerman and Joe Ross removed themselves for this year, while the Arizona Diamondbacks confirmed they'll be without Mike Leake.

Colorado Rockies All-Star outfielder Charlie Blackmon understands the public safety concerns related to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, but he is hoping Major League Baseball can figure out how to safely begin its 2020 season soon.

Blackmon said on The Rich Eisen Show on Monday:

"A lot of players have concerns. I'm one of them. I don't want to get sick, and I don't want to bring people together such that other people get sick, especially those that are at risk.

"But at the same time, I'm not playing, I'm not getting paid, and neither are a lot of people that work at the stadium. There's a lot of people that depend on Major League Baseball for their livelihood. But bigger than that, this country needs baseball."

MLB's Opening Day was meant to take place March 26.

MLB owners are expected to propose a plan for the 2020 season Tuesday, The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported earlier Monday:

MLB owners have approved a proposal for the 2020 season to present to the players’ union, source tells The Athletic. Meeting expected between union and league tomorrow.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 11, 2020

MLB revenue-sharing plan is a nonstarter for the players’ association. Union head Tony Clark: “A system that restricts player pay based on revenues is a salary cap, period.” Story with @EvanDrellich: https://t.co/4TXrKHAMhF

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 11, 2020

Sean Doolittle, a relief pitcher for the reigning champion Washington Nationals, tweeted a lengthy thread about what he will be looking for in the plan:

Bear with me, but it feels like we've zoomed past the most important aspect of any MLB restart plan: health protections for players, families, staff, stadium workers and the workforce it would require to resume a season. Here are some things I'll be looking for in the proposal...

— Sean Doolittle (@whatwouldDOOdo) May 11, 2020

Covid-19 patients often develop lung scarring, or 'ground-glass opacities'. These were found even in asymptomatic patients, and because the virus often affects both lungs, can cause permanent damage in some cases. Definitely a concern for an athlete. https://t.co/M7JknHBmdM

— Sean Doolittle (@whatwouldDOOdo) May 11, 2020

And we've learned that you release the most virus into your environment prior to symptoms even showing. So how frequently will we be testing to stay ahead of a potential spread and to mitigate as much risk as possible? https://t.co/ITimbAdfvl

— Sean Doolittle (@whatwouldDOOdo) May 11, 2020

So how many tests do we need to safely play during a pandemic? And not just tests for players. Baseball requires a massive workforce besides the players; coaches, clubhouse staff, security, grounds crews, umpires, gameday stadium staff, TV & media...we need to protect everyone.

— Sean Doolittle (@whatwouldDOOdo) May 11, 2020

Doolittle also cited a piece from Rosenthal published Monday about major league players with underlying health concerns who are at higher risk if they contract COVID-19.

"It's definitely scary," Rockies outfielder David Dahl, who had his spleen removed in 2015, told Rosenthal. "My immune system is pretty bad. But I trust the medical experts, the guys with the Rockies, everyone who will be involved that if we do come back and play, we’ll be safe and taking the right precautions to make sure we aren’t at a greater risk."

Results for an antibody test administered to MLB employees were relayed Sunday:

A Stanford study that tested 5,603 MLB employees for COVID-19 antibodies found a positive rate of 0.7%, lower than expected. Angels, Mets and Yankees employees had the highest rates, though still lower than those counties overall. More from @molly_knight: https://t.co/CHXKulbvF6

— The Athletic MLB (@TheAthleticMLB) May 10, 2020

https://twitter.com/molly_knight/status/1259585452710871041

No major American professional sports league has started its season or resumed since suspending operations in mid-March. But some Major League Soccer clubs and NBA teams have allowed training to resume at facilities.

Colorado Rockies infielder Daniel Murphy donated $100,000 to the More Than Baseball organization to help support minor league players during baseball's hiatus amid the COVID-19 pandemic, per Jake Seiner of the Associated Press:

Just filed to @ap_sports: Rockies INF Daniel Murphy has donated $100,000 to @mtb_org to help minor league players make ends meet with the season on hold.

Joins Shin-Soo Choo, Adam Wainwright as MLBers making significant $ contributions to help MiLBers.

— Jake Seiner (@Jake_Seiner) April 1, 2020

Major League Baseball announced Tuesday that minor league players would be paid a weekly allowance of $400 and receive their health benefits through either May 31 or the start of the minor league Opening Day, per the AP (h/t ESPN).

MLB did suspend minor league contracts, however.

Murphy, 35, appeared in 132 games for the Rockies last season, hitting .279 with 13 homers and 78 RBI.

The MLB season has been delayed until at least mid-May because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the teams are "committed to playing as many games as possible," according to Commissioner Rob Manfred.

In a conference call with reporters Thursday, Colorado Rockies manager Bud Black mentioned that he'd be up for more doubleheaders.

"In theory, yeah, I think all of us would be up for some sort of doubleheader situation," Black said. "The thing that's going to be in front of all of us is it's going to be the same for everybody. It's got to make sense for the clubs and the players."

San Francisco Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi noted the need to get "creative" with the scheduling process.

"I know that when we're able to safely play, we're going to have to think of creative ways to get in as many games as possible given all the time that's going to be lost," Zaidi said. "I don't really have any specific thoughts on that, but I know everybody's going to be thinking through ways to do that."

MLB also needs to budget time for players to transition back into the game. Black said that teams will have a three-week spring training when an exact regular-season start date is known.

Doubleheaders were common in MLB's earlier years, and ESPN's Jim Caple noted in 2015 that the 1943 Chicago White Sox played a league-record 44 sets. Of course, the game is a bit different now, but playing doubleheaders as needed isn't uncommon.