Colorado Rockies

Colorado Rockies star Nolan Arenado isn't on speaking terms with general manager Jeff Bridich but isn't upset the team failed to move him this offseason.

Arenado explained to USA Today's Bob Nightengale that the issue for him is how the Rockies' decision to shop him around the trade market became public.

"I wasn't mad that I wasn't traded," he said. "I was just upset it was out there. I guess they felt they needed to put it out in the public to let the fans know what was going on. I just thought it should have been kept in-house. So it was just frustration, a mixture of a lot of things, that came out."

Last offseason, Arenado signed an eight-year, $260 million extension with Colorado. Considering he turns 29 in April, the deal could carry him through the remainder of his MLB career.

However, he can opt out after the 2021 season, which creates a dilemma for the Rockies. They could see their best player walk out the door for nothing in two years, but trading Arenado would be poorly received from the fanbase regardless of the circumstances.

MLB Network's Jon Heyman reported in December that the Rockies were engaged in preliminary trade talks. Bridich confirmed the report but added a move was unlikely to materialize, which led Arenado to speak publicly on the matter.

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

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the situation "has percolated for months in behind-the-scenes meetings" and that Arenado "expressed betrayal" by the Rockies' offseason inaction. Ownership indicated in the fall the team didn't plan to add much to the payroll

Arenado's position probably isn't that much different from a significant segment of the fanbase that wants the Rockies front office to make a signing or two to improve the roster.

Still, it sets up a tricky dynamic for Bridich and manager Bud Black to handle as the 2020 season nears.

All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado is looking to move past the issues he had with the Colorado Rockies during the offseason. 

In an interview with Sports Illustrated's Stephanie Apstein, Arenado explained he has "to be optimistic" heading into the 2020 season for the sake of his team. 

"I'm not gonna be moping around," he said. "That doesn't bring out the best in me or these guys. I don't want to be a bad leader. I don't want to complain anymore. It would be counterproductive."

Arenado has been the subject of trade speculation amid reported discord with Rockies management about the state of the franchise. 

After general manager Jeff Bridich told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post that Colorado has "listened to teams regarding Nolan and really nothing has come of it," the six-time Gold Glove winner vented his frustration publicly. 

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

ESPN's Jeff Passan reported the Rockies' lack of offseason activity after a 71-91 record in 2019 was at the center of Arenado's discontent.

Apstein noted Arenado recently had a conversation with Rockies owner Dick Monfort, who "assured" his franchise player that the team was open to adding talent during the season. 

Arenado has some control over his situation to assure Bridich and Monfort continue their attempts to build a championship-caliber roster. The eight-year, $260 million extension he signed last February includes a player option after the 2021 season. 

Colorado's offseason signings have mostly been minor league deals for pitchers such as Ubaldo Jimenez and Tim Collins. The team made the postseason in 2017 and 2018 but fell to fourth in the National League West last season. 

Since making his MLB debut in 2013, Arenado ranks sixth among all National League players with 31.3 FanGraphs wins above replacement. The 28-year-old has hit at least 37 homers and driven in 110 runs in each of the past five seasons. 

Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado signed an eight-year, $260 million extension with the team in February 2019, but his name has been involved in trade rumors this offseason. 

Arenado spoke with Tim Brown of Yahoo Sports on Friday and noted that there is currently a "disconnect" between him and the ball club as spring training is underway:

"To be honest with you, there is a disconnect right now, right? There's a little bit of a disconnect. But that doesn't mean it can't be fixed. It doesn't mean that I'm not gonna go out there and play hard for my teammates. Or be a negative presence in that locker room. That's just not me. It's not how I'm going to do things. I'm not going to be there trying to show them I don't want to be there. I'm not going to be that way. That's not fair. That's drawing attention to me.

"I know there's already been attention toward me right now. That's not really my style. I'm not trying to put my teammates in a bad position. You know? That's not really my thing. They know I'm going to go out there and play hard. There is a little bit of a disconnect for sure. But, like I said, that doesn't mean I can't go out there and play hard. That doesn't mean that I'm going to have a bad attitude. It means there's a disconnect. And I've got to move on from it. I don't need to surround myself with the negativity, because that's going to factor in my performance."

Arenado is a five-time All-Star, five-time Gold Glove winner and five-time top-eight finisher in the National League MVP voting. He has hit no fewer than 37 home runs and knocked in no fewer than 110 runners in each of his past five years.

Arenado has also played no fewer than 155 games from 2015-2019.

He's unquestionably one of the top 10 players in the game, but the Rockies struggled last year to a 71-91 record, just one game ahead of last place in the National League West.

The logical question is whether Colorado would consider a rebuild after a down season following a 2018 campaign in which they made the playoffs. That would undoubtedly involve their top asset in Arenado, who could return a haul in return.

Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich told the Denver Post in January that he took calls on Arenado but that talks have been closed for now.

In response, Arenado told Patrick Saunder of the Denver Post that he felt "disrespected over there" and that his frustrations involved more than recent trade rumors.

Arenado's feelings on Bridich are very clear, as he sent this text to Troy Renck of Denver7.

"Jeff is very disrespectful. I never talk trash or anything. I play hard, keep my mouth shut. But I can only get crossed so many times."

Prospects for the Rockies this season aren't great, with Caesars Palace listed them with a 74.5-win over/under total. Still, Arenado is the main reason why the Rockies could surprise and be competitive this year given his incredible talents at the dish and hot corner.

The Rockies will begin their 2020 season on Thursday, March 26 against the San Diego Padres on the road.

The Colorado Rockies and shortstop Trevor Story reportedly agreed to a two-year, $27.5 million contract Friday night, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The two sides were previously $750,000 apart in salary arbitration as Story sought a deal in the range of $11.5 million for next season, according to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand and Jon Morosi.

The ability to side-step the final two years of arbitration with Story was a massive win for the Rockies, who now have their two-time All-Star shortstop locked in through his age-28 season. At $27.5 million, it was certainly a victory for Story as well, who got $2.3 million more than he was asking for before arbitration.

It should come as no surprise that the Rockies completed the deal shortly after trade talks concerning Nolan Arenado stalled, leading the five-time All-Star third baseman to lash out over perceived disrespect.

Arenado, Passan reported, was set off by the lack of activity by the front office this offseason as division rivals such as the Arizona Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres have been active on the market.

Considering the Rockies signed Arenado to an eight-year, $260 million extension last offseason, it's on Colorado to develop a contending team around him.

Keeping Story on board won't in itself accomplish that, but it's certainly a step in the right direction.

Story slashed .294/.363/.554 last year with 35 home runs and 85 RBI. He's received MVP votes in each of the last two seasons while remaining one of the premier shortstops in baseball.

On Monday, Colorado Rockies superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado said he felt "disrespected" by the organization as his name surfaced in trade rumors. 

He clarified those remarks Wednesday, per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post:

Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich tried to end to any trade rumors regarding Arenado on Monday, per Saunders:

"With the season coming up and spring training on the horizon, we are going to start focusing on that. We have listened to teams regarding Nolan and really nothing has come of it. We are going to move forward pretty much as we expected—with Nolan in the purple and black and as our third baseman. So we can put this to bed and collectively look forward to the upcoming season and work toward that."

Those comments didn't seem to appease the star slugger when he was asked about them, however. 

"I really don't care what's being said," he said. "I just know that I feel disrespected over there."

Arenado, 28, is under contract for seven more years at $234 million and has a full no-trade clause. He does have an opt-out after the 2021 season and could exercise it given the monster extensions signed by star players after he signed his own (and the major extensions that could be on the horizon). 

As Saunders wrote, "Various reports have tied an Arenado trade to the St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves, but sources told The Post that the Rockies' asking price was very high for a player already considered one of the best third basemen in baseball history."

It's a little surprising that Colorado would shop its best player, even given the team's struggles last year in a disappointing 71-91 campaign. Players who post the monster numbers Arenado regularly compiles—he hit .315 with 41 homers, 118 RBI, 102 runs and a .962 OPS last season, with 5.7 WAR—don't come around often. 

Rebuilding a winner around Arenado would seem to be the logical choice for a Colorado team just one season removed from the playoffs. Given Arenado's recent comments, however, doing so may require a bit of damage control after the way this offseason was handled. 

Maybe things will work out between Nolan Arenado and the Colorado Rockies. The coming years still might be filled with elite production on his part and plenty of wins on theirs.

But in light of what's going on right now, "fat chance" is the only appropriate response to this scenario.

Though Arenado has recently been a popular figure in trade rumors, Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich tried to put the kibosh on the superstar third baseman actually going anywhere this offseason. He told Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post on Monday that the organization means to "move forward pretty much as we expected—with Nolan in the purple and black and as our third baseman."

Not long after Bridich went public with his stance, however, Arenado reached out to Saunders, Troy Renck of Denver7 ABC and Thomas Harding of MLB.com to broadcast how he felt disrespected. Not at merely being involved in trade rumors, mind you, but more so in a more general way on Bridich's part.

"Jeff is very disrespectful. I never talk trash or anything," Arenado texted to Renck. "I play hard, keep my mouth shut. But I can only get crossed so many times."

Arenado didn't elaborate any further, but sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan that the 28-year-old's disdain "centered on the Rockies' winter of inaction less than a year after the team signed Arenado to an eight-year, $260 million contract extension."

When Arenado signed his contract last February—which momentarily set a record for position players with its $32.5 million average annual value—both he and the Rockies were in a good place.

The 2018 season marked Arenado's fourth straight year as an All-Star, Gold Glover and Silver Slugger. The Rockies, meanwhile, drew over 3 million fans to Coors Field en route to their second straight postseason berth.

According to Nick Groke of The Athletic, the Rockies promised Arenado that his contract wouldn't get in the way of them building a lasting contender around him. However, they didn't hold to that as they neglected to do anything to keep their 2019 season on the rails as it careened to a 91-loss thud.

Likewise, they haven't spent a penny in free agency this winter. Factor in how they also haven't made any trades, and their current plan for 2020 comes down to hoping for better results out of the same roster they had last season.

There are times when a "not for lack of trying" disclaimer can be attached to an especially quiet offseason. But that isn't the case here, as owner Dick Monfort all but bowed out of free agency on the first day of October:

The Rockies are projected to spend more in 2020 ($160 million) than they did in all of 2019 ($153 million), and a good chunk of their money is tied up in free-agent flops. To wit, they owe Ian Desmond, Wade Davis, Daniel Murphy, Jake McGee and Bryan Shaw a combined $58.5 million this season.

But while this is a decent excuse for the Rockies to have cold feet in free agency, Monfort's insistence that the money isn't there simply doesn't fly. The organization does indeed have a new TV contract, and its attendance just missed the 3 million mark in 2019 despite its lackluster on-field product.

It isn't difficult to see where Arenado is coming from. If the Rockies don't want to make improvements, then they aren't all-in. And if they don't want to trade him, they aren't all-out, either. They're staying the course in the worst possible way.

By letting the Rockies know where he stands, Arenado has effectively given them the option of going through one of three doors:

• Door No. 1: Continuing to carry an obviously disgruntled star
• Door No. 2: Attempting to appease said star by adding some talent around him
• Door No. 3: Going through with a trade after all

Arenado's mood won't improve if he stays in Denver and the Rockies continue to lose games at the same rate as they did in 2019. Even if they manage to shed some bad contracts, the free-agent market doesn't have much to help them at this point. That leaves the trade market as the best means for the Rockies to improve, but their weak farm system is an issue on that front.

This makes Door No. 3 the most practical choice for the Rockies, but getting a satisfactory return for Arenado just became that much more difficult.

There's little point in quibbling over Arenado's ability. He's averaged a .937 OPS with 40 home runs and 6.2 wins above replacement over the last five seasons, according to Baseball Reference.

His contract, on the other hand, is a conundrum. In addition to the $234 million he's owed through 2026, it's also complicated by a full no-trade clause and an opt-out after 2021.

Even before Arenado spoke out, it was hard to imagine the Rockies doing a trade that involved dumping his entire contract and getting top-notch prospects in return. Now that he has, the writing on the wall that he wants out won't be good for the Rockies' leverage if they re-open trade talks.

While this is bad news for them, it's potentially great news for the clubs that would benefit from having Arenado at the hot corner. That includes the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies and perhaps even the Chicago Cubs.

If the Rockies do trade Arenado, the deal will likely resemble the one that sent Giancarlo Stanton from the Miami Marlins to the New York Yankees in 2017. As in, more or less a straight-up salary dump.

No one should waste any level of sympathy on the Rockies. They had the right idea in wanting to lock up Arenado for the foreseeable future. But by punting on making his pact with the team count for something, they've pushed themselves into the no-win situation they're now facing.

Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference. Payroll data courtesy of Roster Resource, via FanGraphs.

Nolan Arenado and the Colorado Rockies are not on the best terms, with the All-Star saying Monday he felt "disrespect" from the club this winter.

Arenado's frustration comes not only from the Rockies' entertaining trade offers but also reportedly because of their inactivity in improving the roster. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported Arenado is frustrated the team has not made any major moves in free agency despite finishing 71-91 last season.

The Rockies have essentially sat out the hot stove aside from inking arbitration-eligible players. 

Arenado opened up about his displeasure with the organization in a text exchange with Thomas Harding of MLB.com.

"There's a lot of disrespect from people there that I don't want to be a part of," Arenado said. "You can quote that."

Arenado's quote came after Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said the team is ceasing trade talks with clubs regarding their starting third baseman.

"With the season coming up and spring training on the horizon, we are going to start focusing on that," Bridich said earlier Monday, per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. "We have listened to teams regarding Nolan and really nothing has come of it. We are going to move forward pretty much as we expected—with Nolan in the purple and black and as our third baseman.

"So we can put this to bed and collectively look forward to the upcoming season and work toward that."

While the Rockies have been quiet this offseason, it would be unfair to characterize them as a team that does not spend money. They are 11th in MLB payroll, with $148 million million committed, per Spotrac, and Passan noted that number will move past $170 million by Opening Day.

But the Rockies have spent that money poorly. Underperforming players such as Ian Desmond, Wade Davis, Jake McGee and Bryan Shaw account for more than $50 million of their 2020 payroll. With those contracts hamstringing the Rockies, their only avenue to contention would be topping $200 million—something that seems unlikely for a mid-market club.

So much for the notion the Colorado Rockies will trade third baseman Nolan Arenado prior to the 2020 season.

"With the season coming up and spring training on the horizon, we are going to start focusing on that," Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said, per Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. "We have listened to teams regarding Nolan and really nothing has come of it. We are going to move forward pretty much as we expected—with Nolan in the purple and black and as our third baseman."

On the flip side, Arenado does not appear to be thrilled with his current situation.

"There's a lot of disrespect from people there that I don't want to be a part of. You can quote that," Arenado told MLB.com's Thomas Harding in response to Bridich's comments. "You ask what I thought of Jeff's quotes and I say I don't care what people say around there. There is a lot of disrespect."

He declined to get into specifics in regards to the "disrespect," though.

"No," Arenado said, per Harding. "I won't get into the details."

While Saunders cited sources who said the Rockies could look to trade Arenado in the second half of the season if they struggle out of the gate, moving him has its challenges. He has a no-trade clause and signed an eight-year, $260 million contract last February with an opt-out following the 2021 campaign.

That is a significant contract for any team to commit to, and Saunders noted Colorado's asking price for the third baseman "was very high."

There's a reason it was so high.

Arenado is only 28 years old and one of the best two-way players in the league. He slashed .315/.379/.583 with 41 home runs and 118 RBI in 2019 and is a five-time All-Star, seven-time Gold Glover and four-time Silver Slugger.

Arenado is also notably durable and has appeared in 155 or more games in each of the last five years.

Fortunately for Rockies fans hoping he anchors a competitive club in 2020, it appears he isn't going anywhere.

Colorado Rockies star Nolan Arenado "has roughly a 50/50 chance of being traded," according to MLB Network's Jon Paul Morosi.

Morosi reported six teams have touched base with the Rockies and that Colorado would prefer not to move Arenado to the Los Angeles Dodgers since he'd be staying in the National League West.

The Dodgers already have Justin Turner at third base, but that didn't stop them from pursuing Anthony Rendon, who signed with the Los Angeles Angels. Arenado would be a defensive upgrade over Turner, who would presumably move across the diamond to first base.

This follows one of the biggest trends of the MLB offseason. 

As the team attempts to decrease its payroll, WEEI's Rob Bradford reported the Boston Red Sox "are not actively shopping" star outfielder Mookie Betts but are willing to entertain trade offers. ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Dec. 3 that multiple MLB executives had said Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor "is going to get traded."

Arenado differs from Betts and Lindor in that the Rockies aren't faced with a looming threat of free agency. He signed an eight-year, $260 million extension that went into effect in 2019 but can, however, opt out after the 2021 season.

The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal posited that opt-out clause gave the Rockies one incentive to consider trading Arenado now but reported some inside the league "are skeptical" a deal could happen before the start of the 2020 season.

Arenado remains one of the best third baseman in MLB. He was fifth in WAR (5.9) at the position, per FanGraphs, after posting a .315/.379/.583 slash line along with 41 home runs and 118 RBI. He'd obviously have a robust trade market and potentially provide the Rockies with the means to help build for the future following a 71-win campaign.

But Colorado will undoubtedly demand a high price based on Arenado's production and his status as the face of the franchise. Based on Morosi's reporting, the odds of the trade happening are just as strong as the odds of everything falling apart.