DENVER -- The quarrel between third baseman Nolan Arenado and the Rockies was clearly on fans’ minds. But by the end of Friday, MLB.com reported that shortstop Trevor Story was nearing a two-year, $27 million contract to eat his last two years of arbitration -- some good news after a rough Rockies week.
While that doesn’t change what’s going on with Arenado, fans can hold onto the possibility that he and Story could play a big part in improving the mood.
@QRitz7: Wouldn’t it be best for the Rockies to hold onto Arenado and trade him during the season before the Trade Deadline? Teams in contention would be willing to put more out on the table than they would before the season even starts, right?
Thanks to all the fans for questions on the issue of the Rockies listening to trade proposals (but not acting) and Arenado being unhappy with the front office (but declining to give specifics, beyond saying it’s not the trade rumors). There is a lot of passion out there. No offense to anyone, but I wanted to pick one that didn’t take sides in the confrontation.
Just from what I can gather from sources around the club and around baseball, the Rockies believe many components that underperformed or were injured last season should be able to bounce back.
A tight payroll and the difficulty trading big contracts has precluded them from adding to the roster, but the team itself is not backing off from believing that postseason trips in 2017 and '18 aren’t distant memories. It’s irregular, with the possibility still alive that the Rockies could enter next season with no new Major League free agents or trade acquisitions, but who knows?
That sentiment makes it tough to make a trade, simply because there isn’t anything on the table that will replace Arenado’s superstar production. So it’s really tough to see a good “baseball trade” as opposed to an unloading because of the disagreement, a salary dump or a step back to begin a rebuild.
Arenado leads the argument for greatest third baseman of this generation and is in the all-time discussion. Sure, a better deal can be had at the deadline, provided the Rockies are struggling and feel they have to retool.
The question I am answering is predicated on the Rockies struggling in 2020. The Rockies believe the supposition is wrong, and have the season to prove it.
Whatever the disagreement is, Arenado’s contract has him under club control at least two more years before he can opt out of an eight-year, $260 million deal that he signed before last season. And no matter what happens away from the field or what’s on his contract, as long as Arenado is healthy the expectation is he will continue his climb toward all-time status.
Did the suspension of Justin Lawrence burn a 40-man roster spot, or can they move him out of the spot for someone else?
-- @TadBear3696_
The suspension of Lawrence, a right-handed relief pitching prospect who has yet to debut in the Majors, for 80 games does not immediately open a spot. When the season begins, he won’t count against the roster.
Why is purple the primary color?
-- @MoldovanCrepes
As I mentioned in this article, when the Rockies went to Panton Matching System Purple 2685 (because it shows more consistency on various cloths and plastics than the team’s previous shade), purple is a nod to the line, "For purple mountain majesties" in Katharine Lee Bates' "America the Beautiful."
How much are the Rockies betting on their 2018 success in pitching to be the norm, not the exception (against their rougher 2019)?
-- @BenMcKee
Can I put a gold star by this question?
Put it this way: The 2020 season depends on it. Over the coming weeks and months, this will be the backbone of everything that the Rockies do and whether this turns out the way the Rockies and all their fans want. So more on this as we go.