Following an offseason that was (somewhat) filled with trade rumors, Nolan Arenado has apparently had enough. Yesterday, the five-time All-Star told Thomas Harding of MLB.com that he’s felt a lot of “disrespect” by the Rockies front office.
“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…I’m not mad at the trade rumors. There’s more to it.”
Well then. For what it’s worth, general manager Jeff Bridich also revealed last night that the third baseman won’t be traded, but it doesn’t sound like the rumors are the source of Arenado’s frustrations. Rather, after inking a massive eight-year, $260 million deal last offseason, his team proceeded to go 71-91, and the 28-year-old revealed after the season that he wasn’t pleased with the team’s performance.
Little blame should be placed on Arenado, as he finished the 2018 campaign with a career-high .962 OPS (while contributing 41 homers and 118 RBIs). The former second-rounder has established himself as one of the top third basemen in the league, earning five-straight All-Star nods and seven-straight Gold Gloves (he also won Silver Sluggers for four-straight season between 2015 and 2018).
The Logistics of an Arenado Trade
While Arenado’s contract could be a slight hurdle to overcome in trade talks, it’s not like he isn’t worth the money; fellow third basemen Anthony Rendon (and his inferior accolades) earned a seven-year, $245 million contract back in December. For those worried about the discrepancies in his home (.995 career OPS) and road (.799 OPS) splits, he’s had a plus-.800 OPS on the road three times in the past four years.
What could somewhat complicate a deal is Arenado’s no-trade clause. However, considering his apparent dissatisfaction with the Rockies, he probably wouldn’t be too picky about his next destination.
Which Teams Could Trade for the All-Star?
Speaking of destinations, which teams could look to add Arenado? The Rangers, Cardinals, and Braves were among the teams to reach out to the Rockies earlier in the offseason, although it doesn’t sound like talks got all that far. Perhaps teams were wary of the third basemen’s opt-out cause, limiting the quality of offers.
Influence on Future Odds
The Rockies were already a long-shot to contend for a playoff spot, as they currently have 60/1 odds to win the National League West. These numbers would predictably drop if they were to trade one of their best players. Among the aforementioned teams, the Rangers would probably see the biggest boost in their odds were they to trade for Arenado (both the Braves and Cardinals are already favorites to win their respective divisions).
