MLB: Rockies lock up Arenado with eight-year, $260M deal
Nolan Arenado likes where he’s at and the direction the Colorado Rockies are headed.
So he’s staying put. For possibly a long, long time. And for a chance to finish what this team has been brewing.
The all-star third baseman agreed to and eight-year, $260million contract (all dollars U.S.) on Tuesday.
Arenado’s agreement includes a provision that allows him to opt out after three years and become a free agent.
If the deal is finalized, Arena- do’s $32.5 million average annual value would be the secondhighest in baseball history behind the $34.42 million for pitcher Zack Greinke in a $206.5 million contract with Arizona that began in 2016. Arenado’s deal would replace a $26-million, one-year contract he agreed to Jan. 31.
Arenado, who turns 28 on April 16, was on track to be eligible for free agency after this season. But there’s comfort in remaining at Coors Field, especially in these uncertain days of free agency that have seen Manny Machado unsigned until last week and Bryce Harper still searching for a team with exhibition games underway.
That hasn’t been lost on Arenado, who recently said: “There are some really good baseball players out there, and it is crazy to think some of these teams don’t need them. They need them.”
Known for his big bat and his highlight-reel plays at third, Arenado has been the face of the franchise for years. He’s earned a Gold Glove in each of his six major league seasons. A second-round pick by the Rockies in the 2009 amateur draft, Arenado is a career .291 hitter with 186 home runs, 616 RBIs and an .886 OPS.
In 2018, Arenado batted .297 with an NL-leading 38 homers last season, finishing third in MVP voting.
It’s the second deal worked out by the front office this week. The team also announced a three-year contract extension for manager Bud Black through 2022.