Arenado: CarGo is really missed

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.» Something big is missing from the Rockies’ spring training clubhouse. There’s no denying it.

That something is Carlos Gonzalez.

“I think it would be safe to say that everyone here misses him, really badly,” all-star third baseman Nolan Arenado said Monday. “Don’t get me wrong. I think we have strong group of guys, but we miss CarGo’s energy and laughter. I know a lot of guys miss him — even if they won’t voice it — because we have talked about it since we all got here.

“CarGo kept things light. He was a good balance for guys like me — guys who are kind of serious. I mean, CarGo could be serious, but at the same time, he kept everyone loose.”

Gonzalez was the king of the Rockies’ clubhouse. The all-star outfielder was a leader and a confidant, and perhaps the team’s most magnetic personality. Players were drawn to him.

“I miss him a lot,” 23-year-old right-handed pitcher German Marquez said. “He’s a good person and he’s a veteran guy and he was my friend. He gave me confidence. He was good to the young guys, all of the young guys, not just the Latin guys.”

But Gonzalez is not holding court in the corner of the Salt River Fields clubhouse this spring. Instead, he remains a free agent, working out in Florida while he waits to hook up with his next team. Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich has remained in contact with Gonzalez and his agent, Scott Boras, but there has been no indication that Colorado is going to re-sign Gonzalez.

Nor has there been any recent movement toward re-signing veteran first baseman Mark Reynolds, who also remains a free agent.

“Those are two guys that we have spent a decent amount of time staying in touch with, but other than that, there is nothing new to talk about,” Bridich said recently.

Gonzalez is coming off a down season. He was paid $20 million in the final year of his contract but batted just .262 with 14 home runs and 57 RBIs, and needed a big September to reach even those numbers.

Arenado, however, thinks that Gonzalez still has a lot left in the tank, even at age 32.

“Absolutely,” Arenado said. “He had a down year, unfortunately. But CarGo is a great player. I want him on my team. I’ll voice that. I would love to play with CarGo again.”

And what if the Rockies were to bring him back?

“It would be the greatest thing ever,” Arenado said. “That would be huge for us. Like I said, I think he’s a great player and I still think he can do some damage.”

Estevez update.

Hard-throwing right-handed reliever Carlos Estevez said he will be out “about five-to-seven days” after tweaking his left oblique.

“I was just playing catch (on Sunday) and I felt it pull a little bit,” he said. “I bent down to pick up a ball and I felt a little pull. Maybe it was because it was so cold in morning. We are just being careful early in spring. It’s not a big deal.”

Added pitching coach Steve Foster: “It’s just a small tweak. We’re not really worried about it.”

Estevez had been scheduled to pitch on Tuesday.