Interest in 3B Arenado sky-high
Five issues facing the Rockies:
Franchise cornerstone Nolan Arenado finds his name in the headlines for the second consecutive winter. After signing an eight-year, $260 million contract in February, Arenado is now the subject of trade talk.
The Rockies have reportedly signaled they’d be open to discussing a deal. Making a deal, of course, is altogether different. Colorado would certainly need a significant return for a 28-year-old All-Star and Gold Glove winner in his prime. Arenado also has a full no-trade clause in his contract and an opt-out clause after the 2021 season. While nothing appears serious yet, the chatter around a star on the market will only grow louder.
regression:
A promising young rotation took a big step backward last season and had the worst starting ERA in baseball. After finishing fourth in NL Cy Young voting in 2018 (17-7, 2.85 ERA), Kyle Freeland stumbled to a 3-11 record and saw his ERA skyrocket to 6.73. German Marquez (3.77 to 4.76) and Antonio Senzatela (4.38 to 6.71) also had big jumps in ERA. Jon Gray was solid until a foot injury ended his season in August.
Fans have long wanted the team to spend on pitching in free agency, but Colorado appears content to bring everyone back and hope for rebounds and health.
offense:
While the Rockies’ top three hitters – Arenado, Trevor Story and Charlie Blackmon – stack up well against any team, questions remain behind them in the lineup. David Dahl played well in 2019, but an ankle injury ended his season in August. Daniel Murphy, who signed as a free agent last offseason, had a down year.
Colorado is relying on internal improvement from youngsters like Ryan McMahon, Garrett Hampson, Yonathan Daza and top prospect Brendan Rodgers.
Staying healthy:
Rodgers, 23, is the top prospect in the organization and a top 20 prospect in baseball, but his last two seasons were cut short by injury. He struggled in two Rockies stints in 2019 before having right shoulder surgery in July. The Rockies hope Rodgers will be ready for spring training, but they won’t rush his recovery. When he’s 100%, the Rockies will give him every chance to contribute in the majors.