ROCKIES STAR ARENADO FEELS “DISRESPECTED”
On the same day Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich put the brakes on the Nolan Arenado trade rumors, the all-star third baseman broke his silence Monday saying he felt “disrespected.”
Bridich made it clear that Arenado will be with the Rockies when they open spring training next month in Scottsdale, Ariz. He also made it clear that, at least for now, trade talks are off the table.
“With the season coming up and spring training on the horizon, we are going to start focusing on that,” Bridich said. “We have listened to teams regarding Nolan, and really nothing has come of it. We are going to move forward pretty much as we expected — with Nolan in the purple and black and as our third baseman.
“So we can put this to bed and collectively look forward to the upcoming season and work toward that.”
Asked about Bridich’s comments, Arenado said: “I really don’t care what’s being said. I just know that I feel disrespected over there.”
Arenado declined to elaborate on what he meant by “disrespected,” but said it was more than just about the trade talk.
The trade rumors, which began as a whisper during baseball’s winter meetings in early December, picked up steam this month on a national level.
Arenado, 28, signed an eightyear, $260 million deal last February, so he’s still owed $234 million for seven years. The seven-time Gold Glove winner and five-time all-star can opt out of his contract after the 2021 season, meaning that a trade remains a possibility over the next two years if the Rockies fail to put a winning product on the field.
contract also contains a full no-trade clause, meaning he can reject a trade to a team he doesn’t like.
Sources had previously told The Denver Post that a trade happening before spring was unlikely, but those same sources stressed that if the Rockies did not play well in the first half of the 2020 season a trade would become more likely after the allstar break.
Various reports have tied an Arenado trade to the St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves, but sources told The Post that the Rockies’ asking price was very high for a player already considered one of the best third basemen in baseball history.
When Arenado signed his new contract last year, he was filled with optimism.
“I love this group, and that’s why I committed here,” Arenado said. “I’m comfortable here and it feels right with this young group we have. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and I really believe we can win. I wouldn’t make this decision if I didn’t believe that. I’m here for the long haul.”
However, after making the playoffs in 2017 and 2018, the
Rockies stumbled to a 71-91 record last season, clearly frustrating Arenado.
“How do I evaluate this team? We’re behind,” he told The Denver Post in mid-September. “We’re going to lose close to 90some games. And that wasn’t the plan when I signed, that wasn’t the goal.”