Arenado is, undoubtedly, one of the top third basemen in the game. Over the last three seasons, he’s hit .307/.375/.577 (131 OPS+) while averaging 39 home runs and 6.1 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball-Reference’s calculations. Trading Arenado will require slick maneuvering, however, due to the contact extension he signed last spring.
The Colorado Rockies and third baseman Nolan Arenado appear to be in the early stages of a breakup. Earlier this week, the two sides engaged in a public powerplay after general manager Jeff Bridich squashed trade rumors by saying Arenado would open the season with the Rockies. Arenado then said he felt “disrespected,” a sentiment that reportedly stems from unkept promises Bridich and the Rockies made about their offseason plans. (The Rockies this winter have signed one player, a career minor-league pitcher, to a big-league deal.) Now, it’s up to Bridich to right his wrongs with Arenado and get him back on board; or, at minimum, to find a suitable trade. Otherwise, Bridich might find himself departing town before Arenado does. Those who believe in karma (or other means of universal accounting) will find validation in learning that Arenado did not request the opt-out. Rather, it was Bridich who was adamant about including it, for reasons that are probably cynical in nature — in short: he wanted the good press, but not the high salaries that come with keeping the franchise player in town. (If this sounds outlandish, just remember that the Miami Marlins privately used similar reasoning when it came to Giancarlo Stanton’s extension.) There’s a phrase fitting Bridich’s part in all this; it goes something like: hoisted by his own petard.Here’s a statement that Arenado submitted to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post:
