MLB Rumors: Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies possibly discussing contract extension

MLB Rumors: Nolan Arenado and the Colorado Rockies appear to be discussing a contract extension for Arenado, based on a story from Ken Rosenthal at the Athletic. Rosenthal’s piece references an MLB.com story from yesterday, which quotes Rockies owner Dick Monfort as saying that, in regards to keeping their third baseman in Colorado, “I think we’ve gotten it to the point where we’re to the finals. Arenado agreed to a record $26 million contract for the 2019 season on Thursday, foregoing his opportunity to try to get $30 million from an arbitrator in an arbitration hearing.

The state of play is unclear, and I couldn’t glean from any of these articles whether talks are happening now, or whether they are simply anticipating engaging in negotiations in the near future. Rosenthal, however, casts the possibility of Arenado possibly inking a $250 million extension as potentially impacting the Manny Machado and Bryce Harper negotiations, which would suggest Rosenthal thinks something may happen quickly.

Arenado, of course, has been talked about as the Texas Rangers’ top free agent target in the 2019-20 offseason, with some going so far as to suggest that the Rangers are passing on pursuing free agent Manny Machado, who could anchor the hot corner for the next decade for a team that signs him, because they’d prefer to chase Arenado in the upcoming offseason. An Arenado extension would, of course, wipe that possibility out.

I’ve been skeptical of the idea of putting too many eggs in the Arenado basket. At least an extension would allow the Rangers to move on from the idea now.