The instant incident that rocked the Rockies was done.
The complicated trade that Nolan Arenado, the third baseman, to the St. Louis Cardinals became official Monday night, ending Arenado’s tenure in Colorado after eight golden seasons.
The news that an agreement was approaching broke on Friday night, but several issues had to be resolved before the deal became official. These details were hammered out Monday, bringing the five-time star to St. Louis. Louis sent.
Rockies all-star Trevor Story reacted quickly to the news.
“Nolan is one of my best friends, baseball aside, so it hurts,” said Story, who would become a free agent after this season. “He’s the best third baseman in the game. I’m sad, and a little frustrated, to be honest. I can only focus on the best baseball I can play for my teammates and fans. They deserve it. ”
Rockies owner Dick Monfort and general manager Jeff Bridich will speak to the media on Tuesday morning to discuss a deal that has left Rockies fans in turmoil.
“Today we got better!” Cardinal President of baseball operations John Mozeliak said in a statement. ” A deal of this kind, acquiring a player from the talents of Nolan, can differentiate you in many ways. ‘
Arenado, 29, an eight-time Gold Glove winner and one of the greatest players in Rockies history, joins a Cardinals franchise that is one of the most important in the history of the major leagues.
One of the highlights of the deal is the Rockies’ $ 50 million deal with St. Louis. While the Rockies pay a portion of Arenado’s future salary, the Cardinals pay him about $ 25 million a year.
By trading its marquee player, Colorado will save about $ 150 million over the next six years.
Colorado received five players in the deal, but no big names. Joining the Rockies are fielder Mateo Gil, left-handed pitcher Austin Gomber, right-handed pitcher Tony Locey, playing field Elehuris Montero and right-handed pitcher Jake Sommers.
The deal required major changes to Arenado’s contract, including an additional year guaranteed at $ 15 million, in exchange for Arenado agreeing to defer money over the duration of his deal with St. Louis. Arenado, which has an opt-out clause after 2021, is now getting an additional opt-out after the 2022 season. According to a source, the non-trading clause, which was rejected to complete the trade, was reinstated.
Due to the amount of money involved, the money that Arenado postponed and the rewriting of opt-out clauses, the agreement required approval from the commissioner’s office and the MLB Players’ Association.
The addition of Arenado makes the Cardinals – who urgently need strength in their squad – the favorites in the National League Central. The Rockies are currently in a rebuild mode and are not considered participants in the tough NL West, where the talented Dodgers and Padres are preferred to compete for the title.
Prior to the 2019 season, Arenado signed an eight-year $ 260 million extension with the Rockies.
“I love this group, and that’s why I committed here,” Arenado said at the time. ‘I feel comfortable here and it feels good with this young group we have. The grass is not always greener on the other side, and I really believe we can win. I would not make this decision if I did not believe it. I’m here for the long haul. ”
But the relationship between Arenado and the front office quickly deteriorated. After the Rockies went to the playoffs in 2017-18, the Rockies slipped to a 71-91 record in 2019, and Arenado became disillusioned and believed the club was not committed to building a consistent winner . His relationship with Bridich became controversial last winter.