Colorado Rockies Ink Nolan Arenado to Deal add Reynolds

The Colorado Rockies made news on Wednesday with the signing of Nolan Arenado to a one-year deal and with the return of Mark Reynolds.

The 35-year old Mark Reynolds agreed to a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies with an invitation to spring training with the Rockies.  With Daniel Murphy and Ryan McMahon available at first base, it is unlikely Reynolds makes the opening day roster but the insurance is nice.

The biggest news was the $26 million dollar one-year contract signed by Nolan Arenado.  The move avoided arbitration and basically split the difference between the Rockies $24 million dollar offer and Nolan’s $30 million request. Both sides seem satisfied with the outcome and the move hopefully indicates the organization’s willingness to lock Arenado up long-term.

Whether or not that happens remains to be seen.  New York and Nolan’s hometown of Los Angeles are powerful draws and Arenado is in his prime both on-the-field and off.

One could hardly blame Nolan if is gaze strayed from the Purple mountain’s majesty.  The Rockies have never shown much commitment to winning, their forays into free-agency have always seemed haphazard, assembling teams that were talented but poorly constructed.

There is also a history of letting big names get out-of-town all too often.  From Ubaldo Jimenez to Matt Holliday and Troy Tulowitzki, the last decade in Colorado has been a parade of talented players out-of-town.  For a player the caliber of Arenado, that approach has to be considered.  The window is tiny for small market teams in MLB. The league is never far from crowning the Yankees or Rex Sox champions, in-between it’s the Cardinals or Giants that seem to be perennial powerhouses.

So, when the stars align as they have for Colorado the past two seasons, it’s imperative that they take advantage.  If Nolan thinks Colorado’s fleeting window has already closed, there’s no  amount of money that keeps him in Colorado.  While we commend the Monfort ownership and Jeff Brdich’s management, the only way to keep stars at Coors Field is to win.  Winning requires talented players.  It’s a beast that has fed itself in Colorado for 25 years.

Between Arenado, Trevor Story, Tyler Anderson and a roster full of potential, maybe that cycle can be broken.  Maybe Colorado can compete for a championship in 2019. Baseball is very hard to predict.  What’s not hard to predict is that the Rockies fortunes are significantly reduced with someone other than Nolan Arenado at third base.  Whatever power the organization holds has to be focused on seeing 28 retire from the Rockies organization.