It’s been just over a week since Nolan Arenado signed his 8-year, $260-million dollar contract. While Rockies fans celebrated and parsed the specifics, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal began putting together the story behind the deal. If you haven’t read “Tense Moments, Heart-to-hearts, and Mr. October: Inside Nolan Arenado’s Record-setting Deal,” I recommend it. Everyone but Dick Monfort spoke to Rosenthal about the negotiations, which suggests this is the definitive account.
The story is fascinating, but there’s one passage that’s especially revealing:
Arenado would require not only a full no-trade clause, but also a three-year opt-out and verbal assurances that the team, coming off back-to-back postseason appearances, would try to remain strong.