Perhaps worried by a freeze that had taken over MLB free agency, Nolan Arenado bypassed the opportunity to reach the open market by signing an eight-year, $260 million contract extension last February.
The Rockies were coming off a season in which they were atop the National League West standings for much of the year, only to suffer a late collapse and loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers in a Game 163.
Arenado spoke optimistically about the direction of the Rockies’ franchise, but his commentary grew much more critical as the team struggled throughout the 2019 season. At the end of the year Arenado implied the Rockies were in the mist of a rebuild.