It’s a rare thing that a megadeal in any sport is seen, almost universally, as a huge win for management, the player, and the fans.
But that seems to be the case with the Colorado Rockies and Nolan Arenado who celebrated the finalizing of an eight-year, $260 million extension on Wednesday.
Emotions were running high in living rooms, workplaces, and schools across Colorado and anywhere else you can find Rockies fans.
And those emotions – from excitement and joy to heartfelt appreciation – were echoed by the owner, Arenado, and his teammates whose arrival at the press conference prompted the normally steadfast All-Star to shake a bit in his voice.
He pushed through, saying, “For the people that have helped me and pushed me, I really appreciate it. I’ve had a lot of help… I’m very appreciative to everyone. I love this group, that’s why I’ve committed here. It’s because I’m comfortable. It feels right. It feels right with this young group that we have.”
One of the most promising representatives of that young core is, of course, starting pitcher Kyle Freeland who hails from Denver and managed a fourth-place finish in NL Cy Young voting last year after a standout season and performance in the Wild Card game.
“I realized more and more his reason for wanting to stay here is being with a team that is going to win and is in a winning direction,” Freeland says. “And we have that culture here now. It shows the kind of person he is. From a player’s perspective, he’s one of the best in the game.”
Another “reason” for Arenado to stay is surely the other patroller of the left side, shortstop Trevor Story, who commented on the irony of a recent statement.
“I think its awesome for Nolan, congrats to him. He deserves every bit of that. I think its good for the game, kinda like Nolan said about Manny’s deal.”
But as good as it is for the game, Story knows it is even better for him and his team. “Knowing Nolan is going to be there for a long time is very comforting ,” he added. “Especially on the field, in the lineup. He’s one of the best players in the game. So, to have a guy like that for at least eight years to come is very comforting for our team.”
Owner Dick Monfort admitted that emotions were involved in reaching this decision, seeing that as a feature rather than a bug of the relationship between him and his star player.
“I’m not just an owner, I’m a fan. I love my children, all my children over here,” he said. “Jeff in the front office lives it every day. Bud lives it every day. Nolan is proof of what this standard will get you in life. He plays the game hard, he works hard. He’s passionate…”
And then Monfort stated something that has been implied since the deal first leaked but was still fascinating to hear the man in charge say: “Any time we can keep a player like Nolan for a career is a testament [to the organization].”
Arenado echoed this sentiment later, suggesting he could well be a Rockie for life, quite the rarity these days.
And it all comes back to his competitive desire that could transform the franchise and the city.
“I really believe we can win,” he said. “It’s a hard process [but] I don’t make rash decisions.”
He has thought about this long and hard and believes he has as good a chance to win in Colorado as he would just about anywhere else. If he plays up to the value of his contract over its duration, they should indeed be regular contenders for years to come.
Oddly enough, it was perhaps Ryan McMahon, who is still fighting for a starting role in MLB, who summed up the feelings of everyone from Monfort to Arenado to the fans:
“Obviously, I think its awesome. He’s a hell of a player. He deserves every penny he’s getting. For Denver and Colorado Rockies baseball, we just locked down probably the best third baseman of all time. Exciting things happening over here.”
