Colorado Rockies: Nolan Arenado and the contracts for the 2020 season

If Colorado’s payroll were to rise 6.6 percent between 2019 and 2020 (as it did from Opening Day 2018 to its current projection for Opening Day 2019), that would put the 2020 mark at just over $162 million. Those eight players and $118 million would be 72.8 percent of the overall payroll, slightly lower than what it will be this season (the 75 percent we discussed on the last page).

So what do all of these numbers mean? Simply put, it means the Rockies are going to have to be willing to spend for Arenado … but they also know that there are other contracts at play that could be worth noting.

Options for McGee, Shaw, Murphy and Davis are lurking for 2021 and could be skipped. Desmond’s salary also goes down to $8 million in 2021 while Story’s will once again rise through arbitration. Younger players like Kyle Freeland, German Marquez and David Dahl will also be eligible for their first year of arbitration, meaning a bump in pay for them of $2-$4 million each.

With those thoughts, could Arenado’s big salary actually fit into Colorado’s future plans? It’s possible … but it could also affect free agent signings and payrolls for years to come. Is it worth it to sign a generational player like Arenado? That’s the question that Colorado general manager Jeff Bridich will be asking himself when looking at these numbers.