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Colorado Rockies: Reading between the lines of Nolan Arenado’s Sunday comments

By Noah Yingling |
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies is congratulated by players after he scored in the fourth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on September 26, 2019 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 26: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies is congratulated by players after he scored in the fourth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on September 26, 2019 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
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SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 25: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies reacts and tosses his helmet away after striking out swinging against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the seventh inning at Oracle Park on September 25, 2019 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 25: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies reacts and tosses his helmet away after striking out swinging against the San Francisco Giants in the top of the seventh inning at Oracle Park on September 25, 2019 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado spoke to the media at Spring Training in Scottsdale as he reported, like other position players, to camp today.

Nolan Arenado spoke to the most of the Rockies beat reporters for the first time this spring training since he reported to camp on Sunday. He did speak to Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports about the ‘disconnect’ between he and the Rockies front office and we looked at his comments and analyzed them in this article on Saturday.

He did discuss some different things on Sunday than he did with Brown on Friday. We’ll also read between the lines on each one of the quotes.

One of the topics that he didn’t discuss with Brown is whether or not he requested a trade from the Rockies.

“There were different talks,” Arenado said (h/t Thomas Harding of MLB.com). “I wouldn’t say it went to those lengths, but there were different things we did talk about, for sure, about where we’re headed. Other than that, I wouldn’t get into details about what was said from them or from me. I don’t think that’s fair. Those are private meetings, meetings between us two. That’s how we’ll keep it.”

What Arenado meant

He spoke with the Rockies front office and while he didn’t necessarily ask for a trade, he did express his disappointment with them that haven’t done anything this offseason. He felt “disrespect” from them because they, essentially, lied to him when they last year that they would do things to make the team better.

That’s not what he signed up for. If they don’t want to do anything to make themselves better, maybe Arenado does not fit into the Rockies future because Arenado wants to win.

DENVER, CO – JULY 15: All-Star team representatives of the Colorado Rockies (L-R) manager Bud Black #10, Trevor Story #27, Charlie Blackmon #19 and Nolan Arenado #28 stand with their jerseys before a game against the Seattle Mariners at Coors Field on July 15, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – JULY 15: All-Star team representatives of the Colorado Rockies (L-R) manager Bud Black #10, Trevor Story #27, Charlie Blackmon #19 and Nolan Arenado #28 stand with their jerseys before a game against the Seattle Mariners at Coors Field on July 15, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Arenado and his teammates

Arenado did discuss that through this entire process, there have been some things out there that were not true so he felt that he needed to discuss it with his teammates to clear the air. He said that he talked with them via group text.

“There are a lot of things I discussed with them,” Arenado said. “There were a lot of things that were thrown out there that weren’t true. … I explained it to them, and they understand.”

What Arenado meant

He’s concerned with his teammates on the entire situation and wanted to make sure that they knew what was going on so they understand his perspective. Whether that be on if he requested a trade, trade rumors, how he felt “disrespect” from the Rockies front office.

Arenado as a voice in the Rockies plans

Arenado also discussed whether or not he should have a voice in the Rockies plans.

“At times, I think that, but that’s not necessarily the case,” Arenado said. “And I’m OK with that. I’m not worried about being a voice. I’m more worried about being a voice to my teammates than anything else. As an organization, they’re going to do what they want to do. I don’t think I have a whole lot of say in a lot of things the organization is going to do, and that’s all right.”

What Arenado meant

He is more worried about being a good teammate, a clubhouse guy, and his performance on the field now. “They’re going to do what they want do” is saying, like his comments regarding the Rockies front office believing that they are a 94-win team, he doesn’t agree with their sentiment at all. However, there’s not a thing that he can do about it.

If the Rockies start the season off to a great start, that’s great but that’s not what he’s expecting.

PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JUNE 18: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies takes a moment in the dugout during a MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on June 18, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JUNE 18: Nolan Arenado #28 of the Colorado Rockies takes a moment in the dugout during a MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on June 18, 2019 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /

More from Rox Pile

The 2020 Rockies are going to be a 94-win team?

Another one of the coinciding stories of the offseason is that Rockies owner Dick Monfort said that he believes the Rockies will win 94 games in 2020. That number was reached by “an analytical staff” that “interpolated” that number based off of what the 2007, 2008, and 2009 Rockies achieved.

Arenado discussed those comments on Sunday, as well.

“We’re here,” Arenado said. “They believe it. They’ve said some things in the paper that they believe we can win, so I have to be optimistic. I can’t just sit here and just mope about this. I’m optimistic. It’s Spring Training. You never know what can happen.”

What Arenado meant

He says that “they” believe that they can win 94 games. He does not share that belief. This is further backed up by his comments to Tim Brown on Friday and the comment in the next sentence of the quote where he said then, and on Sunday, that “I have to be” optimistic. He is not optimistic, at least fully.

Obviously, anything could happen since baseball is actually played by humans and not on a computer or on paper but since all we have currently to tell us what to look forward to in the season is computer projections and what the team looks like on paper, the Rockies are, as currently constructed, not close to a 94 win team.

Next. 3 “what if” trade candidates not named Nolan Arenado. dark

If you have doubts on that, that record would make the Rockies the best team in franchise history? Is this team better than any Rockies team ever?

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