Colorado Rockies: Nolan Arenado Breaks the Arbitration Contract Record

On Thursday, 3B Nolan Arenado and the Colorado Rockies agreed to a record $26M Contract. The most of all time of any player in arbitration.

On Thursday, Colorado Rockies and 3B Nolan Arenado avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing to a $26M deal for the 2019 season. The deal between Arenado and Rockies breaks a record set just one year ago when Josh Donaldson and the Toronto Blue Jays agreed on a 1-year, $23M deal, also, to avoid an arbitration hearing.

After the Colorado Rockies and Nolan Arenado failed to come to an agreement during the arbitration deadline last month, it was a foregone conclusion that the record was going to be broken. Especially considering that Arendao filed for $30 million and the Rockies offered $24 million, the midpoint being $27M.

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After making two consecutive postseasons with Arenado as the centerpiece of the Colorado Rockies organization, the focus now shifts toward signing the all-star 3B to an extension.

One of the best two-way players in MLB, Nolan Arenado has secured a Gold Glove award in each and every single MLB season since making his debut in 2013. In that time span, Arenado has saved more runs (DRS 109) than any 3B in the game. The next guy, Manny Machado, only has 77 in the same period.

Offensively, there are few players better than Nolan Arenado. In SIX big league seasons, Arenado has led MLB in HR 3x and RBI 2x. In that same time span, among hitters with a minimum 3500 PA, Arenado places 3rd in SLG (.539), 5th in HR (186), and 8th in BA (.291).

Much has been said about Coors Field playing a factor in Nolan Arenado’s offensive ability, the same can be said about a player like Aaron Judge.

• Nolan Arenado
  • Home: .320 BA / .374 OBP / .609 SLG
  • Away:  .263 BA / .318 OBP / .469 SLG
• Aaron Judge
  • Home: .322 BA / .444 OBP / .693 SLG
  • Away: .226 BA / .353 OBP / .440 SLG

  The fact of the matter is, in 2018, if we use OPS as a standard measure, MLB as a whole hit better at home (.737) than they did away (.718 OPS).

  The question then becomes, how many players in the Colorado Rockies history have accomplished all that Nolan Arenado has in their first six big league seasons?

  The answer is: very few.

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