Mike Trout Contract Caps off $1.32B Spent on Four MLB Players
By Manny Gómez
Nolan Arenado came up with the Colorado Rockies in 2013 at the age of 22. From the moment he stepped on the field, he never looked back.
Like Machado, Arenado wasn’t exactly a premier power hitter in his first couple of seasons with the team. However, beginning in his third big league season, Arenado regularly smacks 35-40 HRs per season with 100 RBI.
Winning a Silver Slugger in each of his last FOUR consecutive seasons, Arenado has featured a .500 or better SLG in FIVE straight seasons and has improved his ability to get on-base dramatically throughout his career. In fact, his rookie season, Arenado featured a .301 OBP. Last season, he had a career-high .374 OBP.
Not only that, Arenado has won a Gold Glove award in every single one of his seasons in MLB. He’s saved a big league-best 109 runs since making his debut in 2013. That’s 32 more runs than the aforementioned Manny Machado has saved in the same time span.
For his offensive and defensive prowess, Nolan Arenado has rewarded been this offseason. On February 26, 2019, one year before he was to become an unrestricted free agent, the Colorado Rockies signed Arenado to a record-breaking 8-year, $260M deal ($32.5 AAV).
As you might have guessed, however, Arenado’s record-breaking deal wouldn’t last too long. Close to two days later…