Arenado feels disrespected after Rockies pull out of trade talks
Nolan Arenado isn't a happy camper.
The Colorado Rockies All-Star third baseman spoke out Monday after general manager Jeff Bridich said earlier that day the club is no longer looking to trade the seven-time Gold Glove winner.
"There's a lot of disrespect from people there that I don't want to be a part of," Arenado said in a text, according to Thomas Harding of MLB.com. "You can quote that."
Arenado's comments marked the first time the 28-year-old expressed his feelings about the team after trade rumors surfaced during the winter meetings in mid-December.
"You ask what I thought of Jeff’s quotes and I say I don’t care what people say around there," he added. “There is a lot of disrespect."
The Rockies' winter of inaction less than a year after they extended Arenado is making him feel disrespected, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan. The organization reportedly made Arenado feel betrayed when it became clear Colorado wouldn't expand its payroll this offseason, Passan's sources added.
"I'm not mad at trade rumors," Arenado said, according to Harding. "There's more to it than that."
The Rockies have been involved in trade discussions with multiple teams regarding Arenado, including the Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, and Texas Rangers, according to Passan's sources. However, the team's asking price for the star infielder has been excessive.
Arenado, who's spent his whole seven-year career with Colorado, agreed to an eight-year, $260-million extension last winter, which includes a full no-trade clause and an opt-out following the 2021 season.
"I love this group, and that’s why I committed here," Arenado said after he signed his new contract, according to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. "I'm comfortable here and it feels right with this young group we have. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, and I really believe we can win.
"I wouldn’t make this decision if I didn’t believe that. I’m here for the long haul."
Colorado posted a disappointing 71-win campaign in 2019 following a berth in the NLDS in 2018.