Now that the Steve Cohen era has begun, the perception of the New York Mets is quickly changing around baseball. Suddenly the Mets have become a player in every market and other teams have taken notice.
According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, the Colorado Rockies are looking to trade Nolan Arenado and his massive contract and would like to engage the Mets in a blockbuster deal.
Nolan to the Big 🍎?@jonmorosi weighs in on the reported trade talks surrounding #Rockies superstar Nolan Arenado. #MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/yj3IWGL9WB
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 16, 2020
Arenado is currently in year three of a eight-year, $260 million contract, which includes an opt-out after the 2021 season. Arenado will be owed $164 million over the final five years of the contract if he opts in, making the potential list of trade suitors much smaller as they would have to be able to absorb that level of financial commitment.
The 29-year-old’s contract also includes a full no-trade clause, so Arenado will have a say on where he is traded if the Rockies can ultimately find a deal.
Arenado has arguably been the best third baseman in baseball since making his debut back in 2013, as he has won the Gold Glove in each of his first eight seasons in Colorado. Arenado has also won four Platinum Gloves for being the league’s top defender.
Along with his incredible defensive prowess, Arenado is also a great power hitter, with four Silver Sluggers on his resume. Across his eight-year career, Arenado has hit .293/.349/.541, with a .890 OPS, 235 home runs, 760 RBI and a 120 OPS+.
So far this offseason, team president Sandy Alderson has made it clear that addressing the roster through free agency is currently the top priority, as the Mets are hesitant to make trades when they are trying to build out the depth in their farm system.
Still, this is an interesting situation to monitor because the Rockies may struggle to find many suitors for the five-time All-Star. Teams could either be scared off by the long-term commitment or worried that Arenado will opt-out, making him an expensive one-year rental.
Regardless of whether they make the move, it is a great to see the perception of the Mets change around the league, as they are now being treated as a big market team capable of making moves to acquire any player on the market.
