MLB rumors: Rockies wouldn’t let Nolan Arenado become a Dodger

Trading Nolan Arenado to the Cardinals was tough enough for Colorado.

The Rockies took a lackluster return from the Cardinals just to get Arenado off their books. In the end, it was an easy yes from St. Louis, as they got to end a potential Hall of Fame talent and the Rockies were willing to pay $50 million of Arenado’s contract.

While it wouldn’t appear the Rockies had much control over their trade talks with the Cardinals, they did have one demand when shopping him in general — any calls from the Dodgers were greeted with silence from their end.

Dodgers fans won’t love this reality, but the idea of trading Arenado in the NL West is not one the Rockies wanted to entertain.

On the Dodgers, Arenado would torture the Rockies for years to come

The Dodgers have a viable backup plan now that Arenado will not be their everyday third baseman next year, and that’s to bring back 36-year-old Justin Turner on a short-term deal, if he’ll accept. “Short-term” is the key terminology here, because while Arenado is thrilled to get out of Denver and play for a winning team in St. Louis, his contract still has opt outs in both the 2021 and 2022 offseasons.

If Arenado wants to be a Dodger, and they somehow leak that they’re willing to pay him at his current market value (which, believe it or not, is above what he’s making), then the two sides can strike up a conversation.

But for the Rockies’ part, they weren’t about to let the Dodgers skip a step by acquiring Arenado directly from the source. A true pipe dream may be over for LA baseball fans, as acquiring a rival’s best player is a rarity in sports. But that doesn’t mean the Dodgers will have to wait long to land Arenado one way or another, especially if he’s made becoming a Dodger a career goal.