Rockies 'Built to Compete' After Nolan Arenado Trade, Says Owner Dick Monfort

Colorado Rockies owner Dick Monfort told reporters on Tuesday that he understood fan frustration after the team traded superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado to the St. Louis Cardinals for pitcher Austin Gomber, minor league infielders Elehuris Montero and Mateo Gil and minor league pitchers Tony Locey and Jake Sommers.

But Monfort still believes the Rockies will be a competitive team without Arenado. 

"We have an extremely talented team," he said. "They are built to compete. It is time for them to take the next step."

General manager Jeff Bridich concurred.

"There are levels and variations of the rebuild process, but this certainly is not a total teardown and rebuild like certain teams have chosen to go," he said. "I think if that were the case that certain players would have already been traded."

One of those players might be star shortstop Trevor Story, who will hit free agency after the 2021 season. Trading Arenado and Story in one year might be a bridge too far for Rockies fans in severely depleting the team's offense, though Story might depart in a year regardless. 

Either way, Monfort believes the team's pitching is good enough to take the Rockies to the next level. Colorado (26-34) finished three games out of the last wild-card spot during an expanded postseason field.

"My biggest belief is we have built pitching and we have done it internally. We have a lot of talented pitchers," said Monfort, who has been part of the franchise for 24 years and has had sole control of the team since 2011. "... Jeff has done a good job of getting young arms and not having to go out onto the free-agency market. I think the pitching is really a core that we've never had in our history."

It's hard to imagine the Rockies being better, however, after losing a five-time All-Star and eight-time Gold Glover in Arenado who hit at least 37 homers in five straight seasons between 2015-19 before 2020's pandemic-shortened campaign. His eight home runs in 48 games last year did represent something of a down year, putting him on pace to hit 27 homers in a 162-game season. 

When a 27-homer pace is seen as a down year, though, you're talking about a superstar player. 

But Arenado was being paid like one, due $199 million over the final six seasons of his current deal. Arenado added a seventh season to the deal in the trade and exchanged an opt-out clause for after the 2021 season to either one he could exercise following either the 2022 or 2023 campaign, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN).

"When I signed in Colorado, I signed it with the intent of being there for the rest of my career," Arenado told reporters. "It wasn't meant to be. The last few years have been tough."

But Arenado is hoping St. Louis will become his new baseball home for the long term.

"I plan on sticking around," he said. "That's my goal. I plan on staying here for a long time. I said that once in Colorado, but I truly mean it. I'm not worried about [opting out]."

The Rockies didn't risk the possibility of an opt-out. It's hard to imagine they'll be better off for it, at least this year, no matter how Monfort and Bridich try to spin the situation.