Dodgers Could Land Nolan Arenado After Opt-Out, Says One Former MLB GM
On Friday morning, I tuned into SiriusXM MLB Network Radio to hear Jim Bowden talking about Nolan Arenado. First, Bowden and co-host mention that the Atlanta Braves are interested in acquiring Arenado.
Notably, Atlanta has prospects that the Rockies like enough to consider moving Arenado. However, the Braves have concerns with Arenado’s current salary.
Equally important, the chatter quickly shifted to the Los Angeles Dodgers in regards to Arenado. Then, Jim Bowden dropped the big line.
https://twitter.com/DiamondHoggers/status/1210613534607978497?s=20
Indeed, Bowden said the following regarding the Colorado Rockies’ star third baseman.
“Everyone around Nolan Arenado has told me he wants to be a Dodger. He will opt out before 2022 and sign with them [in my opinion].”
While the Dodgers association with Arenado is nothing new, a first-hand account that he would like to play for the Dodgers is nice to hear. Remember, Jeff Passan recently stated that he feels Arenado in Los Angeles is the perfect fit.
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By comparison, Anthony Rendon didn’t want to play in Los Angeles due to the ‘Hollywood lifestyle’. Therefore, reports that Arenado wants to wear blue and play in Tinseltown are beyond exciting. Especially since Arenado is younger than Rendon, and has posted superior (albeit Coors Field-aided) numbers in his career.
Finally, you might eventually get Nolan Arenado as a Los Angeles Dodger. However, you may be waiting a few years for it to happen. Does this still excite you Dodgers fans? Let us know in the comments below.
I promise, if the Dodgers miraculously find a way to sign Aranado without giving up Turner,Bellringer or Munch, I will start drinking some Friedman Koolaid with y’ all. But there is zero confidence he will spend money, and if for some reason he does sign him, then we can say bye bye to Cody when he’s a free agent.
My 1st grader can spell better than your average adult dodger fan
Perhaps your offspring can teach you grammar.
Agreed. Same scenario as before. Player declares wish to play for the Dodgers and the Dodgers
jammed trigger
Stupid comment by the writer of this article. “You will get Arenado who is younger than Rendon” yeah right NOW but we have to wait to years when he’d be the exact age Rendon is if we had gotten rendon this year and Rendon is a far superior player.
Cliff, first thanks for reading and the comment. Unless Rendon has a magic time machine – one that can freeze time like I have always wanted – in two years he will still be younger than Rendon will be. In other words, in 2022 (stay with me here) had the Dodgers signed Rendon he would be 32 in that year. He once said he wanted to retire by 35. Here’s where it gets really wild… Arenado will be still 30 then or in other words; have about two more years of prime.
When there is NO news, the sports writer is like CNN , they make up fake news.
Just to get attention.
And MSNBC
But never Faux (Fox News), home of the cult-worshipers. Since you wanted to get into politics, on a Dodgers website, I thought I would weigh in. As far as Arenado, I don’t blame the writer, but would never believe anything Bowden says. He might as well be on Fox Noise.
Interesting always the stations you people don’t like but never Fox right? I laugh at people that have a party because they always think that they chose the good guys or the guys that care about them. Newsflash none of you chose right you’re all being conned and brainwashed for agenda. Try to take a step and view as a non biased straight down the middle observer and you’ll see what I’m talking about when watching these networks
No, just to make money. No story, no matter how many times it has been published, no money.
Stupid reply as well. Yes Arenado is 2 years younger but as your article is about him signing in 2 years (stay with me here) that 2 year difference means nothing for us. That was the point of the original comment…. But I’m sure you knew that before you replied.
wow, Arenado is a great prospect in Dodger system. He’s not expected to be called up until 2022. What a great farm system they have built.
It doesn’t really excite me. We have a stud 3b in our system that “should” be ready about the same time this could happen. It’s now or never for Arenado IMO. My preference and prediction is Kris Bryant.
Ryan, you made an excellent observation when you said the Dodgers have a stud 3B in our system.. However, I’d like to expand on that. The Dodgers actually have six (or more) 3B prospects.They include:
Kody Hoese
Miguel Vargas
Brandon Lewis
Devin Mann
Zach McKinstry
Matt Beaty
It’s likely that all of the above will make the major leagues. Go Dodgers!
An article was just written on Vargas, very exciting! Not gonna hold my breath for Arenado, he’s on a massive deal, I highly doubt he opts out at the age of thirty
tend to agree. Unless he just gets tired of losing, but millions of dollars tend to make losing not so bad I suppose.
They are studs, eh? I will let Colorado have any of them if they send us Arenado today.
Or all of them if they want.
Marc, Matt Beaty is a bench type player and is another LHB. Does not hit LHP, or hasn’t up in MLB. Now someone mentioned he did well enough against them in the minors but that IS MINORS, not in MLB where pitching is more advanced and tougher. Zack McKinstry is another LHB, and we don’t need to keep flooding the roster with lefties. IDK about the others but I do know Kody Hoese is a RHB drafted by Dodgers just this past June.
Probably another homer or bust choke artist but hey atleast they finally drafted a right handed hitter I’m shocked
I agree Kris Bryant is the best choice. Why can’t most people remember that half of Boland games are in hitter friendly Coors field. His numbers would not be as good in Dodger Stadium.
Dodger stadium isn’t a pitchers park anymore I can’t believe how many fans haven’t noticed how many balls fly outta there since 2015
In any given windy day there are over 100,000 balls flying around dodger stadium
This is all B.S.to me, next! Reason I say this is because if Arenado wanted to become a Dodger be would not have signed that extension with the Rockies. The Dodgers were actually waiting on Arenado to become a free agent this year and he knew it as well and so did the Rockies hence why the Rockies didn’t let him get away in the first place!
Great comment NODH. Plays more like a hitters park, very good well raised point.
Thanks Clint. I still remember the beginning of 2015 when it changed suddenly and it’s increased every year since I believe.
Duh. Anybody see the reason is the Dodgers have changed their batting style to the HR ball by the elevated swing, juiced-up balls and swinging for the fences on every pitch. At the same time BAs have decreased and SOs have increased. Dodgers(Roberts) don’t know how to play small ball and Roberts has no idea how to manufacture a run. Hence more HRs. Do Not think the HR ball is worth it.
ED, at the same time Dodger pitching has also given up more HR’s in the last few years too. And a lot of those have cost us games and especially in the PS.
I would love to see Arenado in dodger blue in a couple of years to replace Turner, but we need a big right-handed bat NOW to balance the line-up and protect Bellinger. But more than that we need another experienced reliever and a #2 or #3 starting pitcher to eat of innings and take some pressure off our young pitcher so we can monitor their innings. Personally I’d like to get Donaldson for that 3B role and put Turner at first. I’d even give Donsldson the 4 years since he’s a position player and not a pitcher.
Steve, not only that but if need be Donaldson could become the nest David Freese type guy who does not necessarily have to be in there daily, and look how productive a RHB he was.
Not really. The wind at times takes them away as well. Dodger Stadium doesn’t even come close to Colorado.
Exactly , NODH and we can add those 3 late inning HR’s hit off of CK and kelly in game 5 of this year’s NLDS. When Dodger Stadium first opened in 1962, the OF dimensions were a bit deeper, fences were 5 FT. further back and CF was 410 FT. from home. Back then through the 1972 Season it was very difficult for hitting the HR’s, but not today.
If ignorance was a blessing, you will be blessed for the rest of your life
I don’t see much hope for this one. Last year Arenado batted about 350 at home and 277 everywhere else, although his 40 home runs were evenly split between home and away.. There is a real Colorado effect, but I’d love to see the guy in blue. We need a right handed power hitter, and he can hit home runs outside Colorado. He’s a defensive gem with a monopoly on NL gloves. But it’s hard to see Friedman pulling the trigger on this one. Hope I’m wrong.
BLAH BLAH BLAH, BLAH BLAH BLAH. That’s all I hear with Fraudman running this team. Promises. Innuendos. Rumors. If it will require money, it’s not happening.
Dodgers plan on rolling out the same lineup that failed ONCE AGAIN this post season.
Yeah, they just keep moving one rung down the ladder this off-season, ‘shifting focus’ to the next lowered target. It feels like De ja vu.
There is about a 1% chance this greedy, money loving ownership group will pay Nolan what he’d command.
They’ll make a somewhat competitive offer, likely with deferred money, and he’ll end up with the Angels or elsewhere.
This management team flat sucks. I’m not drinking their fruit punch. They’re plenty happy winning division titles and pocketing the cash.
Arenado would be a great addition to a great line up but will not improve the pitching staff that has not been able to get a world series ring in 8 years of playoffs. I am evidently the only one who understands that good pitching shuts down good hitting and our record as Dodger fans for 60 years proves that to be true.
You guys are Friedman and company’s lap dog! Publishing everything we all want to hear. What a joke!!! The Dodgers, after much hope when the team was bought is right back where it was after the O’Malley ownership sold to fox. Very sad indeed, and so is your pathetic peddling of Friedman and company’s garbage
Albert, I most definitely agree with you. All this crap that these guys write to cover the faults and insignificant thinking of Friedman.
Clint, why do you waste your talent doing this. Do you really believe in what you write about the Dodgers? C’mon!!!! Because we the fans we don’t.
I love writing about baseball. I think that Bowden is telling the truth in that Arenado’s people said recently he would love to be a Dodger. Nothing hard to believe with that.
Then I suggest you stop reading here, maybe check out the Orioles blogs.
Good suggestion a last place team. Lol what a dope you are Daniel. Afraid to suggest a team that’s actually done something?
Follow me on twitter if you want to. You’ll see I’m pretty vocal about Friedman and decisions of the front office. Just call it like I see it, and this went up in case anyone wasn’t listening to MLB Radio this afternoon. Thanks for the read + comment.
Two years out?? Think Jim Mora here… Two Years Out????!!! We need to worry about right now. We lost Ryu, Hill, and Martin. What pitchers will make up for the 35 wins we lost from last year?
Arenado would be great but so much changes in two years. The reason the Dodgers lost two World Series is pitching. We need the three stud pitcher monster in a seven game series (especially a 5 game series). We need a closer. We need a couple right-handed bats. We can worry about Nolan in two years…
Yeah, I got excited. Then I realized I could be dead in two years. Or worse, there will be a baseball strike and we lose Arenado because the fields are empty. Sorry to bring that up.
Where did LA lose 35 wins from last season? Certainly wasn’t from Ryu and Hill. 18 between them, I think. Likely, the two of them will miss more than 35 games sitting on the IL next year. Hill, if he even gets an offer and signs with someone, has spent way too much time injured for his $48m-ish payday LA gave him. And last season was the only one where Ryu stayed reasonably healthy during his Dodgers days. At his age and injury history, 4 years/$80m was way too much and I believe Toronto will regret this signing. 2 years and 1 option year at $50m might have made sense but with Boras as hjs agent, that wasn’t happening. Too bad it didn’t.
All this BS just keep what you have and get a starting PITCHER. Some 1 to help in the bullpen an call it a day All this hype is not helping the players you have or make them feel secure. And if you keep waiting for your younger players to produce the stars you have now will fade away. So strengthen your team now or be satisfied with winning western league and no WORLD SERIES. ????
By that time,Corey will already be a great 3rd baseman,gold glove,330+ average battling for batting titles next 9 years.Forget Arenado he plays in little league ballpark so does Betts so does Bryant and lindor.Forget all of them these writers just write dumb articles.I think Owner already let it be knowned no More trades or signings cause Dodgers don,t need anyone and are saving money to spend it on our stars Cody,Cory,Buhler,Urias,Muncy.
So true we have the making for a great team.Why trade off our young stars fo a one year rental. Get a starting pitcher and and a little relief help. The Dodger could improve 4or5 games in the standing if they would fire Roberts. I hope the new pitching coach can help him out because the man does not know how to use his pitching staff.
So stupid to say they would improve in the standings if they fire Doc. He was won the division every year he has been the manager!! How can you improve on that??!!??
Who wouldn’t win with this roster in that division dodger dude? We see the manager he truly is when the playoffs arrive and he makes some of the dumbest pitching moves ever and continually trots out the same non productive hitters when we got all of this depth apparently only to be used during the season I guess. Pollock, Bellinger, Seager, Smith, Lux all struggled yet no one else got a real chance not even Freese. In a short series you gotta go with who’s hitting before it’s too late
Luis you’re so delusional LOL
NODH, as I mentioned before Seager is reluctant to move off of SS in the first place. And I find it interesting that Arenado allegedly said he wants to be a Dodger because as we have seen so far this off season anyway , part of the problem as I see it is that today’s players out there are not too anxious to play for Freidman and Roberts based on how the team is ‘managed’ daily.
Arenado might want to be here because he grew up a fan and wants to be in the playoffs every year. He’d be in the lineup everyday but his spot there could change constantly because of all the platooning around him as well as who’s hitting in front and behind him. Could pose a problem
Then 2022 is when we’ll get him because we aren’t going to give up the haul they want.. oh wait… we don’t spend money either how could I forget
TripleA has it right why all the focus on position players and zero discussion on pitching. The problem isn’t in the clubhouse it’s in the front office. Focus on the bullpen. Why should a team rely on starting pitchers to come out of the bullpen in the postseason. Every year it’s the same old story
I have a question. If you were the Owner of the Dodgers and someone came into your office and said “I can win a World Series on average every five years”, would you hire him? Of course you want to win every year, but winning the World Series every fifth year is outstanding. I would hire him in a heartbeat. If you look at Vegas odds for the Dodgers to win the World Series every year, it is roughly +500. I remember some of you guys telling everyone we should trade our prospect Bellinger for Sonny Gray. Still want to do that? We have a sustainable farm machine that keeps us in the hunt every year. I know the championships will come if we are +500 every year. Roughly once every five years…
The rub with this is: they haven’t won one in 21 years. People are alright to be frustrated. They picked a bad off-season to have a bad off-season, IMHO. You raise a great point in the non-trades and the guys who ended up being players, my dear Bellinger being at the forefront of this. I wrote an article about trades not being made being the best deal you make sometimes on this site. Do some digging, you will find it. That said, I would move Keibert Ruiz for a piece just given the catching depth. You can only hoard so many prospects and not every one of them is going to turn out to be Bellinger.
If you’re throwing out stats and facts, check your numbers. Haven’t won one in 21 years?
Did I miss the ‘98 ring ceremony?
Exactly it has become hoarding. Why bury all of these guys, and doesn’t Rios ever get a real chance? To me the roster spots are valuable and guys like Kiki, Taylor, Pederson are very average players with no upside all in the way and blocking promising players.
1988 equals 31 years…and counting.
Nolan Arenado now excites me. Nolan Arenado 2 years from now? Not so much. We need someone now! Not 2 years from now.
Wait for the future? The future is now! Bring up Rios and give him a Shot! We save money and Prospects we going to be ok in the future,but if Arenado wants to be here so bad we can always move Rios in trade or move him to first
Rios would add some color besides white to this team but of course he’s a left handed hitter. That’s all they have down there
SPOT ON! That was exactly what I was going to post. Rios is just ANOTHER LHB Enough is enough already!
Big mistake u r all making. Look at his road batting figures. Barely over ordinary!!!
I would rather wait for Kody Hoese,
Justin Turner has 2 years left on his contract and Hoese should be ready by then and the Dodgers should then resign Turner to be the veteran bat off the bench and in the club house and he could mentor Hoese while backing up all four infield position,plus tje Dodgers could then use the money on keeping the home grown team together (Bellinger,Lux,Seager,Verdugo,Buehler etc.)
I thought about Hoese and I think he will be a good big leaguer. By 2022, I’m sure the Dodgers will say they’re comfortable with Hoese.
First: If he wanted to be a Dodger so much, why did he sign the extension with Colorado. Makes no sense. Second: 2022 = feels like FOREVER when it’s been 32 years since our last WS Championship – during which time we’ve had to WATCH the scum Giants win 3 WS Champ. and even the Angels have one 1 in that time.
Financial security for the rest of his life at age 27 offered by the team that brought him to the big leagues. Plus, Colorado was coming off a season where they pushed the Dodgers to the brink and were very competitive. I think the year prior they were in the WC game against Arizona as well. If they come out rolling again somehow and surprise, he probably ends up happy and just stays in Colorado. He knows his splits.
Guggenheim would have to pay him and nothing in their recent past shows they’d be willing to do that.
Yes. Someone wants to be a Dodger. Maybe Rockies will trade him and get something now instead of just losing him. We can always hope
No matter where he is, he will be able to opt out before 2022; if he wants to be a Dodger. He will be able to sign a brand new deal at that time.
Seems like a pretty fair market value deal that Arenado already has though. Do you really think he’ll opt out of 199 million? That’s what would be left on his contract at the end of 2021?
Yes the market will probably rise by then but not substantially I wouldn’t think. Guess it will come down to who he wants to play for and if he’s really tired of losing.
And I could shoot 59 playing golf tomorrow…..
Kershaw $31 m, Jansen $20 m, and Joe Kelly $12 m all come off the books in 2022, that’s $63 m available if they’re still under the cap. Plenty of $$ to offer Arenado a max contract. Cody won’t hit FA until 2024. This could work if Friedman and Kasten want to go for it.
Books don’t matter. 35 mil came off the books this season Ryu and Hill. What has happened? How about NADA except a Trenian project who’s going to be another Madsen.
Since Bellinger, Seager and Urias are Scott Boras clients, I get a feeling that when those 3 guys hit FA they will sign elsewhere because I just cannot see this current FO doing what it might take to re-sign them.
We need to focus on pitching, not hitting, but if the right deal is on the table, you do it.
Unfortunately, the one player that actually wants to be a Dodger plays in our divisions the right deal is not going to be there.
Let’s move on….nothing to see here.
Bryant would be a better choice, but AFTER we get one good veteran arm. A nice number 2 behind Buehler and in front of Kershaw. Oh yea, we just let one go in RYU. A team with all that money, and they don’t spend on one extra year, for a number 2, just WOW
I have been a Dodger fan for 58 years.
My Dad, God rest his soul, took me to my first Dodger game on opening day, April 10, 1962
Like most fans, it’s been truly sad these past couple of years especially, knowing that our franchise cannot make a deal during the winter meetings.
We as fans are once again left with the obvious
reality of knowing no matter how many games we win during the regular season, we cannot compete in the World Series, let alone be guaranteed to win in the play offs!
Seriously, it’s time to make something happen, we have great talent but we need a top starting pitcher along with another top notch hitter wouldn’t hurt.
Go Dodger’s, I will always be true to the blue!
May sound like a bizarre analogy, but I’ve been a Dodger fan AND a Packer fan for 60 years. Grew up in Brooklyn and sorry to say saw a game at Ebbets Field. The Packers has a GM named Ted Thompson. He inherited two HOF qb’s in Favre and Rodgers. His refusal, with the exception of Charles Woodson who nobody else wanted at the time, to sign free agents, spend money or make any trades deprived those two of winning more than one SB each. Happy days when they finally fired him. New GM signs 4 FA’s and they’re playing for #1 seed this weekend
As long as Friedman (dumpster diver from Tampa Bay days) Kasten and the Goog’s are running the show, enjoy all the BS rumors you like, but it ain’t happening
I have been a Dodger and Packer fan for many years also. I am however not from Brooklyn, but 30 miles south of Green Bay. Nevertheless, the media’s and fan’s obsession to sign a free agent every year is misguided… because free agents nowadays fall asleep once the ink dries. And the Dodgers track record speaks for itself. Not a Reggie White, Charles Woodson or Za’ Darius Smith among them.
The last Dodger free agent that I recall that made a difference, besides our own players, was Kirk Gibson. Difference meaning, a World Series ring. JM
You have to be very careful when paying a ton of money who plays in the most hitter friendly ballpark in the MLB. Arenado is not worth his huge contract outside of Colorado. He is just another 265 hitter. In a small sample size (21 abs) he hit 192 in the WS and Playoffs. Very similar to Machado who can’t hit outside of the cracker box in Baltimore. Want a 265 for 30 mil per? I don’t.
Arenado stats
Home Runs
Home 129
Away 98
Average
Home 324
Away 265
RBIs
Home 446
Away 288
I’m OK with sticking with the current prospects in the Dodger system. Sending quality prospects to other clubs while also spending big bucks on “aging” veterans doesn’t make sense.
If Arenado wanted to be a Dodger why did he sign the extension? Plus as many have stated he is in the most hitter friendly park in the MLB. Dodger stadium is mostly a pitchers park although lately there have been more HR’s as everywhere.
Arenado is the best defensive 3rd baseman in the MLB. But how will he hit in pitcher friendly parks?
I agree. Why did he sign an extension if he really wanted to be a Dodger?
If they are able to land him without giving as kings ransome I will be very happy
Nik, While we all know Colorado is a bandbox, Arenado had a 1.201 OPS at Dodger Stadium. Hitter-wise he’d be perfect. Fielding-wise nobody but Chavez is in the same category as Arenado as a defensive 3B. They can’t get him fast enough in my opinion.
I meant Chapman, not Chavez
Here are some more prospects the Dodgers might promote to the major leagues in 2020:
Zach McKinstry – if
DJ Peters – of
Josiah Gray – sp
Brett de Geus – rp
Go Dodgers!
Arenado numbers away from Coors are not nearly as good as they are in the thin air of Colorado. Never going to happen anyway.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=arenano01&t=b&year=Career#all_hmvis
I say no to McKinsry, as he is just another in a PLETHORA of LHB.
if the rockies are willing to trade him why not try and trade for him now