MLB Roundup 1/21: Nolan Arenado isn’t happy

Nolan Arenado is not happy with the Rockies

One of the big stories in baseball this winter has been the possibility of the Rockies trading Nolan Arenado just a year after signing him to a big seven-year contract extension. The third baseman is the face of that franchise and one of the very best players in all of baseball. Understandably, people weren’t all that happy about the team possibly dealing him. Well, it seems the Rockies were not able to find a suitable deal for their star and their GM, Jeff Bridich, announced that the talks were done and Arenado would be with the team when spring training begins. Done, right? Well, not so much. Arenado was asked to comment and he is not at all happy with any of this. So, uh, yeah. It seems those Arenado talks might not be done after all. This story is only going to get worse for the Rockies and their fans before it gets any better.

Sox Spin: The Red Sox should absolutely make a phone call, even with Devers at third. Nolan Arenado is, well, he’s Nolan Arenado! You make it work! But they won’t, and even if they did they probably don’t have the prospects to get it done anyway. But I can dream. My main concern is the Yankees trading for him.

Félix Hernández signs with the Braves

Usually, I kind of roll my eyes when people say it’s going to be weird seeing Player X in a different uniform. Players change teams all the time, ya know? It’s rarely weird to me. This one is weird, though. Félix Hernández is leaving Seattle, having signed a minor-league deal with the Braves. Obviously, Hernández is not the player he was in the middle of last decade when he looked to be on a surefire Hall of Fame track. He has struggled for a few years now and couldn’t even get a major-league deal. That said, he is still Félix damn Hernández, and that counts for something. He’ll fight for a role in spring training, though unless the Braves make a trade there aren’t a lot of obvious avenues to a rotation spot without injuries.

Sox Spin: I would have liked the Red Sox to sign Hernández, not because I think he’d help but because, again, he is still Félix Hernández.

Matt Wieters signs with the Cardinals

The Cardinals have been set at catcher for, oh I don’t know, ever? Yadier Molina has been an institution behind the plate for St. Louis and that is not changing this year. They have, however, had a little more trouble finding consistent backups. Prospect Andrew Knizer was an option this year, but instead they are opting to bring back Matt Wieters for another year. The former Oriole signed a one-year deal with th Cards over the weekend. I really don’t have much to say here besides that I honestly didn’t even realize Wieters was in the majors for all of last season.

Sox Spin: I got nothin’.

Alex Gordon close to re-signing in Kansas City

This one is not yet official, but I’m including it here for two reasons. One, it has been a foregone conclusion for a while that Gordon would be back with the Royals and it appears to be close. More importantly, I wanted to keep with the theme of relatively boring news that would have been huge in 2014. So, that’s that. Gordon is a fan favorite in Kansas City and for good reason. He won’t help them a ton on the field, but when you’re rooting for a rebuilding team it helps to have those fan favorites around, at least.

Sox Spin: Again, I got nothin’.