Colorado Rockies All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado said Wednesday that he is finished talking publicly about his relationship with the club.
"There has been a lot of stuff going on that nobody knows about, and I was reacting to what was said, and [that] was out of character for me because I'm very private with my life," Arenado wrote in a statement released to the Denver Post on Wednesday. "The Rockies have been talking to my agent and me this offseason about a number of things that will remain between us. I will not speak on these things anymore. I'm getting ready for the upcoming season. I'm working hard to get better for my teammates and fans."
On Monday, after Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich declared that the team had ended trade talks for Arenado, the third baseman told MLB.com that there was "a lot of disrespect from people there that I don't want to be a part of."
The disrespect, sources told ESPN's Jeff Passan, centered on the Rockies' winter of inaction less than a year after the team signed Arenado to an eight-year, $260 million contract extension.
When the organization signaled early this offseason that it did not intend to expand its payroll this winter, Arenado expressed betrayal, sources told Passan, believing that Colorado was not doing enough to improve the team coming off a 71-91 season.
Late last week, the Rockies informed teams that they intended to slow discussions for Arenado, multiple teams involved in the talks told ESPN, though the Rockies continued to exchange proposals with teams over the weekend. Teams that have shown varying levels of interest in Arenado this winter include the St. Louis Cardinals, Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers, according to sources.
Executives involved in the discussions told ESPN that Colorado's demands were excessive enough that no deal has come close to being finalized. The Rockies, sources said, have sought a significant return for Arenado, despite the size and structure of his contract.
Arenado signed an eight-year, $260 million contract extension before last season. He holds a full no-trade clause and an opt-out clause that allows him to void the deal after the 2021 season.
The five-time All-Star has won a Gold Glove in each of his seven major league seasons and is regarded as being on a Hall of Fame track, with a career .295/.351/.546 line, 227 home runs and 734 RBIs.