Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!
It’s a time for family and celebration, or at least reflection for those of us who don’t have anywhere to go during the holiday season.
Every family has its dysfunction, of course, and sometimes that dysfunction boils over. Such was the case for Nolan Arenado and the Colorado Rockies in 2020. In fact, Arenado’s infamous text exchange with Thomas Harding happened just a few days after I took over as the managing editor of Purple Row.
Arenado was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals just over a year later.
Fast forward nearly six years, and a lot about the world (and baseball) has changed.
In five seasons, the Colorado Rockies have gone 305-504 and have steadily declined every year, going from 74 wins in 2021 to just 43 in 2025 and claiming their first-ever 100-loss season in 2023. During the same time period, the Cardinals have gone 415-395, making the playoffs in 2021 and 2022 but not making it out of the Wild Card round either year. They won 93 games in 2022 but then won 71 the year after and finished fifth in the NL Central.
For Arenado personally, he still won two Gold Gloves while a member of the Cardinals, but has not won the award since 2022, breaking his streak of ten-straight wins. He was also an All-Star in 2021, 2022 and 2023, and finished third in the NL MVP race behind then-teammate (and former divisional nemesis) Paul Goldschmidt.
After Arenado’s departure, Ryan McMahon primarily helmed third base. He was named an All-Star in 2024 and was a finalist for a Gold Glove every year but never won. But McMahon was traded at the deadline last year, and Kyle Karros doesn’t seem quite ready to man the position full-time. For the first time in a long time, the Rockies have instability at third base.
However, there could be a solution: They could reunite with Nolan Arenado.
Yes, it is a crazy proposition, but hear me out.
Trade rumors have been swirling around the former All-Star for the last few years, and he even blocked a trade to the Houston Astros in 2024. Arenado has a no-trade clause and still has two years left on his contract. The Cardinals owe him $37 million, and the Rockies still owe him $5 million. Perhaps they can use that $5 million to pay him to play for them!
The 34-year-old has dropped off offensively recently, hitting just .237/.289/.377 with 12 homers in 2025, but also only played in 107 games due to a shoulder injury. But he does still have some pop in his bat, and the defense is still top-notch.
On the free agent market, he’s up against Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suárez. Arenado has expressed continued interest in playing for his hometown Dodgers, but they have Max Muncy. Beyond that, many contenders are set at third base and a team would have to be willing to give up likely considerable assets for him.
He has recently been strongly linked to the Angels, which would bring him home to Orange County. However, they are just a little bit more competitive than the Rockies (and almost as dysfunctional). If that’s the case, why not go back to the team that raised you?
One of the primary drivers for Arenado to demand a trade away from the Rockies in the first place was his falling out with then-general manager Jeff Bridich. However, we are now two GM’s removed from Bridich, and the incoming regime has zero ties to that one. They also seem very invested in turning this thing around. That’s not to say the Rockies will win 100 games in 2026, but I don’t believe it’ll be a continued downward spiral.
He could serve as a mentor to Karros — who has said Arenado is one of his favorite players — and could also take Kris Bryant’s place as a DH if he needs a day off (which is ironic in so many ways). Arenado could, too, serve generally as a familiar veteran presence for a team in search of one.
Now, the odds of a Rockies reunion with Nolan Arenado are slim to none. It’s hard to say if either he or Dick Monfort would like one. But he would fill a lot of holes they currently have, even for just a year or two. And it would be really nice for both sides to make amends, especially before Arenado’s Hall of Fame campaign begins. (Yes, he will probably go into the Hall as a Rockie.)
At the end of the day, as long as Arenado doesn’t go to the Dodgers, I’ll be pretty happy to see him land anywhere else. But the veteran third baseman could be a nice present to find under the Rockies’ Christmas tree ahead of spring training in 2026.
What do you think? Would you like to see the Rockies reunite with Nolan Arenado? Let us know in the comments!
Kevin Henry sat down with new Rockies PBO Paul DePodesta and asked him a series of questions about hiring his staff and building a roster to conquer Coors Field. It is very enlightening!
How quickly can No. 2 prospect Condon help out Rockies? | MLB.com
While the Rockies might need a veteran third baseman like Arenado to help them out, they more importantly need a first baseman. Charlie Condon (No. 2 PuRP) had an impressive showing in the Arizona Fall League and won the Dernell Stenson Sportsmanship Award. He likely won’t be on the Opening Day roster in 2026, but he is impressing DePodesta & Co. so maybe he’ll be up sooner than we think.
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