Rockies ink Nolan Arenado to a 2-year deal, avoid arbitration
Jan 13, 2017, 8:57 PM | Updated: 9:04 pm
The Colorado Rockies and 2016 Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winner Nolan Arenado reached an agreement Friday on a two-year deal to avoid arbitration.
The All-Star third baseman will earn $29.5 million over the next two years, according to ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick, including $11.75 million next season and $17.75 million in 2018.
Nolan Arenado’s new deal with #rockies will pay him $11.75M in 2017 and $17.75M in 2018, per source.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) January 13, 2017
The Rockies also agreed to one-year deals with outfielder Charlie Blackmon and pitcher Tyler Chatwood to avoid arbitration.
An All-Star for a second straight season, Arenado led the National League in with 41 home runs in 2016 and had a major-league best 133 RBIs. He also finished second in N.L. in runs (116), slugging percentage (.570), and extra base hits (82), on his way to Silver Slugger for the second year in a row.
Arenado made history with his glove in 2016, becoming just the second MLB player to earn a Gold Glove in each of his first four seasons — joining Ichiro Suzuki — and the first to do so in the National League.
Besting Larry Walker’s streak of three in a row, Arenado trails the Rockies legend by just one in terms of the most times honored with the award in franchise history.
Arenado, 25, will have one more year of arbitration eligibility in 2019 before he becomes eligible for free agency.
During his short, four-year career, Arenado’s earned 20.1 Wins Above Replacement while hitting a career for a .285/.331/.520 with 111 home runs and 376 RBIs.
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