Rockies, Arenado agree to $260M deal

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Nolan Arenado says he wants to spend his entire major league career with the Colorado Rockies and had no desire to become a free agent after this season.

"At the end of the day my heart was here," he said today, a day after agreeing to a $260 million, eight-year contract.

Arenado's deal has a $32.5 million average annual value, second behind the $34.42 million for pitcher Zack Greinke in a $206.5 million contract with Arizona that began in 2016.

Arenado has a full no-trade provision.

He said he wants to emulate Colorado's Todd Helton and the New York Yankees' Derek Jeter by spending his entire big league career with one team.

Arenado says the cold free-agent market the past two seasons wasn't a big factor but "obviously it's in your head."

Manny Machado waited until last week before getting a $300 million, 10-year deal with San Diego, and Bryce Harper remains on the market.

"I don't go off what everyone else is doing. I never have," Arenado said.

He agreed in January to a $26 million, one-year contract with the Rockies. His new deal keeps that salary, calls for $35 million annually from 2020-24, $32 million in 2025 and $27 million in 2026. He must decide after the 2021 season whether to opt in for the remainder of the contract.