On February 26th, 2019, the Colorado Rockies and All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado came to terms on an eight-year, $260 million contract extension that would buy out his final year of arbitration and keep him in purple through at least the 2026 season.
The largest contract in franchise history was a just reward for the 2009 second round pick out of El Toro High School, who had hit .291/.346/.539 with 186 home runs and was worth 31.1 wins above replacement. He had won six consecutive Gold Glove
Awards, made four straight All-Star appearances, won four consecutive Silver Sluggers, and finished in the top ten for National League MVP for the previous four seasons.
The Rockies had been to the post-season in back-to-back years and—while they had just allowed fellow All-Star second baseman DJ LeMahieu to walk in free agency—locked down their franchise cornerstone for the foreseeable future. Surely the future was bright for baseball in the Mile High City.
Sadly, the next two seasons were anything but.
While the Rockies posted back-to-back losing seasons—including the COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign—Nolan Arenado was publicly feuding with the front office and Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich about competitiveness and roster construction.
“There’s a lot of disrespect from people there that I don’t want to be a part of,” Arenado said. “You can quote that.”
Arenado would go on to demand a trade out of Colorado—almost two years to the day after he signed his record-breaking extension.
The trade inevitably involved a lot of hurt feelings.
Arenado would go on to insult the organization, his former teammates, and even Rockies fans when he reached St. Louis. His new teammate Adam Wainwright would also reveal that Arenado had been actively shopping himself to Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak shortly into his new contract with the Rockies.
The Rockies sent the embittered Arenado, along with $51 million, to the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for young left-handed pitcher Austin Gomber and a quartet of prospects. Jeff Bridich would depart the organization a few months later.
Of the five players sent to the Rockies in the trade, Gomber was the only one to have any real, significant impact.
In 2021—his first season in Denver as a regular member of a rotation—Gomber made 23 starts and posted a 4.53 ERA over 115 1/3 innings. He even had an impressive 2.09 ERA at Coors Field. However, his numbers took a turn for the worse when he started suffering from tightness in his pitching arm that led to an eventual stint on the injured list. Eventually, his season would end entirely when he suffered a pars defect fracture in his lower back.
Gomber spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons fighting inconsistency, poor performance, and injuries. He worked both in the rotation and in the bullpen but never really found his footing. He made his way back as a permanent rotation piece in 2023, though back issues would end his season early. He would even reveal the mental pressure he faced as the “key return” of a trade that sent a beloved franchise icon out of town.
“I’d never been here, you know, so I didn’t understand the magnitude of it,” he told MLB.com’s Thomas Harding. “It’s just trying to keep those thoughts out of my head or just trying to not put pressure on myself. I don’t mean to, right? I’m not trying to be [Arenado]. I’m just trying to be myself, but I feel like I’m having a hard time staying in that lane right now.”
Gomber was open with the Rockies media on his feelings.
“I feel like some points right now I’m just out there throwing with a lot of stuff going on,” Gomber said in the same interview. “So if I can get back to worrying about pitching, then I’ll be fine. That’s the easy part, getting into the game and pitching. It’s keeping everything else out.”
Gomber returned for the 2024 season with a tweaked delivery and mechanics that would put less torque on his back. The effects weren’t immediate, but eventually Gomber found his way into being one of the more reliable parts of a constantly-fluctuating rotation. He made a team and career-high 30 starts and had the second-best ERA in the rotation at 4.75 over 165 innings. He was also the team’s most valuable pitcher in wins above replacement per Baseball Reference.
Unfortunately, Gomber’s 2025 season was a disaster.
He missed the first few months of the season with a shoulder injury that diminished his fastball velocity, and when he returned to the team, he struggled. Gomber went winless in 12 starts with a 7.49 ERA in 57 2/3 innings.
His final start in a Rockies uniform saw him give up seven earned runs in three innings at home against the Los Angeles Dodgers. A dispirited Gomber told local media after the game how little confidence he had in himself.
“This game is hard enough,” he said. “When you don’t believe in yourself you’re in a really tough spot.”
On Friday the Rockies unconditionally released a now 31-year-old Gomber, the final remaining player from the return still with the team. With Gomber’s release, the Nolan Arenado trade saga of Rockies history has officially drawn to a close.
So who won the trade?
The Rockies never really recovered.
Now mired in their seventh-consecutive losing season—their third with 100 or more losses—things have culminated in a year during which they fired long time manager Bud Black, made some dubious history, and finally appear to be on the precipice of a much-needed rebuild.
Gomber was the last member of the trade still playing professional baseball in the United States, and one of just two players that appeared in major league games. The other, infielder Elehuris Montero, is now playing in Japan.
Infielder Mateo Gil was claimed via the Rule 5 draft by the New York Mets, but is now playing in Mexico. Right-handed reliever Jake Sommers missed significant time to injuries and voluntarily retired last season. Right-handed reliever Tony Locey was traded to the Tampa Bay Rays, but hasn’t played since 2023.
The departure of Jeff Bridich following the trade led to the installation of Bill Schmidt as general manager. Schmidt would oversee the departure in free agency of Jon Gray and Trevor Story—netting only a compensatory draft pick that would become Jordan Beck for the latter. His first big move would be the seven-year, $182 million contract given to Kris Bryant to replace Arenado as “face of the franchise.” Bryant has played just 170 games over four seasons with the Rockies and contributed a total of -1.6 wins above replacement. Now dealing with a degenerative back condition that will likely spell the end of his career, the Rockies will be feeling the financial implications of his contract for three more seasons.
Regardless of whether you blame Arenado, the Rockies, or both, the ramifications of the trade have also led to the departure or disillusionment of many previously faithful members of the fan base.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals got $51 million—with one final payment due in 2026—and a few seasons of Arenado’s peak performance.
He won two more Gold Glove awards and was an All-Star three more times. However, Arenado is now 34-years-old and in decline. He hasn’t been an All-Star since 2023 and saw his ten-season Gold Glove streak come to an end. He also hasn’t found himself any closer to winning a World Series. The Cardinals have been to the playoffs just twice, and Arenado has logged fewer post-season at bats with his new team than he did with the Rockies.
The Rockies definitely “lost” the trade when it comes to overall impact, but neither side really “won.”
It’s likely that the best thing that can be said about the trade as it falls into Rockies lore is that it’s finally over, and fans can look to the future.
On the Farm
Triple-A: Las Vegas Aviators 3, Albuquerque Isotopes 2
Much like their parent club, the Isotopes’ offense largely failed to launch during their Sunday finale. Drew Romo and Michael Toglia made up the bulk of the offense with two hits each with a double for Romo and a home run for Toglia. The Isotopes were fairly sharp on the mound. Germán Márquez struck out seven while giving up two earned runs in 4 1/3 innings while five bullpen arms combined to give up just one unearned run.
Double-A: Hartford Yard Goats 1, Somerset Patriots 0
Lefty Konnor Eaton was promoted to Double-A in the wake of McCade Brown’s move to the Rockies and made a tremendous debut. He pitched five shutout innings with five strikeouts and allowed just one hit. Blake Adams, Welinton Herrera, and Victor Juarez kept the combined shutout going the rest of the way. The lone run scored by the Yard Goats came via a Nic Kent solo home run.
High-A: Spokane Indians 5, Everett Aqua Sox 1
Griffin Herring had another fantastic outing for Spokane, pitching five scoreless innings and striking out seven batters all while giving up just one hit and two walks. Meanwhile, the bulk of the Indians’ runs were scored on a bases clearing triple from Andy Perez. Catcher Ben McCabe had two hits with an RBI, and Blake Wright drove in a run despite being hitless.
Low-A: Fresno Grizzlies 6, San Jose Giants 2
A strong five innings of shutout work from starter Manuel Olivares gave the Grizzlies plenty of cushion to get the job done on offense. He gave up three hits and struck out four batters. A three-run home run from Juan Castillo put the Grizzlies ahead in the second inning and they never looked back. Castillo, along with Roynier Hernandez and Derek Bernard, had two hits during the game.
Here’s how Doyle has been the NL’s best hitter in the second half | MLB.com
A resurgent Brenton Doyle has been one of the brightest stars of the Colorado Rockies in the second half. Doyle has helped fuel his comeback—now in positive WAR—by taking things slower and enjoying more time off. He’s sat out of 21 games, allowing him to remain more fresh and focused in a difficult season.
From The Iowa Meat Truck to Lil Slayyy, here are the best nicknames in the Minors | MLB.com
The folks at MLB Pipeline break down the best nicknames in minor league baseball. For the Rockies, it’s Double-A star and 2024 draft pick Jared Thomas, whom hitting coach Trevor Burmeister nicknamed “the Postman.” There are some other fun Rockies farm system nicknames included!
Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!
