Tag Archives: Nolan Arenado

Javier Baez to Bat Second for National League in the MLB All-Star Game

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It’s batter up for Javier Baez…

The 26-year-old Puerto Rican professional baseball player and shortstop for the Chicago Cubs, nicknamed “El Mago,” is slated to bat second for the National League in Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game.

Javier Baez

Baez, in his second straight All-Star Game, will follow lead-off hitter and Milwaukee Brewers slugger Christian Yelich, who bowed out of the Home Run Derbywith a back issue. Yelich leads the majors with 31 home runs.

He’ll befollowed by Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgersright fielder Cody Bellinger, Colorado Rockiesthird baseman Nolan Arenado, Pittsburgh Pirates‘ Josh Bell at designated hitter, Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, Arizona Diamondbackssecond baseman Ketel Marte and Atlanta center fielder Ronald Acuna Jr.

The National League has the youngest starting lineup in All-Star Gamehistory, with an average age of 25.75. The previous record was 26.4 by the 2017 ALstarters.

Houston Astros‘ George Springer leads off and plays right field for the American League and is followed in the order by New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu, Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout, Cleveland Indians’ first baseman Carlos Santana, Boston Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez, Houston third baseman Alex Bregman, Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez, Astros left fielder Michael Brantley and Minnesota Twins’ shortstop Jorge Polanco.

Cora joked about LeMahieu’s success against the Red Sox in his first season after leaving the Rockies for New York — especially when Boston played the Yankees in London last month.

“People in the offseason thought that he wasn’t going to be able to hit outside of Colorado. Well, he hits outside of Colorado and in Europe, too,” Cora said.

Nolan Arenado Agrees to Lucrative Eight-Year Deal with the Colorado Rockies

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Nolan Arenadois still planning toRockies & roll…

The 27-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American Major League Baseball player has agreed to an eight-year, contract extension with the Colorado Rockies worth $260 million, according to Yahoo Sports.

Nolan Arenado

Arenado says he wants to spend his entire major league career with the 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 Wednesday, a day after agreeing to the deal.

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 the Arizona Diamondbacksthat began in 2016.

He said he wants to emulate Colorado’s Todd Helton and former New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter by spending his entireMLB  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.”

He agreed in January to a one-year, $26 million contract with the Rockies. His new deal keeps that salary, calls for $35 million annually from 2020 to 2024, $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.

He can earn an additional $25,000 each time he is anAll-Star or wins aGoldGlove, $50,000 forSilver Sluggeraward, $75,000 for league championship series MVP, $75,000 for World SeriesMVP, $100,000 for MVP and $50,000 for second through fifth in the voting, and $100,000 for comeback player of the year.

Carlos Gonzalez Agrees to One-Year Deal with Colorado Rockies

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Carlos Gonzalez is staying in Colorado…

The 32-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball right fielder, a longtime outfielder with the Colorado Rockies, has reportedly agreed to sign a one-year deal with the team, according to FanRag Sports.

Carlos Gonzalez

The Rockies’ emotional leader and only holdover player from their 2009 postseason squad had his worst year statistically last season but closed strong, finishing with 14 home runs and 57 RBIs after struggling at the plate early.

Nicknamed CarGo, Gonzalez was hitting .214 in mid-July as he tinkered with his swing before he adjusted his grip on the bat. That, combined with visiting a sleep specialist to seek solutions to cure a bout of insomnia, paid quick dividends, with Gonzalez hitting .325 over August and September with eight of his 14 homers to help lead the Rockies to the postseason for the first time since 2009.

The Rockies had offered Gonzalez a lucrative four-year deal that was rejected last spring, USA Today reported. Gonzalez was in the final season of a seven-year, $80 million contract and gambled that he’d be able to get a better deal in free agency.

Gonzalez might have to split time with Gerardo Parra in right field. Charlie Blackmon is set in center field and Ian Desmond in left, but CarGo’s presence in the locker room has always been one of his biggest draws.

On Monday, Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado told the Denver Post, “I think it would be safe to say that everyone here misses him, really badly. Don’t get me wrong, I think we have strong group of guys, but we miss CarGo’s energy and laughter. I know a lot of guys miss him — even if they won’t voice it — because we have talked about it since we all got here.

“CarGo kept things light. He was a good balance for guys like me; guys who are kind of serious. I mean, CarGo could be serious, but at the same time, he kept everyone loose.”

Talking about the possibility of bringing Gonzalez back, Arenado said, “It would be the greatest thing ever. That would be huge for us. Like I said, I think he’s a great player and I still think he can do some damage.”

Gonzalez was won three Gold Gloves, was the NL batting champ in 2010, made three All-Star squads and hit a career-high 40 homers in 2015. His numbers for the Rockies, where he has played for nine of his 10 seasons, include a .292 average with 211 homers and 685 RBIs.

Houston Astros Star Jose Altuve Wins Silver Slugger Award for Fourth Straight Season

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It’s a grand slam, of sorts, for Jose Altuve…

The 27-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball player, a second baseman for the World Series champion Houston Astros, is among the winners of this year’s Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award.

Jose Altuve

The award goes to one player per league, per position and is selected by a vote of MLB coaches and managers.

Eleven of the 18 winners are under 30, including Altuve, who won for the fourth straight season.

But Altuve isn’t the only Astros player to make the list…

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican and Panamanian American baseball star, who became Major League Baseball All-Star for the first time this year, also earned a Silver Slugger Award.

Springer, an outfielder for the Astros, was named the 2017 World Series Most Valuable Player (MVP), hitting a record-tying five home runs as the Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.

All told, the eight first-time winners included outfielders Aaron Judge, Miami Marlins’ Marcell Ozuna, Springer, Kansas City Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer, Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez, New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez and pitcher Adam Wainwright. Like Altuve, San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey also won for the fourth time.

Outfielder Justin Upton and Seattle Mariners DH Nelson Cruz rounded out the American League winners. It was Upton’s third award and the second for Cruz.

The National League selections featured plenty of previous winners as first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado both won for the third time. Second baseman Daniel Murphy, shortstop Corey Seager and outfielders Charlie Blackmon and Miami Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton each won for the second time.

Selections are based on a combination of offensive stats, including batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage in addition to the managers’ and coaches’ views of a player’s overall offensive value.

Stanton Returns to the U.S. World Baseball Classic Roster

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Giancarlo Stanton is back on Team USA…

The 27-year-old part-Puerto Rican baseball star, a right fielder for the Miami Marlins, is among the returnees on the 28-man U.S. World Baseball Classic roster, which also includes Colorado Rockies‘ Nolan Arenado, Arizona Diamondbacks‘ Paul Goldschmidt, San Francisco Giants‘ Buster Posey and Pittsburgh Pirates‘ Andrew McCutchen.

Giancarlo Stanton

The roster, announced Wednesday by USA Baseball, includes 18 All-Stars, two MVPs and nine Gold Glove winners.

Stanton, a three-time Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star, won the Silver Slugger Award and National League Hank Aaron Award in 2014.

Stanton was the Home Run Derby champion in 2016.