The Rockies Have A Challenging Early Schedule. Will A Slow Start Add To Nolan Arenado’s Desire To Be Traded?

The Rockies would welcome a fast start in any season, but never more so than the one that begins March 26.

And their early schedule does not work in their favor.

Obviously starting well is the goal of any team. But in the Rockies’ case, a repeat of last year could add to the frustration of third baseman Nolan Arenado and make him more inclined to push to be traded, convinced the Rockies can never be a sustained contender. He turns 29 next month. He has won seven Gold Gloves, four Silver Sluggers and is a five-time All-Star and wants to do more than add to his hardware collection. Namely, have a chance to play regularly in October.

The Rockies begin the season with a seven-game road trip, four games at San Diego and three at Los Angeles. They will play 13 of their first 18 games on the road, all but two against National League West foes. And 22 of the Rockies’ first 35 games will be on the road.

If the Rockies can master the Padres, it will go a long way toward avoiding the abyss they tumbled into to start last season. The Rockies will play 10 of their first 18 games against the Padres and then not see them again until June 19, followed by one series in August and a final one in September. In addition to this Padres overload and three games at the Dodgers, the 18-game stretch to begin the season includes two games against the Rangers and three at Arizona.

After those 18 games, the Rockies will meet teams with legitimate postseason aspirations in their first 35 games. They’ll play three-game series against the Cardinals and Brewers and at the Phillies. And it’s not unrealistic to add to this group the two games against the White Sox after their busy and productive winter.

Last season, the Rockies staggered to a franchise-worst 3-12 start, and that was after winning their first two games. Just as they will this season, the Rockies began with a seven-game trip to Miami and Tampa Bay and went 3-4. What really hurt was an 0-5 homestand against the Braves and Dodgers followed by three losses at San Francisco.

Nonetheless, the Rockies managed to climb to 40-34 on June 20. That gave them a half-game lead in the wild card race, not that anyone is focusing on the wild-card standings at that point in the season. Then came a 6-19 July, the worst full month in franchise history, and a worst-ever August (9-19).

When considering the Rockies’ long, hard fall to 91 losses last year – after a franchise-first consecutive postseason appearances – it should be noted that last year is just that: last year. Every season year brings at least a few different players, a different dynamic and, ultimately, a new team identity.

When the Rockies play their 35^th game, the finale of a three-game series at Detroit, it will be May 6. The season won’t quite have reached the quarter pole. Regardless of how they’re playing at that point, the Rockies will have plenty of time to be in the hunt for October. And if they’re playing really well in mid-June, Arenado might be happy to stay put, at least through this season. But if the Rockies find themselves in a deep hole in mid-June when they will have played about 70 games, if they are destined again to be a laggard, Arenado might decide enough is enough and push for a trade.

And since he has a full no-trade clause and will enter this season with seven-years and $234 million left on his contract and can opt out after 2021, Arenado has maximum leverage.

One thing is certain. If and when a trade happens, the Rockies will not get 100 cents on the dollar.