There are several hurdles to clear for such a deal to take place, however. Just last season, Arenado signed an eight-year, $260 million extension with the Rockies. The contract allows Arenado to opt-out and re-test the market in two years, which complicates what Texas would offer in the deal. Not to mention the fact that Arenado has a full no-trade clause.
It's been reported that the opt-out wouldn't prevent the Rangers from potentially working out an agreement with Arenado to forego the option.
Then, the two clubs need to determine how much of the contract the Rangers will take on.
If those two things can be ironed out, the final hurdle to overcome is what kind of compensation the Rangers have to surrender in the deal. Grant reports that any package from Texas would likely have to include one of Josh Jung, Sam Huff, Cole Winn or Hans Crouse, the club's top four prospects.
The Rockies won just 71 games in 2019, finishing 35 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West. In addition to the Dodgers, there's a real feeling around baseball that the San Diego Padres could take a major step forward in 2020 as well, further complicating the Rockies' path to the postseason for the foreseeable future.
Even if the Rockies aren't ready to seriously weigh offers right now, they may reach a point where they are. So it doesn't hurt to open the lines of communication.
The possibility also exists that Colorado decides not to trade their franchise icon. After all, Arenado is one of the greatest fielding third basemen in baseball history, and has hit over 35 home runs and driven in over 100 runs in five consecutive seasons. Adding him to the Rangers lineup, along with their quality rotation, could push them over the top.