All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado agreed to a one-year deal with the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.
The contract is for $26 million, sources with knowledge of the agreement told ESPN. It sets a record for a one-year salary for an arbitration-eligible player and avoids a contentious hearing a year before he's slated to hit free agency.
Arenado, 27, is one of the best two-way players in the game, winning Gold Gloves in his first six seasons and finishing in the top five in National League MVP voting the last three years. Over the last four seasons, his 158 home runs rank third in the major leagues and 503 RBIs first, and the combination of them and his defense emboldened him to ask for a $30 million salary.