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CarGo says Rockies interested in extension

Doug Pensinger / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Carlos Gonzalez, the three-time All-Star set to hit free agency after the 2017 campaign, says the Colorado Rockies are interested in signing him to an extension.

"They want an extension, but there are many things that have to be negotiated to be met," Gonzalez said in his native Spanish to Wilmer Reina of Diario Version Final.

Acquired by the Rockies in a 2008 trade with the Oakland Athletics, Gonzalez has virtually spent his entire career in Colorado, helping them to a division series in his first year with the club and providing excitement over what's been a frustrating last half-decade. In 2016, for a second straight year, the oft-injured 31-year-old outfielder was able to stay healthy, putting up 1.9 WAR while smashing 25 homers with an .855 OPS (111 OPS+) in 150 games.

Season G WAR wRC+ HR
2013 110 4.7 146 26
2014 70 -0.5 83 11
2015 153 2.4 114 40
2016 150 1.9 108 25

In recent years, Gonzalez's name routinely popped up in trade rumors as the Rockies floundered, but general manager Jeff Bridich appears resolved to try to contend this season. Bridich told reporters earlier in November that he'd prefer to augment his 2017 roster without moving the three-time Gold Glove Award winner and two-time Silver Slugger Award winner. If the Rockies don't abandon their win-now approach midseason, an extension for Gonzalez, who will make $20 million this summer, would make sense.

"Are we going to look to improve things in 2017 and add major-league players to our process for 2017? The answer is yes," Bridich told MLB.com's Thomas Harding. "I’m hopeful that doesn’t have to come at the expense of players like Carlos Gonzalez or Charlie Blackmon."

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