Arenado upset at prospect of final games with CarGo: 'He's like a brother'
Carlos Gonzalez may be playing his final games as a member of the Colorado Rockies, and Nolan Arenado isn't taking it very well.
"It was going through my head when we got home (this week) and I realized it could be the end," Arenado told Nick Groke of The Denver Post regarding Gonzalez.
"It breaks my heart. I love him. He's like a brother to me."
Arenado added, "I hope he comes back. You never know what can happen. I love playing with CarGo. I've loved it ever since my rookie year (in 2013).
"My first big-league camp, he treated me right. Some veterans were on me all the time, giving me a hard time. He was always cool with me. He always told me to keep getting better. That's something I will always remember."
Gonzalez, who will turn 32 in October, is in the final season of a seven-year extension the outfielder signed before the 2011 season. The three-time All-Star is having one of his worst years at the plate, setting career lows in slugging and wRC+, although he has turned it on of late, slashing .365/.478/.730 in September.
"I signed an extension in 2010 thinking this is a team that can potentially be in the postseason for a long time, and I haven't reached that yet," Gonzalez said.
"I want to keep playing for as long as possible in the postseason. I want to be the last one standing."
The Rockies are one win away from clinching the second wild-card and first postseason berth since 2009.
"I feel like I've represented this team the right way," Gonzalez added. "I play hard. I was in the All-Star Game with 'Rockies' on my chest. After the season is over, I will feel a little different because I don't know what will happen. But there are no regrets, no hard feelings, no sadness."