SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Rockies players’ basic reaction Saturday to the manifesto third baseman Nolan Arenado issued to Yahoo was simple: He wants to win, and so does everyone else.

“We've had our conversations and, you know, those will stay between us,” shortstop Trevor Story said. “We feel good about where we're at. Some things happened, and they’re in the past.”

The basic sentiment among Arenado's teammates was that they do not feel the “disconnect” that he referred to in Friday’s story on Yahoo. They expect all to be normal when Arenado and the rest of the position players report Sunday and begin official workouts Monday.

Arenado has spent the winter as the subject of trade rumors, with the unstated possibility that he asked the club to trade him.

In part, Arenado -- in the second year of an eight-year, $260 million contract -- expressed dissatisfaction after the team finished last season 20 games under .500, yet made no major offseason moves. He said to Yahoo, “They signed me to win. And I want to be on a winner. If that’s in Colorado or somewhere else, I want to win.”

Teammates said they did not feel slammed by Arenado’s comments.

“He deserves to win -- he works hard every year,” pitcher Jon Gray said. “He works as hard as anybody I’ve ever seen.

“We’ve got to take responsibility for our season last year. There are reasons why people say that. We didn’t perform that great. But it’s a big opportunity in front of us, and that’s the way I see it.”

Lefty pitcher Kyle Freeland said that Arenado will “give his absolute best, every single day. That’s not the kind of person he is, to not want to win, not want to work hard. That’s just not how he’s built.”

Players were diplomatic when asked about the front office not adding players amid a flurry of activity from three other National League West teams -- the seven-time defending division champion Dodgers, the D-backs and the Padres, who finished in last place in 2019, a game behind the Rockies.

“The decisions that were made, they were made, and we have to go with the decisions that we want and we have to fight the fight we want, and with the guys we want,” Freeland said.

The Rockies finished last season with a club-record payroll just north of $157 million, and Cot’s Baseball Contracts projects this year’s Opening Day payroll at $150.5 million. Arenado at $35 million and outfielder Charlie Blackmon at $21 million top this year’s base salaries.

But free agent signings, all of whom have had mixed or fleeting success, are four of Colorado's next five highest-paid players -- closer Wade Davis ($17 million), outfielder Ian Desmond ($15 million), lefty reliever Jake McGee ($9.5 million), righty reliever Bryan Shaw ($9 million) and first baseman Daniel Murphy ($8 million).

The Rockies could not deal any of their big contracts, and they had no room to sign experienced players.

“We don't have any control of who plays on this team or anything like that," Story said. "But that's what it comes down to. Yeah, we feel like we can, you know, we're gonna go out there and do our best to win.”

Gray said, “It probably would have helped if we had made some moves. But then again, I can’t put my focus on that and say it’s gonna be a good or bad season. It all depends on what we do during the year. That’s where my focus is.”

Manager Bud Black, who said he has given Arenado space this offseason, expects no distractions when the team gathers.

“Talking to our players and gauging their confidence level and how they’re feeling about our team, they’re in a good spot,” Black said. “They're in a good place, but the coaches reiterate the same thing to me.

“So now it's ... started already for the pitchers and catchers, but starting Monday, when the whole group is together, you know, it will be [about], is the team getting ready for the regular season.”