Troy Tulowitzki has become a mentor to teammate Nolan Arenado as the Colorado Rockies embark on the 2015 season.

Tulowitzki, who is six years older than Arenado, has heard his name in trade rumors for a few years and is expected to continue to be put in that position.

For the time being, Tulowitzki is the "face of the franchise," but the pair recognize that could change suddenly.

"It's about coming to the park every day and helping your team win a game and being a good teammate," Tulowitzki said. "As a veteran, I never realized how valuable your word can be even if you're playing bad. If I pat a young kid on the back and say, 'I liked your swing in [batting practice] today,' that goes a long way. I didn't know that when I was young, but when Todd told me something, it stayed with me longer. If he told me to grind out an at-bat, it stuck with me more than everybody else. My grind was there. It made me realize my word meant something."

Arenado is appreciative of Tulowitzki's guidance.

"He shows me the way," Arenado said. "Obviously, you have to be your own player and do your own things. But if this is how the best shortstop in the game does it, there's no reason I shouldn't be doing it."