DENVER — The hints are less subtle now. They’re more like a Roman candle shot into a closet.

Unless the Rockies continue to rise in the standings like one of the technicolor fireworks that sizzled over LoDo Wednesday night, Nolan Arenado’s days with the ballclub are numbered.

“I’ve only been to the playoffs once and it was only one game,” Arenado told Nick Groke of The Athletic in a recent interview. “And I really want more than that.”

Can you hear him now?

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Including Wednesday’s 1-0 triumph against the Giants in front of 48,158, the Rockies are playing their best ball of the season and picked a good time for a lot of reasons. The loudest of those reasons is how Arenado is making it clear for anyone who’s listening that it’s now or never in Colorado. Take the thing you love the most and that’s how Arenado feels about winning. The 27-year-old is wired like the great ones are wired, and just sneak a peek over at the super-teaming NBA to see the great ones invariably want to play deep into the postseason with both eyes on a ring.

Arenado’s a free agent after the 2019 season. He’s going to be richer than some countries. If it becomes clear this season a National League West title is off the table, the Rockies should begin operating as if Arenado won’t be part of their long-term future. His tone is no longer hint, hint, wink, wink, hey, fellas, let’s win. It’s straight to the point with no room for misunderstanding: Arenado will play for a team that’s in the postseason almost every year.

Nothing else matters.

“I want to win a division so we can actually play a series,” Arenado told USA Today.

Whereas he’s usually succeeded in keeping the conversation on the now, the perennial MVP threat has been urgent and more willing to discuss down the road, solicited or not. Just on Wednesday, Arenado was asked if the Rockies’ up-and-down play is simply baseball being baseball.

“These things happen. At the same time, we have to look ourselves in the mirror and know that we have to change some things,” Arenado said at his locker. “I think we’re doing that right now.”

Yes, we’re in the reading-the-tea-leaves chapter of this book. But is it only coincidence the Rox just changed things up by sending mercurial starter Jon Gray to the minors and pulling the plug on struggling reliever Bryan Shaw (for now)? It sounds like Arenado is poking the club to see if winning right now is the priority.

“Hopefully we can put pressure on them (the front office) to go get guys. The more we win, the more they’re going to have to make a move,” Arenado told The Athletic.

I don’t blame him. And you know what? I don’t blame the Rockies, either. I remain unconvinced it’s possible to sustain winning baseball at Coors Field. Twenty-five years of trying a little bit of this and a little bit of that, without a division title, has to make you wonder, at the least. 

Wednesday, Arenado made two plays at third that some guys would post on their Instagram accounts. But after he nabbed a tough grounder by Austin Slater, and another one by Brandon Belt to end the same inning, no one blinked. Ho, hum. Just another night at the office. One guy in the fifth row of Section 128 waved a sign that read “Holy Noly.”

The Arenado case is going to be a doozy of a decision for Jeff Bridich. This isn’t a 30-year-old Tulo with heavy legs. It’s the best third baseman in the world with a shot at the Triple Crown.

“What is he? 27?” Todd Helton said at the Rockies’ 25-year reunion. “He’s still got his prime coming up.”

The Rockies are not a bad team by any stretch of the imagination. That’s important to point out. They’re a smidge-over-.500 team that’s playing directly to expectations. It was Las Vegas oddsmakers, who sure seem to know about these things, who advertised Colorado’s over-under at 82 wins, a smidge over .500. They’ve won six of seven with starting pitching that can put a scare into the Diamondbacks, Dodgers and Giants, all of whom lead the Rockies in the division.

And right now is go time for the Rockies.

“We need to start playing well,” Charlie Blackmon said Wednesday.

The urgency has been ratcheted up in a clubhouse that’s normally stoic.

“Let’s keep it going,” manager Bud Black said late Wednesday. “We’re capable.”

Holy Noly’s message: Win the West, or I’m out.

Twitter: @bypaulklee