Don’t hold your breath just yet, but the St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado trade story may finally be coming to a close.
With spring training only days away, Arenado remains on the Cardinals’ roster, but a low-profile trade for infield depth on Thursday sparked speculation about Arenado’s future with the team and whether a suitor could be found. While Alex Bregman’s free agency lingers and Arenado’s market moves slowly, a new report from John Denton claims that the Cardinals have just reengaged with three separate clubs on a potential trade.
The Cardinals have reengaged with the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Yankees on a potential Nolan Arenado trade
While teams such as the Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers have appeared to enter the picture at times, with even the Kansas City Royals enquiring about Arenado’s availability, it has always seemed like one of those coastal teams would be the best fit for him.
The Yankees appear motivated to upgrade at third base, while the Red Sox remain in the Bregman sweepstakes and Arenado market. The Dodgers are an unusual team to re-enter the conversation, having rejected the idea at the Winter Meetings, but GM Brandon Gomes said the club is being opportunistic about prospective moves.
Boston appears to be the club garnering the most progress in talks, as the Cardinals have discussed prospect Blaze Jordan during those talks, but a sticking point has been how much the Cardinals are ready to give up on Arenado’s salary to move him to the Red Sox.
It is evident, however, that the Cardinals do not want to go to camp with Arenado on the roster. It doesn’t mean they won’t do it if they have to, but they’d definitely like to find a trade partner for the future Hall of Famer, and with all clubs hoping to wrap up their offseason business in the next few days, the trade might finally come together.
While the Red Sox appear to be the best fit, don’t be surprised if the Yankees or Dodgers jump the queue here. You should not expect a huge return for Arenado in this deal, but the gain for St. Louis frees up future financial commitments to him while also creating playing time for youthful players in this “reset”.
