St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado has been a key figure in MLB trade rumors this offseason, with the veteran All-Star eager to join a contending team as the Cardinals prepare for a roster retool in 2025. While St. Louis and the Houston Astros had previously agreed to a blockbuster trade, Arenado ultimately blocked the deal. Now, with spring training underway, discussions between the two teams have resurfaced.
Arenado, who will turn 34 in April, was particularly interested in playing for the Boston Red Sox or Los Angeles Dodgers. However, the Red Sox addressed their infield needs by signing All-Star Alex Bregman, while the Dodgers allocated their budget elsewhere, acquiring Blake Snell, Teoscar Hernández, Roki Sasaki, Tanner Scott, Michael Conforto, and Ha-Seong Kim.
Related: Yankees’ Interest in Nolan Arenado Trade
Nolan Arenado 2024 Stats (via ESPN):
- Batting Average: .272
- On-Base Percentage: .325
- Slugging Percentage: .394
- OPS: .719
- Home Runs: 16
- RBI: 71
- Hits: 157 (in 578 at-bats)
These developments have significantly narrowed Arenado’s list of preferred trade destinations. In addition to the Red Sox and Dodgers, he has reportedly rejected trades to multiple undisclosed teams. The few organizations he would consider joining include the San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Los Angeles Angels, and Philadelphia Phillies.
Despite being turned down previously, Houston recently resumed discussions with St. Louis about acquiring the Gold Glove third baseman. If the deal went through, it would allow the Astros to solidify Jose Altuve’s transition to left field.
Related: Ranking the Worst MLB Farm Systems in 2025, Including the Astros
However, per Chandler Rome and Katie Woo of The Athletic, talks between the Cardinals and Astros ultimately stalled, as Arenado remains firm in his refusal to play for Houston.
Nolan Arenado Contract (via Spotrac):
- 2025 Salary: $21 million
- 2026 Salary: $16 million
- 2027 Salary: $15 million
With the Padres hesitant to take on additional payroll and the Mets prioritizing in-house options, Arenado’s trade possibilities are dwindling. While the Phillies were rumored to be exploring a third base upgrade earlier this offseason, they have since committed to Alec Bohm.
Unless Arenado expands his list of acceptable trade destinations, he may remain with the Cardinals, a team unlikely to be competitive in 2025. Additionally, if his performance continues to decline, the market for him could shrink even further.
Leave a Reply