To begin the offseason, the St. Louis Cardinals began cutting ties with veterans as they seemed ready to start their much-needed roster rebuild.
With this, rumors began to emerge that St. Louis could look to move veterans Ryan Helsley, Sonny Gray, and Nolan Arenado before 2025’s spring training.
As the days have gone on, it appears that only Arenado remains in the trade block. Bob Nightengale of USA Today recently reported on Arenado’s trade market and connected him to two powerhouse franchises.
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“Let’s be honest, the Cardinals want him off the books and Arenado wants out of St. Louis if they’re not trying to win,” Nightengale wrote. “He still has three years, $74 million left in his deal but if a team is willing to assume the entire contract, they’ll have to only send only a few Imo’s pizzas in return. Arenado has a full no-trade clause but would be Ohtani’s personal driver if the (Los Angeles) Dodgers were willing to take him. The (Boston) Red Sox could present a nice alternative, too.”
The Dodgers may be the dream fit for everybody. Arenado grew up a fan of the team and adding him would just add another superstar to a star-studded lineup. Los Angeles has a few prospects it could move, mainly pitchers, but the Dodgers could likely take on a decent bit of Arenado’s contract, making the prospect return quite small.
The Red Sox are an interesting choice. They’ve been rumored to be wanting to move Rafael Devers off third base, where Arenado could slide in seamlessly. Boston also has a combination of a deep checkbook and a deep farm system that allows the Red Sox to make a trade for Arenado with ease if they see fit.
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