Nolan Arenado has previously turned down a trade to the Houston Astros, but there is one team to whom the St. Louis Cardinals third baseman is willing to be traded.
According to ESPN MLB Insider Buster Olney, Arenado would “really like” to join the Boston Red Sox.
Given that Nolan Arenado vetoed the potential deal to the Astros, what some of his friends say is important: They think he would really like the idea of going to the Red Sox, if Boston and the Cardinals work out terms. Arenado’s current mindset: “Highly, highly motivated.”
The Red Sox and Cardinals “have had some recent communication,” according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, following a period of quiet on the Arenado trade. Morosi said that Cardinals official Chaim Bloom “has close knowledge of Boston’s prospects” because he was previously the team’s chief baseball officer.
Arenado, 33, has three years and $74 million left on his deal, which includes a full no-trade provision.
In January, Cardinals head of baseball operations John Mozeliak stated that finding a new team for Arenado was a “top priority” as the franchise sought to reset with younger players and reduce payroll for 2025 and beyond.
Clearly, he’s having difficulty making it happen. Arenado, a distinguished third baseman with ten Gold Gloves and eight All-Star votes, has seen his production and bat speed diminish in the last two seasons; in 2024, he hit.272/.325/.394 with 16 home runs and 71 RBI (101 OPS+). According to Fangraphs, that season was worth $25.1 million, whereas the previous season was worth $21.7 million (108 OPS+).
The concern is that Arenado is becoming a glove-only player, or at least one who is overpaid given his declining power.
If Arenado were traded to the Red Sox, he’d create an intriguing lineup stalemate. Rafael Devers appears to be shifting from third base to designated hitter or first baseman, a position now held by Tristan Casas. According to Fangraphs, Masataka Yoshida is now at DH.
