The St. Louis Cardinals have promising young players poised to make an impact in 2025, but there’s a major issue they need to tackle first.
Following back-to-back playoff misses in 2024, the Cardinals are entering a major rebuild. While many players on the roster will need some time to develop, veteran star Nolan Arenado no longer aligns with the team’s direction, and they’re looking to trade him.
Arenado has a no-trade clause, and with the Cardinals aiming to get strong prospect value in return, only a handful of teams could be a good match for a potential trade. Looking ahead to the rest of the MLB offseason, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers speculated that the Boston Red Sox could be the team to land Arenado.
“The fit in St. Louis just isn’t right anymore and everyone knows it,” Rogers wrote. “The Cardinals aren’t concerned with money owed to Arenado, so they’re willing to pick up a portion of it because they want quality prospects in return. Boston can deliver that.”
Arenado is one of the most accomplished active players in baseball, boasting eight All-Star selections, 10 Gold Gloves, and five Silver Sluggers over his 12-year career. In 2024, he posted a .272/.325/.394 line with 16 home runs and 71 RBIs for the Cardinals, while leading the majors with a .977 fielding percentage at third base. At 33, he still has plenty to offer.
A move to the Red Sox could be a good fit for Arenado, as he could take over at third base and allow Rafael Devers to shift to first. The Red Sox are likely seeking a third baseman who can add power to their lineup after making several key acquisitions this offseason. Rogers suggested that if their talks with free-agent Alex Bregman fall through, an Arenado trade could be the next step.
“After exhausting attempts to sign Bregman, the Red Sox pivot to Arenado as the St. Louis Cardinals start to exhibit a bit of desperation with the season approaching,” Rogers predicted.
Arenado is entering the seventh year of a $260 million contract he signed with the Colorado Rockies, meaning the Cardinals may need to absorb some of his salary to make a trade happen.
Despite having already traded away some prospects to acquire pitcher Garrett Crochet from the Chicago White Sox, the Red Sox still have a strong farm system. This could play a key role as they look to bolster their infield with one of the biggest names in baseball.
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