The St. Louis Cardinals have made it clear that they’re open to moving Nolan Arenado.
They felt the same way heading into last offseason, but now the front office is under new leadership with Chaim Bloom taking over baseball operations. Like John Mozeliak before him, Bloom has publicly acknowledged the possibility of trading Arenado. The Cardinals attempted to work out a deal last winter, but nothing came together. This offseason, however, it appears things might unfold differently.
If you like our content, choose Sports Illustrated as a preferred source on Google.
Arenado is out there for the taking, but USA Today’s Jesse Yomtov and Bob Nightengale acknowledged that to get any deal done, it will take St. Louis eating a “significant portion” of the remaining money on his deal.
The Cardinals will try to make a move
“Nolan Arenado trade finally coming? The Cardinals have been trying to trade Arenado for a year now, with the 10-time Gold Glove winner using his no-trade clause to nix a deal with the Houston Astros last winter.” Yomtov and Nightengale said. “And finding a trade partner this offseason won’t be easy with Arenado coming worst year of his career, batting .237 with a .666 OPS with 12 home runs in 401 at-bats. He’s earning $42 million over the next two seasons – with $5 million being paid by the Colorado Rockies – and St. Louis will have to eat a significant portion of Arenado’s salary in any trade.
“We are on the same page with Nolan,” Bloom said, as transcribed by Yomtov and Nightengale. “I believe he’s going to the Hall of Fame. One of the better players in the history of the game. We all feel like it’s best to find a different fit. So, obviously, we’ll work on that with him. If and when that will happen, I don’t know. But it’s something that he’s been a total pro about.”
What sets this offseason apart is the Cardinals’ willingness to include cash in a potential Arenado trade, something they now seem open to considering.
Arenado has enjoyed a strong tenure in St. Louis, but all indications suggest that he and the team may soon be heading down separate paths.
Leave a Reply