With Alex Bregman’s reported signing by the Boston Red Sox, a trade for St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado seems less likely than ever. The Red Sox were the most serious suitor for the former All-Star Arenado from his limited list of trade partners. Now with spring training starting, it looks more likely the Cardinals and Arenado will stay together.
How Alex Bregman Signing Impacts Chances of Nolan Arenado Trade
Where Things Stand with Arenado
Arenado has a full no-trade clause in his contract and has provided the Cardinals with a list of five to six teams he would accept a trade to. He’s already vetoed a trade to the Houston Astros this offseason, so he appears serious about the list he provided to the organization. Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters that the list hasn’t expanded in recent weeks at a press conference on Wednesday at the Cardinals spring training facility in Jupiter, Florida. However, he said the team is still actively trying to make a trade work.
“Candidly we’re still looking at what that might look like,” Mozeliak said. “Could something happen in the next week? Possibly. Could this go into camp? Possibly. So, I really don’t have a definitive answer.”
There are three years and $64 million left on Arenado’s deal. In addition to the $52 million over the next three years, he will be owed deferred money until 2041. The Cardinals are willing to take on some money on the contract, but not a huge sum. Mozeliak hinted on Wednesday that the free agent market, and presumably Bregman’s free agency, was a hold-up in aspects of trade negotiation.
“It could be the free agent market, it could be who’s available on the free agent market, I imagine there’s a direct correlation there. Ultimately, I didn’t have a large list of teams, there wasn’t like 29 I could take him to. So I’m just trying to navigate what I can work with and obviously it hasn’t moved at the pace many of us had hoped for.”
The Trade Options Remaining
On Arenado’s reported ‘wish list’ of new teams were the Red Sox, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, and San Diego Padres. None of those destinations seem likely because of offseason acquisitions and salary restrictions in those organizations.
Reporting has emerged this offseason that Arenado would also accept a trade to the New York Yankees. John Denton, a Cardinals insider with MLB.com, reported that in the wake of the Bregman signing the Cardinals expect to “ramp up” trade talks with the Yankees.
Bregman agrees with the #RedSox — always Boston’s preference over trading for #STLCards third baseman Nolan Arenado as reported by MLB .com.
With the Red Sox out of the mix, the Cardinals expect to ramp up Arenado trade talks with the #Yankees , per a source. https://t.co/xu832pChv9
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) February 13, 2025
Derrick Goold with the St. Louis Post Dispatch reported on Wednesday that the Detroit Tigers are another possible suitor. Having just lost out on the Bregman sweepstakes, the Tigers could pivot to Arenado. However, that deal may hinge on how much money the Cardinals are willing to take on from Arenado’s deal. Then it will depend on whether Arenado would waive his no-trade clause to join the Tigers.
The Likelihood Arenado Remains a Cardinal
With the Red Sox out of the mix, the most likely outcome seems to be that Arenado will remain a Cardinal. Mozeliak has maintained all offseason that the team is willing to keep him. He also told reporters on Wednesday that there is no self-imposed deadline to move Arenado.
If Arenado stays, he will be joining an organization that he has had a very public attempted divorce from. The Cardinals approached several veteran players when they announced the reset in philosophy to focus on youth development. Arenado was one of the few who told them he’d like to move on if possible. Mozeliak acknowledged there could be awkwardness because of the situation, but he wasn’t concerned about it impacting Arenado’s play.
“He’s a professional baseball player,” Mozeliak told reporters. “He’s currently a St. Louis Cardinal, and we all understand that once you’re here it’s pushing for that.”
If Arenado is with the Cardinals on Opening Day, he will be the team’s starting third baseman. Mozeliak acknowledged that the young player who loses the most at-bats in that situation will likely be former first-round pick Nolan Gorman. However, there will likely be a domino effect to Arenado’s presence that costs several young players at-bats and reps.
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