The St. Louis Cardinals have had a quiet offseason. Spring training is now underway, and the team failed to make any trades or signings of note.
They have been attempting to trade Nolan Arenado, but the likelihood of that happening is very slim.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. St. Louis was attempting to free payroll space and open up third base for Nolan Gorman.
Caleb Moody of Just Baseball listed Arenado as a likely trade candidate before Opening Day, even though nothing has materialized just yet.
“This seems like a trade that’s been on the cusp of happening all winter, however Arenado’s no-trade clause in his contract has proven to be a tough hurdle to leap for Jon Mozeliak and co.,” Moody wrote.
“St. Louis should be all over this if a deal comes through, as freeing up $25.5 million dollars in luxury tax space and opening up an infield spot for the next generation could be far more valuable than what Arenado would give you in 2025.”
Arenado hit a career-low 16 home runs last year and also posted an underwhelming .719 OPS during the regular season. If he bounces back in 2025, he could be somebody that teams show interest in at the trade deadline.
Still, it would make sense for the Cardinals to trade him now. Recent reports even indicated that the Houston Astros were showing interest again after a failed trade in December.
Arenado rejected that deal with his no-trade clause.
Still, the Cardinals need to prioritize the future rather than hoping to contend in 2025, and the best way to get a head start on that is for them to find a way to trade Arenado to a contending team, whether that’s Houston or another contender.
It will certainly be interesting to see how things play out leading up to Opening Day, but don’t be surprised if the eight-time All-Star is at the center of trade rumors again.
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