The St. Louis Cardinals are exploring the trade market as the front office looks for ways to reduce payroll and open roster spots for the incoming youth.
Unfortunately, the Cardinals haven’t yet been able to subtract any capital from the payroll via trade but there’s still plenty of time left in the offseason for a deal to occur.
However, a St. Louis fan favorite on the trade block must eliminate the top trade destination on his wish list, despite the National League West rival being a logical suitor for the eight-time All-Star.
“St. Louis Cardinals may need to look elsewhere than the Los Angeles Dodgers in order to trade third baseman Nolan Arenado,” The Athletic’s Julia Stumbaugh reported Tuesday. “According to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, sources around the Dodgers say ‘a deal for Arenado is not a possibility the organization has considered.’ The news comes after Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes told reporters Max Muncy would start at third base on Opening Day, per David Vassegh of AM 570.”
Muncy is signed with the Dodgers through 2025 and has a $10 million club option for 2026, so trading for Arenado wouldn’t make much sense for Los Angeles.
Arenado grew up in Southern California as a Dodgers fan and joining his childhood favorite team is where the five-time Silver Slugger wants to land the most.
Other teams on Arenado’s wish list include the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, Boston Red Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets. If none of those teams wish to trade for the Cardinals superstar, he’ll likely remain in St. Louis for at least one more season.
