The St. Louis Cardinals are nearly two months away from Opening Day 2025 but haven’t made any significant moves this winter to help improve the roster.
Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak was not pleasantly welcomed by some fans on Saturday at the organization’s annual Winter Warm-Up. In his final offseason as head honcho for St. Louis, it’s safe to say Mo is dropping the ball.
Trading superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado is the Cardinals’ top priority. However, Mozeliak can’t find a middle ground for the fan favorite and whatever organization he’s attempted to complete a deal with. Perhaps the eight-time All-Star will be shipped up to the Boston Red Sox once the market dies down.
“Sources continue to indicate that adding a right-handed bat is still Boston’s top priority with bullpen help being looked at as a secondary need,” MassLive’s Chris Cotillo wrote Sunday. “Free agent Alex Bregman and Cardinals trade candidate Nolan Arenado remain the two big-name — yet imperfect — fits the Red Sox have considered. Boston could be waiting on either Bregman (short-term deal?) or the Cardinals (salary dump?) to get desperate as spring training draws closer.”
Arenado has three years and $74 million remaining on his contract — $10 million of which is to be paid by the Colorado Rockies. It’s possible the Red Sox could be trying to place pressure on the Cardinals so that they’ll eat a significant portion of the 10-time Gold Glove defender’s deal to move him.
The Houston Astros had already attempted to poach Arenado from the Cardinals but the five-time Silver Slugger vetoed the deal. What’s shocking is that St. Louis was willing to eat $15-20 million of the veteran slugger’s contract to move him.
It’s tough to predict whether Arenado will be moved this winter. Rumors indicate his market has been relatively quiet, so perhaps we’ll have to wait for the Cardinals to get desperate before he’s dealt away.
