Oct 8, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) reacts after striking out to end the eight inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game two of the Wild Card series for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Baseball’s new evil empire may not be getting quite that evil.

Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reported Tuesday that on the possibility of the Los Angeles Dodgers pursuing a trade for St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado. Ardaya writes that a deal for Arenado is not something the Dodgers organization has considered. Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes also stated on the record earlier this week that Max Muncy will be the team’s starting third baseman on Opening Day 2025, Ardaya adds.

Arenado, an eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glover at third base, is very likely to be traded this offseason as the Cardinals look to do a hard reset. But in Muncy, the Dodgers already have a hot-corner option who is much cheaper (owed $14.5 million next season with a $10 million club option for 2026) and is actually a better power hitter at this point (producing an .852 OPS last season compared to Arenado’s .719).

The Dodgers were indeed interested in trading for the Newport Beach, Calif. native Arenado not all that long ago. But fresh off their 2024 World Series victory with their current offensive core, it appears the interest has cooled. That said though, there are still some prominent playoff contenders who remain in the mix for an Arenado trade.