A few weeks ago, reports surfaced that the St. Louis Cardinals were considering trading their starting third baseman and Gold Glove winner, However, with over $50 million remaining on his contract, moving him would be challenging. To complicate matters, Arenado has a no-trade clause, allowing him to control where he goes if he agrees to a trade. The potential market for Arenado was reportedly narrowed down to six teams: the Los Angeles Angels, Philadelphia Phillies, Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, and San Diego Padres. After a few weeks of exploring trade options, it now appears increasingly likely that the Cardinals will have to keep Arenado heading into 2025.
Looking closer at the six teams, the list of realistic trade destinations is even smaller. The Red Sox have Rafael Devers at third base, so any trade for Arenado would have likely involved moving Devers to first base and dealing first baseman Triston Casas. But after signing Walker Buehler, it seems Casas will stay in Boston. In Philadelphia, the Phillies had considered trading All-Star Alec Bohm, which might have netted them a star pitcher, but after acquiring Jesús Luzardo, Bohm is expected to stay. The Dodgers seem uninterested unless Arenado is available for a very low cost, which would require the Cardinals covering most of his contract—a scenario that’s not beneficial for St. Louis.
The Padres, with their established infield stars, don’t appear to be a viable option either. The Mets could be a potential landing spot if they miss out on Pete Alonso, and the Angels might also explore a trade for Arenado. Overall, the market for the third baseman is looking much thinner now, with Arenado reportedly rejecting a trade to the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees falling short of meeting the Cardinals’ demands.
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