The St. Louis Cardinals were apparently attempting to move Nolan Arenado throughout the most of the winter, which made him the talk of the offseason. Since Arenado allegedly authorized a trade to just six teams, moving him might be difficult due to his large salary and no-trade clause. The San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies are the six clubs in question.
None of these clubs have been overeager to rush on a deal, but the market might yet open up. ESPN’s David Schoenfield reportedly indicated the Cardinals might break ties with Arenado this season in a blockbuster deal.
“Arenado’s status is more up in the air as the team tried to trade him in the offseason,” said Schoenfield. “Will a team now want him? Complicating matters is the fact that he will earn $32 million this year, $27 million in 2026, and $15 million in 2027. His strong start, which includes more walks than strikeouts while batting mediocrely, may spark some attention, and there are undoubtedly clubs in need of a third base boost.
Given that Arenado is playing far better than most people anticipated, there’s a potential that a team like the Angels will seize the opportunity to sign him in the upcoming weeks. Both the Dodgers and the Padres are battling infield ailments and subpar play from a few of their starters. Alec Bohm has had a terrible start with the Phillies. Arenado may potentially expand his options by extending his no-trade clause to a team such as the Houston Astros, New York Yankees, or Toronto Blue Jays.
