The calculus for trading St. Louis Cardinals star third baseman Nolan Arenado is getting more complicated. Given his huge salary and no-trade clause, it was always going to be difficult. However, recent reporting from MLB insiders suggests there are several hurdles to moving Arenado.
Several Hurdles Remain Before Cardinals Can Trade Star Player
The Cardinals are working from a “very limited list” of teams as they shop the third baseman according to ESPN MLB insider Buster Olney. The list is coming from Arenado himself. He has a full no-trade clause and can veto any trade the Cardinals would work out if he doesn’t want to join that team.
Rival execs say that if the Cardinals are going to move Nolan Arenado, who is owed $64 million, they expect St. Louis would have to either eat some salary or take on a contract a trade partner wants to move. Chris Taylor is owed $17 million on his deal. If LAD wants him, seems…
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 7, 2024
Arenado is motivated by trying to win a World Series, which has eluded him in his 12-year career so far. The 33-year-old opted into the rest of his contract after the 2023 season to play for the Cardinals. However, the Cardinals missed the playoffs for a second straight year in 2024 and don’t appear to be loading up for a World Series run anytime soon.
Contract Makes Things More Complicated
There are three years and $64 million left on Arenado’s deal. In addition to the $52 million over the next three years, he will be owed deferred money until 2041. It’s an extremely player-friendly contract. After a career-worst season for Arenado, teams may be hesitant to take on the contract.
Olney also reported that rival execs are saying the Cardinals would either have to eat some of the money on the deal or take on a hefty contract in return. Olney floated that if the Los Angeles Dodgers are on that list, which is likely as Arenado is a Southern California native, Chris Taylor’s $17 million contract is a possibility to come back to St. Louis in a deal.
Cardinals Won’t Dump Him For Nothing
Katie Woo with the Athletic is reporting that the Cardinals will not trade Arenado “solely for the sake of moving him.” Woo also noted that the Cardinals would hesitate to eat a significant amount of money in the trade. After all, the organization is looking at cutting costs in 2025 and beyond. The organization also wants to create more playing time for up-and-coming prospects.
The stalemate of the hefty contract and the organization’s desire to add young talent could drag on. Multiple MLB insiders expect trade talks for Arenado to heat up at next week’s winter meetings. Ultimately, for the Cardinals to move Arenado, they will likely either have to eat money on the deal or expect less in return for him. The former seems more likely to be where the Cardinals are.
Main Photo Credits: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn Images
