St. Louis Cardinals star Nolan Arenado, who is on the trade market this offseason, has declined a potential deal to the Houston Astros, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
For a Cardinals team on the brink of a “re-tool,” Arenado’s remaining three years and $74 million on his contract seem to be an apparent hindrance to a front office looking for maximum spending flexibility. The Astros were reportedly a serious contender for his services as recently as last week.
NEWS: Nolan Arenado blocks potential trade to Astros, sources tell me, @brianmctaggart & @JohnDenton555
FULL STORY: https://t.co/zPtreNywha
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) December 18, 2024
Astros Not Out of Running for Arenado Despite Declined Trade
While the 33-year-old Arenado is a top trade target this offseason, his contract possesses a full no-trade clause, allowing him to veto any trade the Cardinals might design involving him. On December 11, Arenado disclosed six teams that he would accept a trade to: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, and Boston Red Sox.
As a native of Southern California, it is clear that Arenado desires to play for a team that is either close to his hometown or will be contending for a championship in the near future.
The Astros, so far this offseason, have traded outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs and will likely lose third baseman Alex Bregman to free agency. While Arenado’s decision does not rule out a trade later this offseason, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic, it does indicate his desire to see his market unfold a bit more before making a decision.
Per sources: Part of Arenado’s decision stemmed from a preference to not make a decision this early in the offseason. It is unclear whether the Astros will continue heavily pursuing Arenado or pivot to other options. #STLCards https://t.co/HyI2i8GVDu
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) December 18, 2024
While Arenado still provides top-level value as a defensive third baseman, his offensive production has declined in recent years. Thus, his value on the open trade market is uncertain, and the Cardinals will likely need to continue to pay a portion of his contract in order to get a deal done. This certainly does not leave the Astros out of a potential deal, but it does highly complicate the Cardinals’ attempts to trade the star player.
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