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Nolan Arenado

Astros Now “Serious Suitor” For Nolan Arenado

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While the Astros have been intent on trying to re-sign Alex Bregman this offseason, the club landed a potential third base backup option in Isaac Paredes, and is now looking at an even bigger option at the hot corner.  The Athletic’s Chandler Rome reports that Houston has “emerged as a serious suitor for” Nolan Arenado’s services, though a trade isn’t “believed to be imminent.”

Since the Cardinals are looking to create more playing time for younger players and reduce payroll, the club has been open about its attempts to trade Arenado this offseason.  The third baseman has a full no-trade clause but is open to waiving it in the right situation, as agent Joel Wolfe stressed that Arenado is only willing to leave St. Louis for “a team that he thinks is going to win now and consistently for the remainder of his career.  He wants a team that has the throttle down….that he believes he can jump right in and they’re going to win right now.”

The Astros would seemingly fit that description as longtime playoff regulars who are trying to keep their contention window, but it is unclear if Arenado would have interest in going to Houston.  The Dodgers, Padres, Angels, Phillies, Mets, and Red Sox are the six teams Arenado would reportedly be willing to play for, but it isn’t known if any clubs beyond this group would also meet his approval for a waiver of his no-trade privileges.

Beyond the no-trade clause, the Astros and Cardinals also have to work out the terms of the actual deal, and finances could present an obstacle.  Rome writes that “the Astros will ask the Cardinals to help pay down” the $74MM owed to Arenado over the final three years of his contract.  (Only $64MM is technically the Cards’ responsibility, as the Rockies are covering $10MM of that figure as per the term of the 2021 trade that brought Arenado from Colorado to St. Louis.)  Whether or not the Cardinals are willing to cover any of Arenado’s salary is an open question, and if so, it’ll be a matter of whether they can match figures with the Astros or any other suitor, or if St. Louis is willing to take on an unwanted contract as salary offset.

Some additional baggage might stand in a way of an Astros/Cardinals trade in particular.  Former Cardinals scouting director Chris Correa was found guilty in federal court over charges of illegally accessing the Astros’ proprietary baseball operations database in 2013 and 2014, and MLB punished the Cardinals by forcing them to give $2MM and their top picks in the 2017 draft to the Astros as punishment.  Though Houston’s front office has since been overhauled and Chaim Bloom is set to replace John Mozeliak next year as the Cards’ next president of baseball operations, the two teams haven’t completed a trade with each other since 2012, hinting at some lingering bad blood.

Astros GM Dana Brown said yesterday that the team’s decision to trade Kyle Tucker (and get Paredes back in the trade package from the Cubs) didn’t indicate that anything changed in Houston’s pursuit of a reunion with Bregman.  KPRC’s Ari Alexander also hears from a source that the Astros remain among “the strong four” top contenders for Bregman along with the Red Sox, Mets, and Yankees, with the Tigers and Blue Jays also linked to Bregman’s market.

Technically, a scenario exists where Houston could re-sign Bregman, install Arenado at first base, and then have Paredes at DH whenever Yordan Alvarez is in left field.  But, more realistically, trading for Arenado would surely close the door on the chances of a reunion between Bregman and the Astros.  Reports have indicated that Houston has offered Bregman a six-year, $156MM contract, but if he and his camp have indicated that a larger outlay is necessary, that might explain why the Astros now have given more attention to Arenado since the end of the Winter Meetings.  With at least the Mets, Yankees, and Red Sox in on both third basemen, it make sense that the Astros would also explore both options out of due diligence.

Latest On Yankees’ Offseason Plans

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The Yankees’ offseason was largely focused on Juan Soto until he agreed to a new deal with the Mets, which has pushed the Yanks towards various backup plans. They now have agreements in place with Max Fried and Jonathan Loáisiga but there’s still plenty more work to be done. They are seemingly looking for an outfielder, a couple of infielders and more bullpen help. That could come from further free agent signings but they also have a rotation surplus that could help them on the trade market.

One name they have frequently been connected to is Cody Bellinger of the Cubs. He is capable of playing either the outfield or first base, two spots where the Yankees need help, though Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that the Yanks probably view Bellinger as a better fit in left field.

The Yanks are expected to move Aaron Judge back to right field, after he served as the club’s primary center fielder while sharing the roster with Soto. Now that Soto is gone, it seems the plan is to give Jasson Domínguez a chance to seize the center field job, with Trent Grisham around as a glove-first insurance option. They would still need a solution in left, since Alex Verdugo is now a free agent, though Bellinger is a possibility there. Bellinger has played left field far less than center or right but there’s no reason to think he couldn’t handle himself over there.

Lining up with the Cubs on value may be an issue, however. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that the Cubs are hoping for the Yankees to take on most of his remaining contract, while the Yanks think the Cubs should be eating some more money in the deal.

Bellinger had a chance to opt out of his deal last month and didn’t take it, which implies that he thinks his current contract is better than what he could get on the open market, at least for now. He is set to make $27.5MM in 2025, then with a choice between a $5MM buyout or a $25MM salary in 2026. If he were a free agent right now, he could perhaps secure a long-term deal with a guarantee larger than the $52.5MM he’s currently owed, but his current deal has short-term appeal. There is still a path towards him having a good season in 2025, banking $32.5MM this year and returning to the open market.

That would be the best case scenario for the Yankees or any acquiring team. If Bellinger produces at a level commensurate with that salary and leaves, that’s a nice scenario for the upcoming campaign. But there’s also the alternate reality where he disappoints, it overpaid this coming season and then sticks around for 2026 as well.

Bellinger’s inconsistent career makes either path possible to see and teams will have differing opinions about which is more likely or what they are willing to risk for the right to take a chance. At the moment, it seems the Yankees and Cubs aren’t in alignment on the calculations but Heyman says progress has been made this week.

Though he won an MVP award back in 2019, Bellinger struggled immensely in 2021 and 2022 while trying to get back in form after shoulder surgery. His past two seasons have both been good but to varying degrees. He hit .307/.356/.525 for a 136 wRC+ in 2023 while stealing 20 bases, but then hit .266/.325/.426 for a 109 wRC+ this year while swiping nine bags.

Another possible target area for the Yanks is third base. They do have Jazz Chisholm Jr. as an in-house possibility there, but he could move him to second base if they were to acquire someone like Nolan Arenado or Alex Bregman for the hot corner.

The Cardinals are exploring the market for Arenado, who has a full no-trade clause. It was reported earlier this week that Arenado is willing to approve trades to six teams. The Yankees weren’t on there but it’s possible that the list wasn’t exhaustive. Feinsand relays that it’s expected Arenado would approve a trade to the Bronx. That’s a logical conclusion since Arenado seems to want to play for a contender and there’s no doubting the Yanks qualify there. They just made it to the World Series and are clearly being aggressive in ramping up for another push next year.

Arenado hasn’t been his usual self over the past two years, however, and it’s fair to wonder if he can get back there now that he’s on the cusp of his 34th birthday. He hit .293/.358/.533 for a 149 wRC+ as recently as 2022 but has slashed a combined .269/.320/.426 for a 104 wRC+ over the past two years. His strong third base defense still makes him an attractive option but, like Bellinger, he’s making notable money. He is set to make $74MM over the next three years, though the Rockies are covering $10MM of that and there are also deferrals.

Bregman is likely viewed as a better option in the short term, but there are complications. He’s going into his age-31 season, making him notably younger than Arenado. He doesn’t quite have the same defensive reputation but is above average in the field. He hit .260/.315/.453 for a 118 wRC+ inf 2024 and was even better after an early-season slump. He hit .280/.329/.509 from May 9 through the end of the year for a 137 wRC+.

But as a free agent, he’s going to command a contract larger than what’s left on Arenado’s deal. MLBTR predicted him for a contract worth $182MM over seven years and the market has been hot so far this winter, so that might be selling him short at this point. There’s also the lingering resentment from the 2017 sign-stealing scandal that was eventually brought to light, creating enough bitterness that general manager Brian Cashman brought it up unprompted during a recent appearance on MLB Network. However, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports that Bregman’s involvement in that scandal would not stand in the way of the Yankees pursuing him.

In the bullpen, both Feinsand and Hoch mention that the Yankees are interested in left-hander Tanner Scott for their bullpen. He just wrapped up a season in which he posted a 1.75 earned run average, 28.6% strikeout rate, 12.2% walk rate and 50% ground ball rate. The Yankees have a longstanding affinity for ground ball guys and don’t really have a left-handed reliever on the roster at the moment, with Tim Hill and Tim Mayza now free agents.

Scott would be a great fit but should be popular and could earn a notable contract. MLBTR predicted him for $56MM over four years and the aforementioned hot market could make that estimate low at this point.

As the Yankees assess those possible acquisitions, they are also going to be fielding offers on their starting pitchers. They now have Fried, Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman as established rotation options, plus depth pieces like JT Brubaker, Cody Poteet, Will Warren and others. Cortes and Stroman have been in trade rumors before but Hoch reports that Gil and Schmidt have drawn interest and Cashman tells him that the club will be “open-minded to all possibilities.”

It’s unsurprising that Gil and Schmidt would draw interest. Gil just won American League Rookie of the Year after posting a 3.50 ERA for the Yanks. Schmidt had a 2.85 ERA but was limited by injury to just 16 starts. Gil is still in his pre-arbitration years and can be controlled through 2028 while Schmidt is projected for a modest $3.5MM next year by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz and can be controlled through 2027.

Storman and Cortes would have less trade value. Stroman is coming off a middling season in which he posted a 4.31 ERA and got bumped from the rotation by the end of the year. He’s going to make $18MM next year and could also unlock a player option of the same value for 2026 if he pitches 140 innings next year. Cortes is now one year away from free agency with a projected $7.7MM salary next year. He had a decent 3.77 ERA this past year but his strikeout rate fell for the third year in a row and he missed a lot of time due to injuries in 2023.

Though Gil or Schmidt would have more value to another club, that’s also true of the Yankees. Their competitive balance tax number is now estimated at $264MM, per RosterResource, meaning they are already over the second tax tier of $261MM and within striking distance of the $281MM third tier. Going over that third tier leads to escalating penalties and also the club’s top draft pick being pushed back ten spots. That is seen as a line for some clubs but the Yanks just finished 2024 with a CBT number of $313MM, so it may not be any kind of red line.

There are still various paths forward for the Yanks via free agency and trade. They’ve also been linked to Christian Walker, Kyle Tucker and plenty of others. Though it’s now the middle of December, their offseason is still very much in the early stages.

Angels Have Checked In On Arenado, Bohm, E. Suarez

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The Angels are known to be open to an everyday addition at third base, and Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports they’ve at least gauged the respective asking prices for Nolan Arenado, Alec Bohm and Eugenio Suarez in talks with the Cardinals, Phillies and Diamondbacks, respectively.

The Halos are reportedly one of the at least six teams to which Arenado would approve a trade, though that’s a somewhat surprising development in and of itself. Both reporting out of St. Louis and, more recently, direct quotes from agent Joel Wolfe have suggested that the eight-time All-Star would prefer to land with a team that has a clear path to contention over the remaining three years of his contract. Said Wolfe earlier this week to a host of reporters at the Winter Meetings: “He wants a team that has the throttle down … that he believes he can jump right in and they’re going to win right now.”

While the Angels are clearly looking to better the club — they’ve added Yusei Kikuchi, Jorge Soler, Travis d’Arnaud, Kevin Newman and Kyle Hendricks this winter — it’s less clear that those moves position them as a contender for the foreseeable future. The Angels’ 63-99 record was the fourth-worst in MLB last season, landing them last place in the American League West. Arenado is an Anaheim-area native, however, having been born in Newport Beach and attended high school in Lake Forest. That proximity to home could understandably hold some sway, especially when coupled with a series of win-now moves from the Angels over the past six weeks or so.

Arenado, 34 in April, is owed $74MM over the next three seasons, but the Rockies are on the hook for $10MM of that under the terms of the deal that sent him from Denver to St. Louis several years ago. His offensive contributions have fallen off over the past two seasons — .269/.320/.426, compared to .293/.358/.553 in third-place MVP season in 2022 — but the six-time Platinum Glove winner remains a premium defender with excellent contact skills. That sets something of a high floor, while the money left on his contract means the asking price for Arenado (prospect-wise) won’t be exorbitant unless the Cardinals pay down a notable portion of the deal.

With Bohm, the asking price has appeared higher, at least in the Phillies’ early asks. They reportedly asked the Mariners about right-handers Logan Gilbert and George Kirby in early talks regarding the longtime Philadelphia third baseman — an outlandish ask even coming off a solid season for Bohm. (That said, it stands to reason the Phillies would aim high early in any trade talks.)

Bohm, 28, hit .280/.332/.448 this past season, but the overwhelming majority of his production came in an outrageous April wherein he slashed .366/.438/.598. From May 1 onward, Bohm hit just .258/.303/.410 — slightly below league-average production. He’s long had negative defensive grades at third base but made strides in 2024 according to both Defensive Runs Saved (0) and Outs Above Average (4). Whether that’s sustainable will be a question interested clubs weigh carefully. Bohm is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz to earn $8.1MM in 2025 and is controllable through the 2026 season.

It’s not entirely clear that Suarez is available — Arenado and Bohm very much are — but the D-backs are a medium-payroll club with inhouse options to step up in the event that a deal comes together. Top prospect Jordan Lawlar is all but MLB-ready, and young Blaze Alexander could take some reps at the hot corner alongside shortstop Geraldo Perdomo if the Snakes opt to give Lawlar a bit more seasoning in Triple-A.

At one point this season, Suarez even briefly looked to be losing the grip on his starting third base job to Alexander. Suarez caught fire shortly thereafter, however, and not only regained his form but was one of the game’s best hitters in the season’s final three months: .312/.357/.617, 24 home runs in his final 325 plate appearances from July 1 onward. That prompted the D-backs to exercise a $15MM club option. Suarez is a free agent following the season, though, and it’s feasible that the Diamondbacks could move him for some minor league talent, go with Alexander/Lawlar at third base in 2025, and reallocate Suarez’s salary to needs at first base, in the bullpen and on the bench. That’s speculative, but the fact that the Angels have at least checked in suggests the Diamondbacks didn’t expressly turn them away.

It seems clear that GM Perry Minasian is seeking upgrades at the hot corner, even with Anthony Rendon signed for another two seasons. Any of the three players listed here would fit the bill, given what the Halos received at third base last year (combined .217/.290/.311 batting line). That’s also true of Alex Bregman and Gleyber Torres — another reported target of the Angels — but Fletcher adds that Bregman and perhaps even Torres might be out of the Angels’ price range at this point. That Torres might be too spendy doesn’t bode well for an Arenado acquisition (again, barring financial help from the Cards), but Bohm and Suarez seem feasible.

Nolan Arenado Willing To Approve Trades To Six Teams

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As Nolan Arenado’s trade market continues to percolate, the no-trade clause in the third baseman’s contract puts Arenado and his camp in the driver’s seat when it comes to determining whether or not he’ll leave the Cardinals.  MLB.com’s John Denton reports that Arenado would okay a deal to any of the Angels, Dodgers, Padres, Phillies, Mets, or Red Sox.  It isn’t known if these are the only six clubs on what Denton describes as Arenado’s “wish list,” or if Arenado could be amenable to deals to any other clubs in the right circumstances.

Agent Joel Wolfe discussed his client’s situation with reporters (including Denton, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, and Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) today at the Winter Meetings, and implied that Arenado’s list of potential teams is “bigger than you would think.”  The chief factor in Arenado’s decision-making is finding “a team that he thinks is going to win now and consistently for the remainder of his career.  He wants a team that has the throttle down….that he believes he can jump right in and they’re going to win right now.”

This all being said, Wolfe noted that Arenado is “not going to go just to go,” or “approve and move his family and go play somewhere that would…sidestepping” into a situation no better than his current spot in St. Louis.  Wolfe said he and Arenado have been in regular dialogue with Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, with Mozeliak floating some teams that have already been dismissed as “hard no’s of where he’d prefer not to go.”

Earlier reports indicated that three unknown “mid-market” clubs also had interest in Arenado’s services, so these could be some of the teams Arenado has already vetoed since the six teams on his list are bigger spenders.  The Yankees had also been linked to Arenado and Goold reports that the Cardinals were in touch with the Bronx Bombers about the third baseman.  As Jones notes, the Yankees seem like a fit on paper given their need at third base and the presence of Arenado’s good friend and old Rockies teammates DJ LeMahieu, but it remains to be seen if the Yankees are still on Arenado’s radar.

New York’s other team could also have an opening at the hot corner depending on how the Mets choose to deploy Mark Vientos, or whether or not the Mets re-sign Pete Alonso or add another big first base bat.  The Phillies likewise have an incumbent third baseman in Alec Bohm, but Bohm’s name has been mentioned in several trade rumors as one of the big-league roster pieces Philadelphia is reportedly open to moving to address other needs.

The Red Sox and Padres were more speculatively linked as suitors a few weeks ago, and Goold reports that St. Louis has already been in contact with these two clubs about Arenado.  Boston’s interest could hinge on whether or not they’d move Rafael Devers off third base, while Arenado’s own apparent willingness to leave his longtime third-base position might be related to his interest in joining the Padres (as San Diego already has a star third baseman in Manny Machado).

Wolfe addressed his client’s offer of a position change as a way to get in front of any awkward questions from a team’s end on the subject.  “The way he phrased it, ‘I’ll play first,’ sometimes [teams] don’t want to ask a player to do that,” Wolfe said.  “So he wanted to offer it and say, ‘I’m happy to play first, I can move around and play third.’ Nolan was like, ‘I’ll play shortstop, I’ll do whatever, but I’m not insulted to go play first, and I can win a Gold Glove over there, if that’s what it takes.’ ”

Since Arenado is from Southern California, it shouldn’t be ignored that the Padres, Dodgers, and Angels are all on his approval list, though Wolfe said Arenado has no geographic preference about his next destination.  It could be argued that the Angels might be on Arenado’s list solely due to location, as a team coming off nine straight losing seasons hardly seems to match Arenado’s preference for a team ready to win.

A trade to the Dodgers seems off the table, as The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya and Katie Woo hear from sources that “a deal for Arenado is not a possibility the organization has considered.”  L.A. general manager Brandon Gomes made a point of saying Monday that Max Muncy was going to remain as the team’s regular third baseman, and a position switch wouldn’t much help Arenado find a spot amidst the crowded Dodgers infield.

It remains to be seen if any of Arenado’s preferred teams may or may not want to bring the eight-time All-Star into the fold, though even in the event of mutual interest, there’s also the matter of working out a trade that is also acceptable to the Cardinals.  Other complications include Arenado’s age (he turns 34 in April), his declining power over the last two seasons, and the $74MM ($10MM covered by the Rockies) in salary owed over the remaining three years of his contract.

Mozeliak: “It’s My Intention To Try” For Arenado Trade

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8:06pm: At least a trio of “mid-market” teams have reached out to the Cardinals about Arenado’s availability, writes Katie Woo of the Athletic. She adds that the Yankees do indeed have interest in the star third baseman, though it’s not known if Arenado would waive his no-trade rights to go to the Bronx.

6:17pm: Nolan Arenado’s name has been floated as a natural trade candidate since the Cardinals are trying to reduce payroll to some extent, and perhaps aren’t making a full-fledged run at contention.  Despite the many obstacles involved in moving Arenado, Cards president of baseball operations John Mozeliak outright stated “It’s my intention to try” to move Arenado this season when speaking today with Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat (links to X), Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and other reporters.  A trade could come relatively soon, within the next 7-10 days but probably not during the Winter Meetings.

It is rare to see any executive be so forthcoming in discussing a player’s trade availability, particularly a player who is still under contract for the next three seasons.  However, even as Mozeliak recently walked back the idea of 2025 as a pure rebuilding year for the Cardinals, it seems as though the team would like to open up the third base spot for younger players, in addition to getting some of Arenado’s salary off the books.

Arenado has a full no-trade clause, so he ultimately has the final say over where he plays in 2025 and beyond.  The fact that Mozeliak feels a trade is relatively close would imply that Arenado has already provisionally agreed to a deal to a particular team or to a few teams, so now the Cardinals are sorting through the best offers from this team or teams.  It is already known that Arenado is even willing to move off third base if that’s a better roster fit for a particular club, though it would seem unusual for the 10-time Gold Glover to move away from his accustomed position.

Beyond the no-trade protection, Arenado is owed $74MM over the three remaining years of his contract, though $10MM of that figure is covered by the Rockies as per the terms of the trade that sent Arenado from Colorado to St. Louis during the 2020-21 offseason.  The Cards could attempt to take on another unfavorable contract as salary offset, though that wouldn’t much help the club’s bigger-picture plans.

Finding a trade partner to absorb all of that $64MM would be easier if Arenado was still in his prime All-Star form, though his numbers have fallen off in the last two seasons.  Arenado has hit .269/.320/.426 with 42 home runs in 1247 plate appearances since Opening Day 2023, which is still above average (104 wRC+) production, yet not at his past standard.  His Isolated Power metric plummeted to .123 in 2024, the lowest of his career and drastically below his .241 average in the previous 11 seasons.

Position change notwithstanding, Arenado’s market could be helped by the fact that the pickings are a little slim for teams looking for third base help this winter.  Alex Bregman is easily the best option available in free agency, and the Phillies’ Alec Bohm might be the top third baseman available on the trade front.  If a club feels a change of scenery can produce a bounce-back year for Arenado, a trade might be possible, provided that Arenado is equally enthusiastic about this new location to okay a deal.  Reports indicate that the Yankees are one team that has been approached by the Cardinals about Arenado, though New York’s level of interest isn’t known.

Speaking of Cardinals players with no-trade protection, Miles Mikolas told Goold that he would prefer to stay in St. Louis for the final year of his contract.  Mikolas is owed $16MM in 2025, and finding a taker at that full price could be tricky anyway since Mikolas struggled to a 5.35 ERA over 171 2/3 innings last season.  While the 36-year-old still brings plenty of durability, the Cards might prefer such an innings-eater in their own rotation, since the team has already parted ways with Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson.

Latest On Yankees’ Offseason Plans

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Juan Soto has officially departed the Bronx in favor of Queens, as the superstar slugger agreed to a 15-year deal with the Mets worth $765MM last night. Now that they know Soto will not be returning to the club in 2025, the Yankees are now poised to pivot towards a number of other notable free agent targets, spreading the money they would’ve spent on Soto around their roster. While the team is sure to have a number of irons in the fire as they attempt to reconstruct their roster without Soto in the mix, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported this morning that the club is expected to make a “strong push” for free agent first baseman Christian Walker after previously expressing interest in him earlier this winter.

Walker, 34 in March, has been a fixture of the Diamondbacks lineup at first base since longtime franchise face Paul Goldschmidt was traded to the Cardinals prior to the 2019 season but has found a new gear in his early thirties. Over the past three seasons, Walker has slashed a strong .250/.322/.481 (120 wRC+) with a 20.8% strikeout rate, a 9.9% walk rate, and 95 homers in 447 games for Arizona. He’s done that while providing high quality defense at first base, winning the NL’s Gold Glove award at the position in each of the past three campaigns. That combination of solid offense and elite defense at the position have made Walker one of the league’s most valuable commodities at first base in recent years. His 10.8 fWAR since the start of the 2022 season is tied with Yandy Diaz for fifth-best in the majors among qualified first basemen, trailing only Freddie Freeman, Bryce Harper, Matt Olson, and Goldschmidt in that time. Meanwhile, Walker ranked fifth in fWAR and seventh in wRC+ among qualified hitters at first base this year while trailing only Freeman, Harper, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in both categories.

It’s the sort of production that virtually any team could benefit from, but the Yankees in particular could use a big boost at first base. Incumbent first baseman Anthony Rizzo departed for free agency last month after a injury-marred campaign that saw him hit just .228/.301/.335 (84 wRC+) in 92 games, and the club’s internal solutions at the position are lackluster. Rookie Ben Rice struggled to a 73 wRC+ in his first taste of big league action last year, while DJ LeMahieu was one of the worst hitters in baseball this past year with a .204/.269/.259 slash line during his age-35 season. Adding Walker would improve both the club’s offense and defense in a substantial way, offering a steady solution at first base.

What’s more, the $60MM price tag over three years that MLBTR predicted Walker would land at the outset of the offseason is hardly cost-prohibitive, and should leave the Yankees with plenty of financial flexibility to stay aggressive in upgrading other areas of the roster. Third base and the outfield appear to be the most obvious places for the club to upgrade, but a pursuit of a top-flight starter such as Corbin Burnes or Max Fried can’t be ruled out either. The Yankees have reportedly met with both players this offseason and appear to have real interest in pairing one of the two remaining aces available in free agency with Gerrit Cole atop the club’s rotation. Of the two, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports that the club prefers Fried over Burnes. Adding either pitcher would surely require the club to trade at least one of their existing starters, with southpaw Nestor Cortes and veteran righty Marcus Stroman standing out as the most speculated-upon trade candidates.

Turning back to the lineup, the Yankees have reported interest in top free agent infielder Alex Bregman, which MLBTR discussed earlier this morning. One other option to fill the club’s vacancy at the hot corner could be Cardinals veteran Nolan Arenado. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported this morning that the Yankees are among a “select handful” of teams that the Cards have approached regarding the possibility of an Arenado trade, though it’s unclear to what level the Yankees reciprocated that interest in a deal if they did so at all. The 33-year-old has a full no-trade clause in his deal with the Cardinals, and his ability to be choosy about his destination has seemingly contributed to a “very limited” trade market for the veteran star.

Presumably, the Yankees are one of the teams Arenado would approve a trade to if the Cardinals are broaching the subject with the club. He could be a sensible fit for the Bronx given his strong defense at third base that would form an impressive left side of the infield alongside shortstop Anthony Volpe while allowing Jazz Chisholm Jr. to move back to second base. With that being said, there are questions about Arenado’s offense at this stage of his career. While he’s just two years removed from finishing as a finalist for the NL MVP award, those two seasons haven’t been kind to him as he slashed just .269/.320/.426 (104 wRC+) in a combined 247 games. He’s been approximately a three-win player over the past two seasons, but with three years remaining on his contract it’s fair to wonder if further regression on either side of the ball could be in Arenado’s future.

As for the outfield, the Yankees have been connected to Teoscar Hernandez as a potential back-up for Soto, with reporting yesterday indicating the club has “serious interest” in his services. Feinsand characterizes the club’s interest in Hernandez differently, however, reporting that the club’s talks with the slugger are “very preliminary” as the club has been focused on Soto to this point in the winter. Of course, now that Soto is off the board it’s easy to imagine the club’s interest in Hernandez becoming far more serious. While no player can replace Soto’s bat in the lineup and pairing another right-handed bat with Judge and Stanton in the middle of the Yankees lineup is far from ideal, Hernandez’s 134 wRC+ in 2024 would still offer the club a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat they’ll be lacking now that Soto has moved on.

Cardinals Facing “Very Limited” Trade Market For Nolan Arenado

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2:24PM: In a follow-up message from Olney on X, he hears from rival executives that the Cardinals will probably have to cover some of Arenado’s salary or take back another unfavorable contract as a salary offset.  As a hypothetical, Olney suggests that if the Dodgers wanted Arenado, Chris Taylor and the $17MM remaining on his contract could be offered back to St. Louis to help cover the financial difference.  It isn’t known whether or not the Cardinals would be open to eating money or taking an unwanted contract back, which could be a further obstacle towards a trade being completed.

2:04PM: Recent comments from president of baseball operations John Mozeliak indicate that the Cardinals may not be entirely viewing 2025 as a rebuild year, though the team has already made some moves with an eye towards reducing payroll.  Trading Nolan Arenado would certainly be just about the biggest move St. Louis could make in that effort to get younger and less expensive, though beyond just the $74MM in owed salary, moving Arenado is difficult due to his no-trade clause.

To that end, ESPN’s Buster Olney (X link) writes that Arenado has “a very limited list of…preferred teams” for potential trades.  This in turn has left the Cardinals without a ton of leverage in finding an ideal trade fit that would help the Cards recoup something beyond just salary relief for the All-Star third baseman.

Previous reports in regards to Arenado this offseason indicated that he hasn’t directly asked for a trade, but he would be willing to move to first base if such a defensive switch is a better fit for a new team.  These two items represent the complicated nature of these trade talks, as Arenado is seemingly ready to be very flexible and accommodating of a trade, but only to a few clubs.  It isn’t known exactly how many teams Arenado is willing to waive his no-trade protection to join, or how many of those teams have their own interest in Arenado as a trade candidate.

It is possible that the Arenado situation might have informed Mozeliak’s comments about the organization having “every intention of fielding a good baseball team” in 2025.  Willson Contreras has already let the Cards know he isn’t waiving his no-trade protection, and so St. Louis still wanted more time for Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages at catcher, the pivot move was installing Contreras as the team’s new regular first baseman.  Sonny Gray also has a no-trade clause that he reportedly isn’t keen on waiving, complicating the Cardinals’ efforts to move on from the last two years of Gray’s contract.

If trading Arenado is also going to be unfeasible due to a narrow market, the Cardinals might’ve decided against entirely punting on the 2025 season.  Pending free agent Ryan Helsley now seems to be a less-likely trade candidate, further indicating that St. Louis might attempt to rebuild on the fly while still competing in the NL Central.  Of course, Mozeliak’s stance on Helsley could also be gamesmanship to drive up offers, and it’s still early enough in the offseason that the Cards might again change lanes depending on how the trade and free agent markets develop in the next few months.

For instance, the third base market will be altered once Alex Bregman and (in the event of a position change) Willy Adames sign their next contracts.  The Phillies are also known to be shopping Alec Bohm, giving third-base needy teams another option.  None of this might really change things if Arenado simply isn’t willing to expand his list beyond that “very limited” number, but a new team suddenly having a need at third base could perhaps convince Arenado otherwise.

Nolan Arenado Reportedly Willing To Move To First Base

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Third baseman Nolan Arenado is a logical trade candidate with the Cardinals planning a reset year. As the Cards assess the interest, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports that Arenado is willing to move to first base with a new club, or at least play the hot corner less often.

Arenado has long voiced a desire to compete, which is what spurred his trade from Colorado to St. Louis years ago. He also declined an opportunity to opt-out of his contract after 2022, seemingly content with the Cardinals’ status as perennial contenders. But their performance has sagged in recent years, causing them to pivot to a focus on player development and less on immediate contention, at least for 2025 but perhaps longer.

With that near-term future outlook, it makes sense to consider trading some players that aren’t part of the long-term plans. Arenado is turning 34 years old in April and has three years left on his contract, so there’s logic to the club making him available. He has a no-trade clause but it makes sense that he would have some openness to waiving it, given his desire to compete and win. Woo reports that Arenado has not demanded a trade but was receptive to the idea when president of baseball operations John Mozeliak discussed it with him.

It’s not uncommon for players to be willing to change positions in order to expand their possible landing spots. This offseason, free agents like third baseman Alex Bregman and shortstop Willy Adames are reportedly willing to move to other infield spots. Both are strong defenders at their positions, but it’s a sensible tactic in keeping one’s market as wide open as possible.

With Arenado, it makes a little bit less sense. Over the past couple of years, his offense has declined but he has still been a valuable player thanks to his third base defense. He has slashed .269/.320/.426 over the two most recent campaigns, offense that translates to a 104 wRC+, barely above league average. However, FanGraphs has still calculated him as being worth about three wins above replacement in each those seasons (2.7 in 2023 and 3.1 in 2024), thanks to his strong glovework.

Arenado has never played a position other than third, though he probably wouldn’t have much trouble moving across the diamond since first base is generally considered a less demanding position. But that would also deprive him of his best asset at this point in his career, unless his bat can rebound in a big way.

His willingness to move could perhaps be a factor if a club already had an excellent third baseman, with Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat (Bluesky link) speculating that the Padres are one such club. That team has Manny Machado, a strong third baseman in his own right, entrenched at third base as a franchise cornerstone. He is under contract for almost another decade, through 2033.

They have a bit less certainty at first base. Jake Cronenworth and Luis Arráez got most of the playing time there in 2024 but both are capable of playing second base. The Padres had Xander Bogaerts at the keystone for much of 2024 but he moved back to shortstop when Ha-Seong Kim got injured, and Kim is now a free agent. Arráez is also not a great defender, at secord or first base, so perhaps he would best fit in the designated hitter slot.

Theoretically, it’s possible that the club could have an infield of Machado, Bogaerts, Cronenworth and Arenado from left to right, with Arráez in the DH spot. From time to time, Machado could get a breather as the DH, with Arenado moving to third and Arráez playing first.

There are also other reasons why the fit could make sense, as Arenado previously played for Padres manager Mike Shildt when Shildt was skipper in St. Louis. Arenado is also a Southern California native. That has often led to rumors of him eventually being traded to the Dodgers, but the fit there is a bit trickier. The Dodgers have Shohei Ohtani taking up the DH spot, Freddie Freeman at first and Max Muncy at third. Theoretically, they could acquire Arenado and trade Muncy, though it’s unclear if they have any desire to do so. Muncy’s defense is a bit behind Arenado’s but he’s been better at the plate lately, having slashed .218/.342/.481 over the past two years for a 124 wRC+.

It would perhaps be simpler for the Padres to just acquire a first baseman and for Arenado to go to a club with a gap at third base. The Red Sox are reportedly thinking of moving Rafael Devers to first and could replace him at the hot corner by acquiring Arenado. Teams like the Blue Jays, Mariners, Astros, Nationals, Brewers, Tigers, Mets and Phillies have been connected to free agents like Bregman or Adames, or are at least speculative fits for a new third baseman. Arenado’s no-trade clause means that he would get to determine whether or not he goes to those clubs and it’s unknown how he would feel about them in terms of their ability to contend or how much their respective geographic locations would matter to him.

On top of all that, the Cardinals will have to assess what other clubs are willing to offer in return. Though the Cards are planning to run a lower payroll in 2025, they don’t really need to move Arenado’s contract in order to accomplish that. RosterResource already projects them to be about $35MM lower than they were in 2024, so cost savings shouldn’t be the priority here. To that end, Woo reports that they won’t move Arenado just to move him or dump salary.

A trade would presumably only come together if the Cardinals feel they are getting something of value in return. Perhaps they could eat some the remainder of Arenado’s contract in order to line up on a deal. He is owed $74MM over the next three seasons though some of that money is deferred and the Rockies are also still on the hook for $5MM this coming season. In addition to adding some young talent in the trade, the Cards could also use their reset year to give Arenado’s playing time to players like Brendan Donovan, Nolan Gorman, Jordan Walker, Thomas Saggese or others.

For a team like the Padres, like they might prefer the Cardinals to eat some money, since their payroll has been such an issue in recent years. They dialed back spending after 2023, dealing Juan Soto to the Yankees, and avoided the competitive balance tax. Going into 2025, RosterResource projects their payroll to be about $40MM above 2024 levels before making any significant offseason moves, with their CBT a bit over the line already as well. On the other hand, they have traded away a lot of prospects in recent years and might not want to further deplete their farm just to awkwardly wedge Arenado into their infield mix.

Woo’s reporting also adds that no deal is close to being completed, but she adds that things could pick up at the Winter Meetings, which take place from December 8 to 11.

Red Sox Reportedly Considering Moving Rafael Devers Off Third Base

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The Red Sox have held internal discussions regarding the possibility of moving longtime third baseman Rafael Devers off the position, per a report from MassLive’s Sean McAdam. McAdam goes on to suggest that the club views a trade for third baseman Nolan Arenado with the Cardinals as a potential option to fill their vacancy at the hot corner in the event Devers changes positions, whether that be a move to first base or DH.

The idea of Devers moving to first base has previously been floated by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and The New York Post’s Jon Heyman throughout the offseason so far, though McAdam’s report stands as the first confirmation that a position change for Devers is under internal consideration within the organization. Previously, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has declined to comment on the possibility of moving Devers off third beyond saying that the club wouldn’t seriously entertain the idea without first discussing it with Devers himself. That could be a complicating factor in a position change, as Devers’s agent, Nelson Montes de Oca, recently told Alex Speier of The Boston Globe that Devers has no plans to move off the hot corner.

“He is a third baseman,” Montes de Oca told Speier, “and he will continue to play third base and work hard to get better at it. That’s his position, that’s what he likes to play, and that’s what he will be playing.”

Resistance to a position change from Devers’s camp isn’t the only potential obstacle to a move. After all, the Red Sox have an extremely talented incumbent first baseman in Triston Casas, who at just 24 years old remains under team control for four more seasons and has previously expressed interest in signing with Boston on a long-term extension. The youngster missed much of the 2024 season due to injury but is a career .250/.357/.473 (125 wRC+) hitter since making his big league debut late in the 2022 season. There’s been speculation at times this winter that the Red Sox could consider moving on from Casas to land starting pitching, but Breslow was quick to shoot down those rumors earlier this month. Given that, a move to first base for Devers would require the front office to either reverse their stance on dealing Casas or else park him at DH on a regular basis, pushing Masataka Yoshida (and the three years and $55.6MM remaining on his contract) either to the bench or off the roster entirely.

Complicated as a position change for Devers would be, the potential benefits for the club could be substantial. Devers is among the worst fielding third basemen in the sport by most metrics, and a move across the diamond would surely improve the club’s infield defense dramatically. In 2024, Devers was worth -9 Defensive Runs Saved and posted a -5 in Statcast’s Fielding Run Value metric. That’s the lowest DRS and tied for the lowest FRV among all qualified (min. 750 innings) third basemen this year. Replacing Devers with an average or even slightly below average glove at third would improve the club’s infield defense considerably, but a position change for Devers would likely be just as motivated by it creating an avenue to improving the club’s offense.

If third base were to be opened by Devers moving to first, that would create an easy place for the Red Sox to add a right-handed bat to the lineup. Adding some thump from the right side has been a priority for Boston dating back to the trade deadline, and the club’s need for a right-handed hitter to add to their offense only grew more pronounced when outfielder Tyler O’Neill hit the open market earlier this month. Most attention on this need has been focused on the outfield at this point in the offseason given the club’s reported interest in either a reunion with O’Neill or pivoting to a deal with Teoscar Hernandez, but the club’s outfield remains crowded with Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and Ceddanne Rafaela all in the mix for playing time already before considering top prospect Roman Anthony (or veterans Yoshida and Rob Refsnyder), who should be ready to take on a regular role at some point in 2025.

Complicated as that outfield picture already is, it’s easy to see why adding a right-handed bat to the infield could be a preferable, more straightforward option than adding another player to the club’s logjam on the grass. Given that, it’s perhaps no surprise that the club has been connected to both longtime Astros third baseman Alex Bregman and former Brewers shortstop Willy Adames in free agency. Both players have expressed an openness to moving to second base (as well as third, in the case of Adames) if their new club so desires, meaning the addition of either player wouldn’t necessarily require Devers to change positions. With highly-regarded second base prospect Kristian Campbell seemingly in the mix for starts in Boston as soon as Opening Day, however, it’s easy to see why the Red Sox may prefer to install Bregman or Adames at the hot corner and move Devers to first.

While the club’s interest in Bregman and Adames has been reported semi-frequently to this point in the winter, McAdam’s suggestion that Arenado could be a consideration for the Red Sox is the first connection between Boston and the veteran star. Unlike Bregman and Adames, it’s all but unfathomable that a ten-time Gold Glove award winner like Arenado would change positions in deference to Devers, meaning a deal for the 33-year-old would certainly require a position change for the younger star. Arenado is also coming off his second consecutive down season offensively. While he was a finalist for the NL MVP award back in 2022, he’s hit just .269/.320/.426 (104 wRC+) in two seasons since then.

That said, Arenado’s defense has remained well above average even if it’s no longer quite as elite as it was during his peak, and that’s allowed him to be a roughly three-win player in each of the past two seasons. While he may no longer offer the same level of impact as Bregman or Adames, the three years and $74MM remaining on the veteran’s contract pales in comparison to the nine-figure sums both free agents are expected to land and would likely do little to impede Boston’s pursuit of other top-of-the-market names like Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, and Blake Snell, especially if a deal involved the Cardinals either retaining some money or taking on a sizable portion of Yoshida’s contract in return. Any deal involving Arenado, of course, would require the veteran’s approval given his full no-trade clause. While the 33-year-old hasn’t requested a trade to this point, both he and the Cardinals appear to be open to parting ways if the right deal comes along given the club’s plans to retool and focus on youth in 2025.

Latest On Nolan Arenado

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Speculation regarding a potential offseason trade of Nolan Arenado kicked up the moment president of baseball operations John Mozeliak announced the club would take a step back and focus on player development and that they were beginning a transitional process that would see Chaim Bloom take over as president of baseball operations beginning next offseason. Unsurprisingly, that announcement was quickly followed by reports that the Cardinals indeed planned to gauge the market for interest in Arenado.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch now reports that, to no one’s surprise, the Cardinals have spent the early stages of the offseason doing just that. He adds one critical element, writing that Arenado has not specifically asked to be traded. That’s a key wrinkle in the saga, as it differs from the last time Arenado was traded. The then-Rockies third baseman was frustrated in the years following his initial extension in Colorado, as the team hadn’t put together a competitive roster. Given the circumstances leading to his last trade, it was only fair to wonder whether Arenado might waive his no-trade clause to try to facilitate a trade to a team with more of a win-now mentality than the 2025 Cardinals will have. That doesn’t appear to be the case at this time.

It’s still possible, of course, that Arenado could be on the move at some point this winter. While he apparently has not specifically requested a trade, there’s simultaneously no indication that he’s voiced a preference to remain with the Cardinals through their reset period (as teammates Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray, who also have no-trade clauses, reportedly have done). Arenado’s original motivation in pursuing a trade from the Rockies and his decision to forgo the opt-out in his contract following the 2021 season stemmed from a desire to put down roots in a perennially competitive setting.

If the Cards find a deal to their liking that would send him to a clear win-now team, they’d likely present him with the scenario and he’d then have to weigh the merits of approving a deal. But, that’s a far different scenario than Arenado asking to be moved and the pressure that would put on Mozeliak, Bloom and the rest of the front office to find a deal or head into the season with a veteran who’s clearly unhappy to be on the roster.

Arenado, 34 in April, has had consecutive underwhelming seasons at the plate. He’s posted a solid but unremarkable .269/.320/.426 slash (104 wRC+) since Opening Day 2023, striking out in only 15.5% of his plate appearances but also walking at a tepid 6.8% clip. Despite all the accolades he’s amassed in his career, he’s never been a consistent source of premium contact (at least by measure of exit velocity, barrel rate and hard-hit rate). Still, he posted career-low marks in all of those categories this past season, including a particularly light 3.2% barrel rate and 31.2% hard-hit rate.

That said, Arenado remains at least an average hitter with plus bat-to-ball skills and a premium glove at the hot corner. His defensive ratings aren’t as lofty as they were when the six-time Platinum Glove winner was widely regarded as perhaps the best defensive player in Major League Baseball, regardless of position. However, he still posted emphatically positive marks in Defensive Runs Saved (6) and Outs Above Average (9). Arenado’s nine errors this year tied for his career-low mark in a 162-game season. He’s as surehanded as they come, and though his arm strength (by measure of Statcast) has continued to dip in recent seasons, his range remains elite.

As recently as 2022, Arenado was an MVP finalist who posted a .293/.358/.533 batting line with 30 homers and elite glovework. Even if he can’t return to those heights, he’s an above-average player on a contract that doesn’t exactly pay him like a superstar anyhow. Arenado is owed $74MM over the next three seasons, but the Rockies are on the hook for $10MM of that sum ($5MM in both 2025 and 2026).

It’s a frontloaded deal — he’s owed $32MM, $27MM and $15MM in the next three seasons — so perhaps the hefty 2025 salary ($27MM after the Rockies’ contributions) could be a pause for some interested parties. On the other hand, a big-payroll club that’s accustomed to paying the luxury tax might not balk too much at Arenado’s effective $21.33MM average annual value, for tax purposes. His remaining guarantee and the associated AAV are generally in line with what good but non-superstar free agents like Christian Walker and Teoscar Hernandez are expected to command.

Goold notes that the Cardinals don’t feel any financial pressure at this point to shed the deal. They’ve already scaled back payroll quite a bit and could do so with further trades of shorter-term players. As such, they might not be compelled to simply move Arenado to a team that’s willing to absorb the contract but offer minimal prospects.

At the same time, if the Cardinals’ lack of financial pressure means they’d be comfortable paying down some of that remaining salary, they could in effect buy a better return. Covering even one-third of the contract would render Arenado priced comparably to the three years and $45MM that Jeimer Candelario secured in free agency last winter. Plenty of clubs might be intrigued in that scenario. It’s ultimately Arenado’s call, thanks to that no-trade protection, but to this point he’s not forcing the team’s hand.

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