It has been about two weeks since Nolan Arenado used his no-trade clause to veto a proposed deal that will’ve seen the veteran third baseman go from the Cardinals to the Astros. The subsequent step within the Playing cards’ efforts to commerce Arenado stay unclear, as The Athletic’s Will Sammon and Katie Woo report that “there was minimal traction on Arenado’s entrance for the reason that Astros deal fell by.”
The dearth of exercise isn’t precisely stunning given what number of elements complicate any potential deal. The Rockies are protecting $10MM of the remaining $74MM owed to Arenado during the last three years of his contract, and a few deferred cash concerned within the contract reportedly makes Arenado’s remaining wage price $60MM in present-day cash. That’s nonetheless an enormous chunk of change that the Cardinals wish to largely shed from their payroll, leaving a reasonably restricted variety of potential suitors who’ve each payroll area and a necessity at third base.
To the latter level, Arenado has indicated a willingness to vary positions, as his agent Joel Wolfe instructed reporters throughout the Winter Conferences. Arenado is in the end within the driver’s seat in these negotiations resulting from his no-trade safety, and previous stories have indicated that he would okay a deal to the Phillies, Mets, Crimson Sox, Angels, Dodgers, or Padres, although it seems this listing of most well-liked locations is considerably fluid.
In actual fact, Houston was on an preliminary model of that listing, as Woo and Chandler Rome wrote earlier this month. The Astros’ commerce of Kyle Tucker only a few days earlier than the proposed Arenado commerce reportedly gave him pause about going to Houston, which is why he invoked his no-trade clause on the time. Nonetheless, the door wasn’t solely closed on a possible deal, as Sammon and Woo write that Arenado “was prepared to revisit the Astros after additional readability developed in his market (specifically, Alex Bregman signing).”
The Astros ended up shifting on from each Arenado and Bregman, as they as a substitute signed Christian Walker as their new on a regular basis first baseman, thus pushing Isaac Paredes (acquired within the Tucker take care of the Cubs) throughout the diamond as the brand new common third baseman. Even together with his former crew now out of the operating, Bregman continues to be garnering loads of curiosity, as such golf equipment because the Tigers, Blue Jays, Crimson Sox, Phillies, and Mets have all been linked to him this winter. Studies have been considerably combined in regards to the Yankees’ curiosity in both Arenado or Bregman, as the first hold-up in Arenado’s case being New York’s unwillingness to tackle the majority of his remaining wage.
The overlap between Bregman’s market and Arenado’s reported commerce desire listing is probably going why Arenado’s scenario hasn’t a lot modified within the final couple of weeks, as it’d take Bregman signing to spark renewed curiosity in groups returning to commerce talks with the Cardinals. If Arenado can’t be traded in any respect, St. Louis may merely deliver him again for the approaching season and maybe discover offers later — at the same time as early because the commerce deadline, as a sizzling begin from Arenado may assist erase any worries a suitor might need about his common offensive numbers from the final two seasons.
Preserving Arenado even for the brief time period doesn’t resolve the Cardinals’ want to chop payroll, nevertheless, so Sammon and Woo write the Playing cards would then possible put a greater emphasis on buying and selling a beginning pitcher to avoid wasting cash. Sonny Grey has indicated he isn’t going to waive his personal no-trade safety and Andre Pallante continues to be in his arbitration-eligible years, leaving Miles Mikolas (owed $16MM in 2025), Steven Matz ($12.5MM) or Erick Fedde ($7.5MM) as the highest commerce chips. It appears possible that St. Louis can be open to shifting Mikolas or Matz with or with out an Arenado commerce, although Sammon and Woo be aware that the Cardinals would like to maintain Fedde till nearer to the deadline, in the event that they transfer him in any respect.
