Nolan Arenado Trade Rumors: Yankees Won't Take on Contract; Cardinals Could Keep 3B

Nolan Arenado may be returning to the St. Louis Cardinals next season after reports indicated that the New York Yankees were unwilling to take on his contract, according to The Athletic's Will Sammon and Katie Woo.

"(Although) the Yankees like Arenado, they aren't interested in taking on the majority of his contract, something that would almost certainly need to happen from the Cardinals perspective," Sammon and Woo wrote.

The Yankees emerged as a potential suitor for Arenado after signing his friend and teammate Paul Goldschmidt in mid-December, but a trade for a third baseman doesn't appear to be a priority at the moment.

Early in the offseason, St. Louis made it clear they intended to trade Arenado, with president of baseball operations John Mozeliak citing "financial reprieve" as the reason, according to Sammon and Woo. The Cardinals are also planning to reset the roster in 2025 as well as lower the team payroll and upgrade its player development system, per Sammon and Woo.

Mozeliak and Arenado initially agreed that parting ways would be the best move for both the team and his long-term plans. By mid-December, they believed they had found a suitable trade partner for Arenado, according to Sammon and Woo.

Mozeliak and the Cardinals were under the impression that the third baseman would be relocating to Houston to join the Astros who would take Arenado on as well as the majority of his three-year, $74 million salary, per Sammon and Woo. However, Arenado wasn't fully convinced and decided to exercise his full no-trade clause, ultimately blocking the deal.

Despite their goal of actively trading Arenado, the Cardinals' reluctance to take on a significant portion of his salary—since the primary aim is to offload his contract—led Mozeliak to admit he is "not sure that puts us exactly where we want to be," per Sammon and Woo.

"From a financial standpoint, we're trying to move our payroll," Mozeliak said during December's Winter Meetings. "There are certainly other ways we can do this, but (moving Arenado) would be a big help. (The reason) is mostly financial, but it also creates runway for someone else."

If the Cardinals cannot find a trade partner for Arenado, they are prepared to trade a few starting pitchers instead. However, this is not their preferred option, as they hope to retain right-hander Erick Fedde until the trade deadline, according to Sammon and Woo.