Ranking 10 Cardinals' Nolan Arenado Landing Spots amid Red Sox and More Trade Rumors
Finding a trade partner for Nolan Arenado has proven difficult for the St. Louis Cardinals this offseason. The potential future Hall of Famer is still on the trade block as spring training draws closer.
Arenado's dip in production, bloated 2025 salary and full no-trade clause have all been significant hurdles as the Cardinals look to retool their roster and get younger during the upcoming season.
However, as more dominos fall on the free-agent market, Arenado could become a more appealing target for teams still looking to put the finishing touches on their starting lineup.
Here, we've identified 10 teams that still make sense as a logical landing spot for Arenado heading into the 2025 season.
What Is Arenado's Trade Value?
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In short, Arenado's trade value is virtually non-existent.
The 33-year-old is likely headed to Cooperstown once he retires, and he is just two years removed from finishing third in NL MVP voting, but he is trending in the wrong direction heading into 2025. He hit .272/.325/.394 for a 101 OPS+ with 23 doubles, 16 home runs and 71 RBI in 152 games last season.
Beneath those surface-level numbers, he posted career-low marks in average exit velocity (86.3 mph, 9th percentile), hard-hit rate (31.6%, 12th percentile) and expected slugging percentage (.356, 20th percentile), which is not promising for his future outlook.
Despite all of that, he was still a 2.5-WAR player in 2024, and there is still value in his long track record of production and veteran voice in the clubhouse. The major hurdle is his salary. Even with the money that the Rockies are still on the hook for and the money the Cardinals have deferred, he still carries payroll figures of $21 million in 2025, $16 million in 2026 and $15 million in 2027.
The Cardinals will either need to pay down some of that remaining $52 million or package him with a more attractive trade chip like closer Ryan Helsley or a prospect to gain anything beyond payroll relief in return.
There is also the matter of Arenado's full no-trade clause, which he exercised when he vetoed a potential trade to the Houston Astros back in December.
Can the Cardinals overcome those roadblocks to get a deal done with one of the following teams?
Nos. 10-6: Mets, Nationals, Royals, Angels, Blue Jays
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10. New York Mets
Trading for Arenado is probably not Plan A (re-sign Pete Alonso) or Plan B (sign Alex Bregman) for the Mets right now, but it could be Plan C. That's enough to include them here.
If the Cardinals eat a significant chunk of Arenado's remaining money, penciling him in at third base and shifting Mark Vientos across the diamond to first base would solidify the Mets infield.
9. Washington Nationals
The Nationals are a young team on the rise with financial flexibility and a glaring hole at third base, so they are a logical fit for Arenado on paper. The question is whether he would be willing to accept a trade to a team that may still be a few years away from legitimate contention.
A package deal along with Sonny Gray would make a ton of sense for the Nationals, although all indications are that the veteran starter prefers to stay in St. Louis, and he also has a no-trade clause.
8. Kansas City Royals
The Royals could use a proven run producer to take some of the load off Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Vinnie Pasquantino in the middle of the lineup. Arenado would also be a clear upgrade over incumbent third baseman Maikel García, who probably fits better in a super-utility role on a contending team.
Are they willing to take on Arenado's remaining salary for a player who is on the other side of his prime years?
7. Los Angeles Angels
Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reported last month that the Angels were open to adding an everyday third baseman despite the presence of the uber-expensive, oft-injured Anthony Rendon on the roster. Despite their lack of success in recent years, the Angels were also on Arenado's list of preferred destinations, so he would presumably not use his no-trade rights to block a deal.
If there is a dark horse that could legitimately get a deal done, it's the Angels.
6. Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays have to do something of significance soon, right? Since whiffing in their pursuit of Juan Soto, the only notable addition to the starting lineup has been the defensive-minded Andrés Giménez in a trade with the Guardians.
Assuming Ernie Clement can slide to a spot in the outfield, adding Arenado at third base would be a nice lineup upgrade, and Matt Chapman's run with in Toronto made it clear that the Blue Jays value defense at the hot corner.
5. San Diego Padres
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Potential Lineup
1. 1B Luis Arráez
2. RF Fernando Tatis Jr.
3. CF Jackson Merrill
4. DH Manny Machado
5. 3B Nolan Arenado
6. 2B Jake Cronenworth
7. SS Xander Bogaerts
8. C Luis Campusano
9. LF Tirso Ornelas
The Padres have some holes to fill in the lineup, most notably in left field and at designated hitter, where their best in-house options are largely unproven. A reunion with Jurickson Profar still looks like the likely solution to shoring up the outfield, but they could go a lot of different directions to address the DH role.
Acquiring Arenado could be a way to help keep Manny Machado fresh, as the 32-year-old is no longer the elite defender he was in his prime. He started 51 games at designated hitter in 2024, so things are already trending in that direction.
The addition of Arenado would be a win-now move, and one that should not cost a thin Padres farm system anything of significance.
4. Seattle Mariners
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Potential Lineup
1. RF Victor Robles
2. CF Julio Rodríguez
3. LF Randy Arozarena
4. C Cal Raleigh
5. 3B Nolan Arenado
6. 1B Luke Raley
7. DH Mitch Haniger
8. SS J.P. Crawford
9. 2B Dylan Moore
A lackluster offense undercut baseball's best starting rotation last season, and the Mariners ended on the outside looking in for a playoff spot as a result. They need to do something this offseason to upgrade the lineup.
One of their biggest issues was strikeouts, as they led the majors with a staggering 1,625 of them. That amounts to roughly 10 punchouts per game.
Arenado was one of only 14 qualified hitters with a strikeout rate below 15 percent last season. He would provide Seattle with a more contact-oriented approach to a lineup that desperately needs it while also addressing a glaring hole at the hot corner.
3. New York Yankees
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Potential Lineup
1. 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr.
2. 1B Paul Goldschmidt
3. RF Aaron Judge
4. CF Cody Bellinger
5. DH Giancarlo Stanton
6. 3B Nolan Arenado
7. C Austin Wells
8. SS Anthony Volpe
9. LF Jasson Domínguez
Jazz Chisholm Jr. gives the Yankees flexibility on how they want to finalize their infield, as he could potentially line up at second base or third base next season.
Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza and veteran DJ LeMahieu are the leading in-house candidates to fill the void left behind by Gleyber Torres departing in free agency. However, all three are better served as bench players on a contending team.
The Yankees could covet a package deal of Arenado and All-Star closer Ryan Helsley, as slotting him alongside Luke Weaver and newcomer Devin Williams at the back of their bullpen would give them a formidable late-inning trio.
2. Detroit Tigers
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Potential Lineup
1. CF Parker Meadows
2. 2B Gleyber Torres
3. LF Riley Greene
4. 3B Nolan Arenado
5. DH Kerry Carpenter
6. RF Matt Vierling
7. 1B Colt Keith
8. C Jake Rogers
9. SS Trey Sweeney
The Tigers have been tied to free agent Alex Bregman all offseason. But if he ends up signing with the Red Sox or somewhere else, pivoting to Arenado would still give them a welcome veteran run producer in the middle of a young lineup.
Up-and-comer Jace Jung has solid potential, but he also looked a bit overmatched in his first MLB action last year. He hit .241 with 29 strikeouts in 94 plate appearances and tallied minus-0.5 WAR in 34 games.
For a Detroit squad that has arrived as a contender sooner than expected, prioritizing Arenado's proven production over Jung's development makes far more sense than it would have at this time a year ago.
1. Boston Red Sox
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Potential Lineup
1. LF Jarren Duran
2. 3B Nolan Arenado
3. DH Rafael Devers
4. SS Trevor Story
5. 1B Triston Casas
6. RF Wilyer Abreu
7. C Connor Wong
8. 2B Kristian Campbell
9. CF Ceddanne Rafaela
Earlier this week, Katie Woo of The Athletic wrote: "Multiple league sources indicate the Red Sox represent Arenado's last chance to get dealt before the 2025 season."
That may be the case right now, but the ever-changing nature of the offseason market means things could still change once more free-agency dominos fall. However, it's still reason enough to pencil Boston in at No. 1 here.
The Red Sox would need to sell Rafael Devers on shifting to designated hitter, or revisit the idea of trading Triston Casas for starting pitching help so they can shift him across the diamond to first base.
It still feels like the Red Sox are one big move away from being finished with their offseason.
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