Nolan Arenado Rumors: Astros Trade Talks Reached '1-Yard Line' Before Star 3B 'Balked'

The Houston Astros came close to completing a trade for Nolan Arenado in December before the St. Louis Cardinals star "balked" at the proposal, according to The Athletic's Katie Woo.

One source told Woo the Cardinals had come as close as "the 1-yard line" before Arenado turned the trade down.

Arenado has a no-move clause on his contract, which has three years and $74 million remaining. He reported to Cardinals spring training earlier this week.

Woo wrote that the Astros and Cardinals agreed to the "framework" of a trade that involved Houston taking on the majority of his salary.

According to Woo, the Cardinals would be left paying out just $15 million of Arenado's remaining salary over the next three years.

That trade would have allowed the Cards to lower their payroll while allowing the Astros to bring in an infield replacement for pending free agent Alex Bregman.

Arenado ultimately turned down the trade, and talks with at least nine other clubs never progressed as far as the Astros' talks, according to Woo.

Woo named the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels and Boston Red Sox as teams who communicated with the Cards about Arenado.

President of baseball operations John Mozeliak said as recently as Feb. 12 that the Cardinals were exploring trade options for Arenado, per Marc Berman of the AP.

Arenado said when reporting to spring training that there were "five or so" teams he would have been willing to accept a trade to, according to the Associated Press.

“I got a family now and to be willing to pick up my family and move them, it has to be something that is worth it," Arenado said on Sunday. “So, that’s kind of why the list was fairly small, and I don’t see myself really changing that list ever.”

According to Woo, the Astros were on Arenado's "original list." That changed when Kyle Tucker was traded and as Bregman prepared to leave, raising concerns for Arenado as to "what direction Houston was heading," per Woo.

Arenado, who recorded a relatively down season in 2024 while batting .272 with 16 home runs and 71 RBI, will now look to bounce back with the Cardinals despite what Mozeliak described as the "awkwardness" surrounding the franchise's efforts to trade him.