MLB Insider Floats NL Rival As Potential Trade Partner for Cardinals' Nolan Arenado

Would St. Louis dare to make this move?

Arenado spent the last four seasons in St. Louis. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

If the St. Louis Cardinals still plan to trade third baseman Nolan Arenado this offseason, they now need to pivot.

The Boston Globe's Alex Speier reported Wednesday that the Cardinals were back at the bargaining table with the Boston Red Sox for a potential Arenado trade. However, several hours after that report, the Red Sox agreed to sign star infielder Alex Bregman to a three-year deal worth $120 million—thus likely putting an end to any Arenado-to-Boston rumors.

So, what's next? ESPN's Buster Olney suggested Thursday night that the NL Central rival Chicago Cubs are a "theoretical fit" for Arenado.

What's next for Nolan Arenado? Well, one team that would be a theoretical fit would be the Cubs, one of the teams that missed out on Alex Bregman. They need a third baseman, while the Cards are trying to move the player and money... But St. Louis would have to get comfortable…

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) February 13, 2025

Of course, trading Arenado to a division rival—the Cubs, nonetheless—might be a difficult move for St. Louis to swallow.

Third base remains a position of need for the Cubs as spring training begins. As of Thursday night, Matt Shaw—the Cubs' first-round pick in 2023—is the front-runner to earn the starting third base role in camp. Although Shaw has raked in the minors—29 homers and a .906 OPS in 159 career games—he has no big league experience and has seen just 131 at-bats at Triple-A.

Shaw looks like he can develop into a future star, but trading for Arenado would give the Cubs a proven option at the hot corner in a season they need to bounce back from last year's 83–79 disappointment.

Arenado, an eight-time All-Star, has just been a slightly above-average hitter in the big leagues over the last two seasons. In 296 games in that span, Arenado has logged 42 homers and a .269/.320/.426 slash line, adding up to a 104 OPS+—just four points above league average (100 OPS+).

Arenado, 33, is due $21 million this season and is under contract through 2027. Back in December, he invoked the no-trade clause in his contract and nixed a deal with the Houston Astros.

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