Cardinals Could Send $74 Million 8x All-Star To Royals To Begin Rebuild

Could the Cardinals make a deal with their I-70 rivals?

May 5, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; A general view of the tarp-covered infield as the Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers game is in a rain delay at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have been very inconsistent with their messaging this offseason. They originally stated that they would be entering a reset period, but President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak recently went on the record saying he hoped to field a contending club.

Either way, the Cardinals appear likely to make a trade involving third baseman Nolan Arenado. He is owed $74 million over the next three seasons, but with the Cardinals possibly taking a step back, he became open to a trade.

Rachel Millanta of FanSided proposed the idea of St. Louis linking up with the Kansas City Royals for a potential Arenado trade.

"There are a number of sluggers the Royals could target to bolster their offense both in free agency and on the trade market," Millanta wrote. "Teoscar Hernandez, Jurickson Profar and Anthony Santander are all still available after extremely strong offensive showings in 2024, while if Kansas City looks to trade, Nolan Arenado and Alec Bohm would be major upgrades both to the batting lineup and third base."

If the Cardinals do trade Arenado, they could open up third base for Brendan Donovan, Thomas Saggese or Nolan Gorman. Even Jordan Walker could get a look at the hot corner.

Arenado hit .272 during the regular season but saw his power numbers dip. The slugger hit only 16 home runs and had a .719 OPS. However, a trade to a contender such as the Royals could potentially help him get back to his old ways in 2025.

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