Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Insider Reveals 3 'Non-Starters' For Nolan Arenado

The Cardinals obviously tried to get a blockbuster trade done...
Patrick McAvoy|
Aug 12, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) prepares for the pitch in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images
Aug 12, 2024; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) prepares for the pitch in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images | Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

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The St. Louis Cardinals certainly hoped for a different outcome with Nolan Arenado throughout the offseason.

Arenado has been with the Cardinals since before the 2021 season and has been everything the team could've hoped for. The 33-year-old is one of the best third basemen of the last decade. Areando is an eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove Award winner.

The team made it clear that they wanted to trade him away this past offseason as a way to trim the team's payroll. It didn't work out, though, and he's still with the team. It absolutely seems like he's going to be with the team for Opening Day, which would've been a major shock if someone were to have said that a few months ago.

The Athletic's Katie Woo recently shared a lot of intriguing details about the offseason trade discussions and revealed that the Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, and Los Angeles Angels all were "non-starters" for the Cardinals star.

"Talks with other teams never got that far," Woo said. "The Cardinals had conversations with at least nine organizations — including some surprises. According to an industry source, multiple teams inquired about Arenado early in the offseason, including the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals, and Los Angeles Angels. Those conversations did not yield much, as all three teams were considered non-starters. The Boston Red Sox had emerged as a potential fit until they signed Bregman days before position players were scheduled to report to their designated camps."

Maybe this is for the best. The Cardinals finished above .500 last year and didn't lose one of the team's best players. Maybe they could surprise some people in 2025.

More MLB: Orioles Urged To Consider Cardinals $75 Million Star By MLB Writer

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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