Insider Floats AL East Team As Possible Nolan Arenado Fit

Will the Cardinals be able to trade him?

Sep 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) fields a ground ball hit by Cincinnati Reds third baseman Santiago Espinal (not pictured) in the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals still have work left to do in their offseason. They’ve made a few blockbuster trades with the Boston Red Sox and signed right-hander Dustin May to a one-year contract.

But their top three remaining trade chips, Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan and JoJo Romero remain on the roster. Their top priority the last two years has been trying to find a new home for Arenado, but after he rejected a trade to the Houston Astros last winter, there has been little to no movement in his market.

A lot depends on what happens with Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suarez, the top free agent third baseman. Derrick Goold floated the idea of an AL East team taking Arenado off the Cardinals’ hands.

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When Will Arenado Be Moved?

Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) runs home after his solo home run against the San Francisco Giants during the seventh inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

“The Boston Red Sox are pushing to re-sign Bregman. Boston has had interest in Donovan pending other moves, and if Bregman signs elsewhere, the Red Sox could be the ‘fit’ the Cardinals seek this winter for Nolan Arenado,” Goold wrote.

The Red Sox had some interest in Arenado last winter, but after signing Bregman, they turned away from the eight-time All-Star, forcing him to remain in St. Louis. The main problem with Arenado is that he is declining, and fast.

He hit just .237 last year with 12 home runs and a .666 OPS. His defense remains solid, but he has continued to decline at the plate. Still, Boston remains an interesting fit.

Last offseason, the Red Sox were on Arenado’s list of teams he would waive his no-trade clause for, and they could still be of interest to him. But it all depends on what happens with Bregman and Suarez.

Boston’s main goal is to keep Bregman around, but if he goes elsewhere, then Boston could enter the mix for Arenado as they look for ways to beef up their lineup for 2026.

As for the Cardinals, they’ll have to eat a chunk of his salary, but could still get some relief from a potential trade. The problem though is that the return won’t be much of anything, even if the Cardinals decide to eat some money.

If Arenado is gone, third base is open for a younger player. It should be interesting to see if Arenado’s market actually comes together.

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