Cardinals' Nolan Arenado Could Be Alex Bregman Alternative For Two AL Contenders

St. Louis might have to wait to make a move for the fan favorite

Aug 31, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) runs out a single against the New York Yankees during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals aren't in the market for former Houston Astros third baseman Alex Bregman but they might have the next best thing to him.

Cardinals eight-time All-Star Nolan Arenado has three years and $74 million remaining on his contract. With St. Louis rebuilding, they've been searching for a trade partner willing to make a deal for Nado.

However, Bregman's market appears to be dwindling down to a pair of American League contenders. To the club that loses out on the former Astros infielder -- Arenado should be the next course of action.

"Of the teams that have been reportedly in the hunt, Detroit (Tigers) has arguably the greatest need for Bregman's glove and his right-handed bat," Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller wrote Thursday. "But if they're not willing to meet his contract demands, maybe he falls to the (New York) Mets, (Boston) Red Sox or (Toronto) Blue Jays and their much larger budgets. (Toronto is least likely of that trio after recently landing Anthony Santander and pushing its payroll to or even beyond the luxury-tax threshold, but it could still happen)."

The Tigers and Red Sox have been looking to add a productive right-handed bat all offseason. Bregman and Arenado are infamous for their pull power, so they remain top choices for Boston and Detroit.

"If he's willing to move to second base, Boston is probably the best non-Detroit bet," Miller continued when discussing the possibility of Bregman switching positions. "Likeliest Landing Spots: Detroit Tigers or Boston Red Sox."

The Red Sox have been described as Arenado's "last chance" to get traded this winter as his market has been relatively quiet.

Arenado is open to joining the Red Sox but he hasn't spoken on whether Detroit is out of the question. The Tigers weren't included in his list of teams he's willing to be traded to but desperate times sometimes call for desperate measures.

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