Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Predicted To Trade $260 Million Star To Shocking Division Rival

The Cardinals will likely continue to shop Nolan Arenado this season.
Zach Pressnell|
Aug 2, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) scores against the Chicago Cubs during the eighth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Aug 2, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) scores against the Chicago Cubs during the eighth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

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The St. Louis Cardinals have reportedly tried to trade infielder Nolan Arenado over the last few months. But the veteran infielder has a lot of money left on his $260 million contract as well as a no-trade clause, so moving him has remained complicated.

Still, the Cardinals will likely continue to look for a deal to ship Arenado away because of his massive contract and the current state of their franchise. Moving on from the veteran third baseman makes the most sense.

Jon Conahan of Athlon Sports recently predicted the Cardinals would eventually find a trade for Arenado with the division rival Chicago Cubs.

"During the offseason, there were rumors that the Chicago Cubs could be interested in trading for Nolan Arenado," Conahan wrote. "Instead, the Cubs have allowed Matt Shaw to prove that he's a major league talent, and that's proven to be the right decision so far.

"While Shaw has struggled in the early parts of the campaign, there's no better time to allow him to play. He's currently hitting .195, which isn't great, but again, a chance had to be given eventually, and the Cubs have found success early on, hopefully taking pressure off the 23-year-old."

If the Cubs are willing to take on most of Arenado's deal, this could make some sense, but the Cardinals would likely be wary of trading a star within their own division.

The main catch here would be Arenado. To this point, the belief around the league is that Arenado has a list of six teams he would waive his no-trade clause for. The Cubs aren't on that list.

For this deal to get off the ground, Arenado would need to be okay with it. While the fit could make sense as a short-term solution in Chicago's infield, there's no reason to suggest a deal could happen unless Arenado tells the Cardinals he would accept a deal to the Windy City.

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Zach Pressnell
ZACH PRESSNELL

Zach Pressnell has experience covering all major US sports at both the professional and collegiate levels. He’s produced content for FanSided, Blog Red Machine, The Game Haus, Bethany College Athletics and the Bethany College online newspaper, He graduated from Bethany College (WV) with a degree in Communications and Media Arts, specializing in Sports Journalism. Pressnell was also a four-year member of the baseball team where he earned himself All-PAC recognition as a pitcher (and a cool Tommy John surgery scar). Now, Pressnell specializes in NFL and MLB coverage for Sports Illustrated’s “On SI” network among others. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding "St. Louis Cardinals On SI," please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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