Cardinals 'Realistic' Blockbuster Pitch Would Send $260M Star To Phillies

Will the Cardinals pull off a blockbuster deal in the near future?

May 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Philadelphia Phillies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals seem to be at a crossroads.

A new era is approaching and it likely won't include star third baseman Nolan Arenado. He has been with the team since 2021 and is one of the best third basemen in baseball. The 2024 season wasn't great for Arenado by his standards, but he still hit 16 home runs and drove in 71 runs in 152 games played.

It seems like he is going to get moved and MLB.com's John Denton revealed a list of six teams that he would approve a trade to. One team that was mentioned on the list is the Philadelphia Phillies. FanSided's Thomas Gauvain put together an intriguing "realistic" trade proposal to send Arenado to Philadelphia.

"Cardinals receive: (right-handed pitcher) Jean Cabrera and (right-handed pitcher) Seth Johnson (and) Phillies receive: (third baseman) Nolan Arenado and $10 million," Gauvain said. "In this scenario, the Phillies flip Alec Bohm somewhere else to open space for Arenado. The Cardinals also send some money to offset Arenado's contract. In Cabrera and Johnson, the Cardinals get two pitchers who are near MLB-ready and have solid floors. Cabrera finished 2024 with a 3.80 ERA between high-A and Double-A with 110 strikeouts in 106.2 innings...

"Johnson uses a 60-grade fastball and an elusive slider to get batters out. The 26-year-old righty has already made his major-league debut, and he had a 2.73 ERA in the minors last year through 95.2 innings."

It seems like the Cardinals are going to cut ties with Arenado. Getting two hurlers that could contribute at the big league level would be a big win.

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