Cardinals Trade Scenario Sends Nolan Arenado To Surprise AL East Contender

The St. Louis Cardinals are running out of options to trade third baseman Nolan Arenado and might have to start thinking outside the box to get him moved.
Arenado's greatest desire is to be dealt to a genuine World Series competitor. However, the eight-time All-Star's poor performance in 2024 has made finding a trade partner difficult.
The five-time Silver Slugger might want to add more clubs to his list of teams he's willing to waive his full no-trade clause for. Perhaps an American League East contender looking to add a right-handed bat could be a fit.
Mock trade scenario: Baltimore Orioles receive: 3B Nolan Arenado
Cardinals receive: Right-handed pitcher Trace Bright (Orioles' No. 11 top prospect)
Cardinals agree to pay: $5 million annually for the remainder of Arenado's three-year contract
Considering the Cardinals were willing to eat the $15-20 million of Arenado's contract to trade him to the Houston Astros, it only seems fair that they'd do the same if he's moved to Baltimore.
The Orioles have one of the league's most robust farm systems, so there's no shortage of prospect capital for the Cardinals to target in a potential blockbuster for six-time Platinum Glove defender Arenado.
Bright doesn't have the most impressive track record in the minors but he's only 24 years old and likely has plenty more developing to complete before he's ready for the show. With the Cardinals revitalizing their player development system, perhaps the youngster can find a breakthrough in St. Louis.
As for finding room for Arenado on the Orioles' roster -- they have a logjam of third basemen but none of them come close to being as valuable as the Cardinals fan favorite. Offloading some of their excess defenders in trades, which shouldn't be too challenging, could clear space for Nado.
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