Red Sox Could 'Wait Out' Cardinals For $64 Million Blockbuster Trade, Says Insider

Do the Red Sox want to play a dangerous game?

Jul 3, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; A St. Louis Cardinals equipment manager shines the batting helmets prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Another week of the winter begins without the Boston Red Sox having secured their newest right-handed bat.

It's almost impressive how little reliable right-handed talent the Red Sox have in their lineup. 90 percent of the population is right-handed, yet no returning Boston righty hit more than 15 home runs last season, thanks to the loss of Tyler O'Neill in free agency.

While Boston's free-agency pursuits haven't borne fruit, a trade is always on the table, especially for a club with as much spending power and prospect depth as the Red Sox. And St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado has been the most hotly-debated trade candidate of any external player this winter.

Arenado, a 10-time Gold Glover and five-time Silver Slugger, has been on a Hall of Fame track for years now. But he struggled in 2024, and the Red Sox would have to rework their infield to move Rafael Devers off third base to acquire him. Plus, he's on an expensive contract for three years.

Red Sox insider Chris Cotillo recently posed an intriguing take on a potential Arenado trade: With limited competition for the third baseman's services, could the Red Sox be playing a game of chicken with St. Louis?

"Arenado has made it clear he would welcome a trade to Boston but the moving parts involved (Rafael Devers to first base? A Triston Casas trade?) make the fit look easier on paper than in reality," Cotillo wrote.

"The Cardinals are motivated to move Arenado’s salary — the acquiring team would pay him $64 million over the next three years — so it’s possible the Red Sox could wait out that market, take on a huge chunk (or all) of the contract and simply shift Devers to designated hitter. It’s unclear if other teams remain involved on Arenado."

In Cotillo's scenario, it seems designated hitter Masataka Yoshida would also have to be traded--perhaps with the Red Sox eating a bit of salary in the process. Perhaps the Cardinals would even like Yoshida if they didn't owe close to the full $55 million he's owed over the next three years.

Trading for Arenado would mean the Red Sox were banking heavily on a rebound year despite a number of statistical red flags at age 33. But it's never safe to bet against an all-time great, so Arenado might well have a bounce-back in store.

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