Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado willing to accept trade to Red Sox
The Cardinals are looking to move veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado this offseason and have given his agent permission to find a deal with other teams in the league.
Arenado is an intriguing fit for the Red Sox with the ability to play a Gold Glove third base and give Boston a right-handed power bat for their lineup. The All-Star has three years and $74 million left on his deal that will run through 2027 and has a full no-trade clause in his contract.
According to MLB.com’s John Denton, Arenado is willing to accept a trade to six teams across the league, including the Red Sox. The other teams he is willing to waive his no-trade clause for are the Dodgers, Padres, Angels, Phillies, and Mets.
Arenado’s agent, Joel Wolfe, told the Cardinals that the 10-time Gold Glove winner is willing to move off third base and potentially play first base in order to facilitate a trade to a World Series contender.
“He doesn’t have the ability to ride it out and just be OK with [losing],” Wolfe said of Arenado. “It’s like his biological clock is ticking, and if the team’s not winning, it’s driving him crazy—every day, every night, and all through the offseason—and he takes it so personal and [acts] like it’s all on him.
“The Cardinals are changing directions, which is fine because all teams do that. So, if that’s the way it is, and they say that [an Arenado trade] might be beneficial—and they have been open and communicative about that—I get it. Now, let’s try and find a place where they are in a different place, and he can jump in and help the team go to the next level.”
The 33-year-old hit .272 with a .719 OPS, 16 home runs, 71 RBI, and two stolen bases in 152 games for St. Louis last season. Boston’s interest was first brought up a few weeks ago by MassLive’s Sean McAdam.
“Don’t rule out some Red Sox interest in Arenado,” McAdam wrote. “There’s been some internal talk about moving Devers off third base at some point, and Arenado is viewed as a potential Plan B. The Cardinals, who are watching their payroll carefully, wouldn’t be opposed to moving him if a team is willing to take on most of the remaining money. One potential obstacle: Arenado has a full no-trade clause.”
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If the Red Sox were to add Arenado, he would help the infield defense immensely. Arenado has been an excellent defender over his career with 162 career defensive runs saved. He has averaged 13.5 DRS per season, but he posted six defensive runs saved in 1,268 1/3 innings at third base last year and just one in 1,095 2/3 innings in 2023, according to FanGraphs.
Offensively, Arenado has not been the same hitter as he’s been in the past. Over the last two seasons, he has a .746 OPS in 296 games versus an .857 OPS through his career. He would provide protection in the lineup around Devers, but the Red Sox would be better served adding another bat in addition to Arenado.
Arenado's stats have been underwhelming over the past two seasons. Does anyone see that trend reversing as he turns 34? Not I.