Nolan Arenado reportedly blocked trade to AL contender

Oct 8, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) reacts after striking out to end the eight inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game two of the Wild Card series for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Nolan Arenado is being very picky when it comes to potential trades from the St. Louis Cardinals.

Arenado invoked his no-trade clause to block a potential trade to the Houston Astros, according to Mark Feinsand, John Denton and Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. The Cardinals and Astros were close to a deal up to that point, but Arenado’s refusal to sanction the move has scrambled the talks.

The Cardinals were prepared to send roughly $15-20 million to Houston to cover part of Arenado’s future salary. The two sides are still talking, but a deal appears much less likely now.

Arenado’s refusal to go to Houston is something of a surprise, as he has made it clear that he would want to play for a contender. The Astros have made the playoffs in each of the last eight seasons and reached the ALCS in seven of them. However, they just traded star outfielder Kyle Tucker away, and a pursuit of Arenado implies they are not optimistic about re-signing star third baseman Alex Bregman, either. Perhaps Arenado believes the team’s best days are behind them.

Though he has been one of the game’s best players for the better part of a decade, Arenado’s numbers slumped in 2024. He hit .272, but his 16 home runs were his lowest mark in a 162-game season since his rookie year. He is still extremely likely to be dealt this offseason, but with a full no-trade clause in hand, he is clearly going to be very picky about where he lands.