The St. Louis Cardinals would need permission from Nolan Arenado in order to trade him, and the star third baseman may have a new team at or near the top of his wish list.
Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam of MLive.com reported on Sunday that Arenado would be willing to waive his no-trade clause for the Boston Red Sox. Not only that, but the reporters say “Boston is a preferred destination — if not the preferred destination — for Arenado.”
It remains unclear if the interest is mutual, however. The Red Sox have been linked to star infielder Alex Bregman throughout the offseason. According to John Denton of MLB.com, Boston might be getting close to giving up on their pursuit of Bregman, likely because of the asking price. Bregman is said to be seeking upwards of $200 million in free agency, and a different American League team appears to be all-in on signing the 30-year-old.
Though his numbers dipped a bit in 2024 with a .272 average, 16 home runs and 71 RBI, Arenado has been one of the more productive hitters in baseball for the better part of a decade. The expectation is that he will be dealt, but he is owed $52 million over the next three seasons when you factor in deferred money and the portion of his salary that the Colorado Rockies are paying.
The Cardinals are likely willing to eat some of Arenado’s remaining contract depending on what they get in return. A report last month claimed Arenado was holding out for a trade to one specific NL team, but there has been no movement on that front.
If the Red Sox were to acquire Arenado, they would probably have to move Rafael Devers from third base to first. Tristan Casas, who is Boston’s current first baseman, has been viewed as a potential trade target himself. Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has said the team does not plan to move Casas.
