The Boston Red Sox may be inching closer to landing one of their top offseason targets.
The Red Sox have long been linked to St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado. On Tuesday, MLB Network’s Jon Morosi reported that the Red Sox and Cardinals “have had recent communication” about a potential Arenado deal.
Cardinals president Chaim Bloom has some familiarity with the Red Sox’s farm system, given that he worked for the team from 2019 to 2023. Bloom could be looking to reunite with some of his old prospects in exchange for the aging Arenado.
Arenado’s on-field performance has declined since his top-3 finish in NL MVP voting during the 2022 campaign. In 152 games last season, the 33-year-old batted .272 with just 16 home runs and 71 RBIs. His .719 OPS in 2024 was his lowest since his rookie season.
A potential Arenado trade could also have significant ripple effects elsewhere this offseason. Aside from Arenado, free agent third baseman Alex Bregman has also been tied to the Red Sox.
If Arenado ends up with the Red Sox, the likelihood of Bregman staying with the Houston Astros would increase significantly.
Boston adding either Arenado or Bregman would potentially push All-Star infielder Rafael Devers to first base or the DH spot. Based on Devers’ cryptic social media activity, it remains unclear how receptive he’d be to making the shift.
