The Houston Astros have a big hole to fill at third base with homegrown slugger Alex Bregman exploring his options in free agency. While a reunion makes sense, it's far from a sure thing. If Bregman signs elsewhere, could general manager Dana Brown try to swing a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals for Nolan Arenado?
The veteran will be entering his age-34 season in 2025 and has shown signs of slowing down. After a pair of 30-homer, 100-RBI seasons from 2021-22 with the Cardinals, his production has decreased over the past two seasons. He slashed .272/.325/.394 in 635 plate appearances in 2024, including 16 home runs, 23 doubles, 71 RBI and 70 runs scored. His .719 OPS was the lowest it's been since 2013 when he was a rookie with the Colorado Rockies.
He may no longer be the player he once was, but the eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner can still contribute to a contender. His name has been churning through the rumor mill quite a bit already this offseason – could the Astros be a legitimate landing spot?
CBS Sports' Dayn Perry thinks so.
"He (Arenado) remains, however, a standout defender at the hot corner," he wrote. "He's also not a liability at the plate, at least based on 2024 levels of production, and that in tandem with Arenado's defensive value make him potentially of interest to win-now teams."
Perry also mentioned that the right-handed slugger's tendency to pull the ball would fit well with the short porch in Houston.
Arenado is under contract through 2027 on an eight-year, $260 million extension he originally signed with the Rockies. The Cardinals will likely have to kick in some money to make any deal happen because of Arenado's clear offensive decline, reducing the risk for interested teams. He's already waived his no-trade clause once to facilitate landing in St. Louis. If the right opportunity presents itself, it's not outrageous to think he wouldn't do it again.
Depending on what happens with Bregman's free agency, this would be an intriguing alternative for the Astros to keep in mind.
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