As the St. Louis Cardinals explore the trade market for third baseman Nolan Arenado, one obvious obstacle stands in the way: Arenado's contract includes a full no-trade clause.
According to a new report by MLB.com, the Cardinals were attempting to negotiate a potential trade with the Houston Astros involving Arenado when the veteran informed the team he would not accept a trade to Houston.
Arenado, 33, is under contract through 2027 as part of a nine-year, $275 million deal originally signed with the Colorado Rockies. An eight-time All-Star, he's coming off a pair of down years by his standards.
Since finishing third in National League MVP voting in 2022, Arenado has put together back-to-back seasons of 2.4 and 2.5 Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball Reference — the worst of his career in any non-pandemic seasons.
The Astros are looking for a third baseman to fill the shoes of Alex Bregman, who became a free agent after the season and turned down the Astros' reported offer of a $156 million contract.
Given Bregman's cost and Arenado's value on defense — he's won 10 Gold Glove Awards at third base in his career — Arenado provides an attractive alternative to teams hoping he can bounce back from his 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Monday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported "the Cardinals spoke to the Yankees about (Arenado), and I can add that the Cardinals and Astros have spoken. Other outlets have reported that as well. Also, there have been talks between Boston and the Cardinals, as the Red Sox are also looking for a third baseman."
More to come on this story from Newsweek Sports.
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