Report: Arenado blocks trade to Astros
Published
St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado has blocked a potential trade to the Houston Astros, report Mark Feinsand, John Denton and Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
The Athletic's Katie Woo reports Arenado's decision stemmed from a preference to not make a decision this early in the off-season. Woo adds it's unclear whether or not the Astros will continue to pursue him or pivot to other options.
USA Today's Bob Nightengale points out that a reunion with third baseman Alex Bregman is also very much on the table. Bregman is a free agent and was ranked eighth on TSN's Top 75 MLB Free Agents list released in November.
Arenado has a no-trade clause in his contract, which pays him $74 million through the next three seasons. However, as MLB.com notes, Arenado's old team, the Colorado Rockies, are on the hook for $10 million and $12 million of the deal is deferred, bringing the present-day value of what Arenado is owed to close to $60 million. MLB.com reports the Cardinals were willing to send between $15 and $20 million to Houston to help facilitate the deal.
According to Feinsand, Denton and McTaggart, talks between the two sides remain ongoing, but no deal is close.
“All I can say is that we were in talks with multiple teams, and we still are, but I have nothing pending,” Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said via MLB.com Wednesday. “We're still working on a lot of things, and hopefully we have clarity as we get into the new year.”
Mozeliak added that Arenado remaining with the Cardinals next season is a possibility, though he admitted it might be best for the club to spread his money around to different areas.
The 33-year-old Arenado is coming off his worst offensive season since his rookie year in 2013, slashing .272/.325/.394 with 16 home runs and 71 RBI in 152 games. He had 26 homers, 93 RBI and a .774 OPS in 144 games the season before.
A 10-time Gold Glove Award winner, six-time Platinum Glove recipient, eight-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger, Arenado has been one of the best third baseman in baseball over the past decade. But multiple reports indicated the Cardinals are looking for a reset in 2025 coming off two straight missed postseasons. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who won an MVP with St. Louis in 2022, is also expected to end up elsewhere next season as the 37-year-old remains a free agent.