The financial side of things has to add up first—make the numbers make sense! So why would a team like the St. Louis Cardinals, who have been playing excellent baseball lately, consider trading away a future Hall of Famer like third baseman? Though he’s still under contract for several more seasons, He hasn’t quite been the same impactful player now that he’s well into his mid-30s.
This might not be the sole reason why Cardinals president John Mozeliak would entertain the idea of dealing Him early, but if the right trade offer comes along, the team could handle it just fine.
That’s largely due to the number of promising players within the organization who are candidates for long-term extensions. Josh Jacobs of Redbird Rants recently identified five such players: Brendan Donovan, Ivan Herrera, Matthew Liberatore, Victor Scott II, and Masyn Winn.
Jacobs noted that it might be slightly early to extend Liberatore and Scott, but locking them in now could still provide good value. The team might have already missed the best window to extend Donovan, who’s been off to a stellar start this year. As for Herrera and Winn, he suggests the team should act quickly and get those extensions done now. All of this makes Arenado and his .228 batting average more replaceable than previously thought.
As of Tuesday’s matchup with the Kansas City Royals, St. Louis boasts a solid 33–26 record.
What kind of team could be interested in trading for Nolan Arenado?
Like his former Cardinals teammate Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado has accomplished nearly everything in his MLB career—except winning a World Series. Although he’s a bit younger than Goldschmidt, Arenado still hasn’t played for a true championship-caliber team. His years with the Colorado Rockies speak for themselves, and until this season, the Cardinals hadn’t been performing up to expectations either.
Of course, the right scenario would need to unfold for a trade to make sense. A playoff-contending team—likely in the American League—would need to lose its starting third baseman, as trading Arenado within the National League could be risky given his contract still has several years remaining. The reality is that the Cardinals might not receive a major haul in return. The motivation would center more around clearing his salary.
While MLB doesn’t have a salary cap, it’s not sustainable to continue paying aging players like Arenado top-tier money. He probably has a few solid seasons left, but his peak may be behind him. A new team could potentially give him a better shot at that elusive championship ring. The Cardinals should still be in playoff contention, but whether they’re true National League title contenders is questionable.
Dealing Arenado would certainly raise eyebrows, but if it helps create financial flexibility for future contract extensions, the move might be defensible.
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