Potential trade partners for Nolan Arenado, Cardinals

The MLB Winter Meetings are underway and one team has said they're willing to part ways with one of their best players. According to MLB.com's John Denton, St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said that the Cardinals have an "intention to try" and trade third baseman Nolan Arenado.

Teams who missed out on signing Juan Soto, who signed a record-breaking deal with the New York Mets Sunday night, are likely interested in Arenado. One of those teams is reportedly the New York Yankees. The Athletic's Katie Woo reported the Yankees are interested in making a move for the veteran infielder.

Yankees have expressed interest in trading for Nolan Arenado, per @katiejwoo pic.twitter.com/IZLwwa97yN
— Talkin' Yanks (@TalkinYanks) December 10, 2024

However, Arenado has a no-trade clause in the contract he signed with the Cardinals and it's unclear if the Yankees are a team on Arenado's reportedly short list of approved teams. The Yankees did just make the World Series and Arenado wants to play for a contender, so it's assumed he would approve a trade to the Bronx.

Another potential trade partner is the Boston Red Sox. As the offseason heats up, it seems these two bitter rivals will be competing for the same free agents and trade targets, especially after the Yankees missed on Soto. Boston has the assets to complete a trade for Arenado and is reportedly interested in making a deal even though they already have a third baseman in Rafael Devers.

The Red Sox could trade Triston Casas and put Arenado at first base, something he is reportedly open to. Masataka Yoshida is also a player the Red Sox are likely willing to put in a trade package, and are flush with prospects. However, Boston seems to be more interested in either holding onto all of their major prospects, or trading one in a package for pitching.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are another team that may be interested in Arenado. Similar to Boston, the Dodgers have a third baseman in Max Muncy, and general manager Brandon Gomes has said Muncy will be LA's third baseman in 2025. It's unclear where Arenado would play if traded to Los Angeles but the Dodgers are certainly a contender, something Arenado wants.

Mozeliak, the man in charge of finding a trade partner for Arenado, added that he doesn't anticipate a deal getting done during the Winter Meetings, but Arenado being on the Cardinals during Spring Training doesn't put them where they want to be. The writing seems to be on the wall for the Cardinals' third baseman, the only question is where will he play in 2025?