Aug 9, 2022; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) during the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado is available for trade but his landing spot must be a place he accepts; otherwise, he'll invoke his no-trade clause.
It was reported Wednesday that Arenado blocked a trade to the Houston Astros, a team that's been a perennial postseason contender for nine of the last ten seasons.
Despite Arenado announcing that he'll only accept trades to the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels or LA Dodgers, another club is interested in the Cardinals superstar.
"With the Athletics in the market for a third baseman and the Cardinals recently making public their plans to trade Nolan Arenado this offseason, it's easy to connect the two as a possible match," MLB.com's Martín Gallegos wrote Wednesday. "During a Zoom call with local reporters earlier this week to discuss the A's trade with the Rays for Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez, general manager David Forst jokingly leaned into the trade rumors when asked about what he's looking for in a third baseman."
Arenado's agent, Joel Wolfe, has expressed that his client's market might be vaster than it appears. Still, after the 10-time Gold Glove defender rejected a blockbuster trade to the Astros, it's tough to imagine him agreeing to move anywhere outside his list.
"'I hear the Cardinals' third baseman is available,' Forst said with a grin," Gallegos continued as he transcribed the A's GM's remarks towards a possible Arenado trade. "'We obviously have guys in the mix who just don't have a lot of big-league reps and big-league experience. I think experience would be a factor. I know [manager Mark Kotsay] talked a lot at the end of the season about our defense and wanting to get better. I think we'll place a premium on defensive ability there. We're sort of turning over every rock right now.'"
The Cardinals were willing to eat nearly $20 million of Arenado's contract to trade him to the Astros but the six-time Platinum Glove infielder has somewhere else on his heart.
Even though the A's are looking to spend this offseason, it's doubtful Arenado would want to join an organization that has yet to establish its home stadium and hasn't made the playoffs since the shortened season of 2020.