St. Louis Cardinals star Nolan Arenado, who is on the trade market this offseason, has declined a potential deal to the Houston Astros, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand.
For a Cardinals team on the brink of a “re-tool,” Arenado’s remaining three years and $74 million on his contract seem to be an apparent hindrance to a front office looking for maximum spending flexibility. The Astros were reportedly a serious contender for his services as recently as last week.
Astros Not Out of Running for Arenado Despite Declined Trade
As a native of Southern California, it is clear that Arenado desires to play for a team that is either close to his hometown or will be contending for a championship in the near future.
The Astros, so far this offseason, have traded outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs and will likely lose third baseman Alex Bregman to free agency. While Arenado’s decision does not rule out a trade later this offseason, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic, it does indicate his desire to see his market unfold a bit more before making a decision.
While Arenado still provides top-level value as a defensive third baseman, his offensive production has declined in recent years. Thus, his value on the open trade market is uncertain, and the Cardinals will likely need to continue to pay a portion of his contract in order to get a deal done. This certainly does not leave the Astros out of a potential deal, but it does highly complicate the Cardinals’ attempts to trade the star player.
Leave a Reply