The St. Louis Cardinals are looking to “reset” for the 2025 season, as stated by team president of baseball operations John Mozeliak, with the aim of reallocating funds to rebuild following a lackluster 83-79 performance. The team missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year, marking only the ninth time since 2000 that they have failed to qualify.
As part of this reset, the Cardinals may place their highest-paid player, third baseman Nolan Arenado, on the trading block, just four years after acquiring him from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for five players, including three prospects. Arenado had signed an eight-year, $ 260 million deal with the Rockies in 2019. While Mozeliak has expressed an “intention” to trade Arenado, there is a stipulation to consider.
Arenado, a 10-time All-Star, has a strong no-trade clause in his contract. According to a December report from MLB.com, he isn’t against being traded but has a limited list of teams he would accept. This list includes six teams: the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, and San Diego Padres—all from his native Southern California—as well as three East Coast teams: the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, and Boston Red Sox. Of course, Arenado retains the right to veto a trade to any team, even those on his preferred list.
On New Year’s Day, a notable Cardinals fan account on X (formerly Twitter), Cardinals Live, reported that sources suggest there’s a “high” likelihood that Arenado would agree to a trade to the Red Sox. The post mentioned that while no formal offer has been made, discussions have taken place within the Red Sox front office regarding Arenado, particularly if other options fall through.
Cardinals Live also noted rumors linking Red Sox designated hitter Masataka Yoshida to an Arenado trade, but his name has not been brought up in any discussions to date.
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