Cardinals Rumors: For now, a Nolan Arenado trade is unlikely for St. Louis

The St. Louis Cardinals have long been interested in Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, but a deal remains unlikely.

For years, the Cardinals have been connected to Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado. He has long been a fit for St. Louis and the team has shown a willingness to acquire stars in the past (see Paul Goldschmidt).

So it was no surprise to see Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic connect Arenado to the Cardinals, but noted that while there is still a strong fit, that a deal remains highly unlikely until their current financial situation has more clarity.

It is something that most teams are dealing with. The pandemic continuing to roar throughout the country with numbers increasing by the day has added to the uncertainty of what next season will look like. Will fans be in the stands? How will teams generate revenue? Will the season even be played? It most likely will, but these are questions that each team is asking.

So, it makes it difficult for the Cardinals to actively pursue Arenado and the remaining six years, $199 million left on his contract. The team, of course, is still trying to re-sign free agents Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright. That remains St. Louis’ priority, and the team will not have clarity on how much money they have to spend until their situations are addressed.

But the Cardinals have $57.7 million coming off the books after the 2021 season, with Matt Carpenter, Dexter Fowler, Andrew Miller, and Carlos Martinez all scheduled to be free agents. It allows them to pursue Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager, Trevor Story, Carlos Correa and/or Javier Baez after next season in what is being talked about as the best free-agent shortstop class in baseball history.

It also allows the Cardinals to pursue Arenado if he remains in Colorado this winter. The team has the assets in the farm system/majors and the financial flexibility after the ’21 season to make such a move. Adding one of Arenado or any of the shortstops listed above would drastically improve the lineup and add an established hitter alongside Goldschmidt that the team currently lacks.

Of course, waiting a year to acquire either of those players does not improve the team in 2021. That is just one of the obstacles that president of baseball operations John Mozeliak is facing in what should be one of the most fascinating offseasons in recent Cardinals history.