3 Nolan Arenado trade packages for Cardinals to capitalize on Red Sox's interest

Trade #2: The Cardinals trade Nolan Arenado for a pitching prospect coming off of a major injury.

Red Sox receive: 3B Nolan Arenado and $10 million
Cardinals receive: RHP Luis Perales

A trade similar to this, one in which the Cardinals trade Nolan Arenado for a near-MLB-ready prospect, feels most likely. In this case, the Cardinals get a pitcher with significant upside who is coming off a major injury.

The Cardinals send Nolan Arenado to the Red Sox along with $10 million to help offset the remaining money on his deal. This grants Boston and Chief baseball operator Craig Breslow some wiggle room when it comes to signing free agents. Arenado will slot in at third base, and Rafael Devers could move to first base, thus opening up a trade of Triston Casas for another starting pitcher. It's not impossible to fit Arenado in the Red Sox's lineup as is.

In return, the Cardinals get a promising young pitcher, something they're itching to add, in Luis Perales.

Perales, 21, stands just six-feet-one-inch, but he has excellent specs. He features a 70-grade fastball that can touch 99. His secondary pitches aren't as strong, but his mid-80s slide and upper-80s changeup could be improved upon. Perales has a career 3.24 ERA across 161 innings in the minors, and he had a 2.94 ERA last year in nine starts and 33.2 innings. He is the Red Sox's ninth overall prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

What lowers Luis Perales's trade value would be his injury history. He underwent Tommy John Surgery in late June last year, and he likely won't be able to return to the mound until August at the earliest. Perales shouldn't expected in the majors until at least 2026, and that's assuming his recovery goes as planned.

However, his plus-plus fastball, age, and track record are tantalizing. Think Tink Hence with a bit less stuff when envisioning Luis Perales. He has crazy strikeout potential (nearly 15 K's per nine innings last year), and developing a strong secondary pitch could take his game to new levels.

The Cardinals lose a future Hall of Famer in this deal, but they get a prospect back who could be a mid-rotation starter in the next couple of years. They also get some salary relief for the next few years. This trade would help accelerate the Cardinals' stated reset.