Cardinals have reportedly reopened Nolan Arenado trade talks with prominent suitor

Nolan Arenado has been the focal point of the offseason for the St. Louis Cardinals and their fans, as President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak said at the Winter Warm-Ups that trading the third baseman is "priority one, two and three" of the team.

But the Cardinals have had a far more difficult time finding a suitor for Arenado than they expected, and a trade has yet to materialize. They had a deal in place with the Houston Astros, but Arenado exercised his no-trade clause to reject the move. The Cardinals have demanded that other whoever obtains Arenado take on the majority of his salary, which has led some teams, including the New York Yankees, to balk at the idea of taking on the declining superstar.

But just as the idea of Arenado remaining a Cardinal in 2025 was gaining traction as a potential reality, MLB insider Jon Morosi mentioned that the Cardinals were recently discussing an Arenado deal with the Boston Red Sox.

The Red Sox and Cardinals have had recent communication about Nolan Arenado, source says.

If the trade talks move forward, they could have implications for Alex Bregman's market.

Of note, Cardinals exec Chaim Bloom has close knowledge of Boston's prospects.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) February 4, 2025

Arenado said earlier in the offseason that he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to go to Boston, who may be looking to upgrade at the hot corner by moving the defensively shaky Rafael Devers to first base.

The most interesting aspect of the Red Sox' interest in Arenado is Chaim Bloom's history with the organization. Bloom, who is set to assume Mozeliak's role in 2026, previously served in a role with the Red Sox that was equivalent to Mozeliak's position with the Cardinals. Therefore, Bloom possesses deep knowledge of Boston's minor league prospects, many of whom he drafted, and that could be beneficial for the Cardinals regarding the level of talent that they would receive.

However, the move could easily turn into a chess match between Bloom and Boston's chief baseball officer, Craig Breslow, of "Does he know?" vs. "Does he know I know?" regarding the potential of young prospects who could be in the deal.

The Cardinals may yet be able to rid themselves of Arenado, which be highly beneficial for young players vying for opportunities, such as Nolan Gorman, Thomas Saggese and Alec Burleson. If the teams manage to cement a deal in place, the Cardinals' offseason may be salvaged after all.

But just as the idea of Arenado remaining a Cardinal in 2025 was gaining traction as a potential reality, MLB insider Jon Morosi mentioned that the Cardinals were recently discussing an Arenado deal with the Boston Red Sox.

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