Cardinals insider suggests mutually beneficial trade proposal could be far-fetched

The Nolan Arenado era in St. Louis is coming to an end.

After receiving raucous applause and a standing ovation over the weekend, the third baseman made it clear that he expects to be playing elsewhere come 2026. With Chaim Bloom set to take over the front office in the coming weeks, a seismic change will be coming to the franchise.

Thus, Cardinals insider Jeff Jones was quick to speculate on potential trade destinations for the third baseman, who infamously turned down a chance to join the Houston Astros last winter.

Jones floated the Philadelphia Phillies as one likely suitor -- a team that wasn't necessarily on Arenado's list of preferred destinations last offseason -- citing their need for a third base upgrade over the talented-but-volatile Alec Bohm.

However, in the same breath, Jones was sure to point out why the Phillies might not be a perfect fit for the Cardinals in an Arenado trade, offering a reminder as to how contentious these trade talks may become.

Nolan Arenado's no-trade clause could further complicate offseason trade saga

Jones proposed a hypothetical one-for-one swap of aging stars with large salaries, suggesting the Cardinals take Nick Castellanos back in return for Arenado. The money (one-year, $20 million for Castellanos; two-years, $37 million for Arenado) lines up, and the Cardinals could always flip the two-time All-Star to another team in need of right-handed power.

That's where the fit stops making sense though.

"Philadelphia, however, was not particularly engaged in last winter’s trade process, nor were they on the list of destinations from Arenado’s camp. What appears to be a fit from the outside can look less clear upon closer inspection," Jones wrote.

It's important to remember how small Arenado's preferred list of destinations last offseason was. Though the Phillies were rumored by some to be one, just the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and San Diego Padres were understood to be the consensus favorites.

Obviously, the Yankees added Ryan McMahon from Arenado's old team at the trade deadline, and Boston's fling with Alex Bregman could easily extend beyond this year. Arenado could make sense with the Padres if he's willing to move to first (or convinces Manny Machado to do the same), and the Dodgers may need to replace 35-year-old Max Muncy if he hits free agency.

Regardless, the point stands that moving Arenado won't be a simple task for Bloom. Even with the Colorado Rockies still paying roughly $5 million of his remaining salary, an AAV over $30 million for the next two years won't be easy to swallow for most teams.

Still, Arenado is an eight-time All-Star who remains one of the better defenders at the hot corner. If the Cardinals can convince other teams that his offensive downturn in 2025 (84 wRC+, lowest since his rookie year) was the product of circumstance rather than Father Time, they still might yet be able to find a trade package that entices them enough to move the future Hall of Famer.