Cardinals' Nolan Arenado reportedly a trade fit for this historic franchise

According to Sean McAdam of MassLive, the Boston Red Sox have at least some interest in trading for St. Louis Cardinals' All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado.

According to McAdam, "There’s been some internal talk about moving Rafael Devers off third base at some point and Arenado is viewed as a potential Plan B. The Cardinals, who are watching their payroll carefully, wouldn’t be opposed to moving him if a team is willing to take on most of the remaining money."

In the event that Rafael Devers is moved off the hot corner, the Red Sox would be interested in trading for Arenado to fill the void there. Devers, 28, signed a 10-year extension prior to the 2024 season worth $313.5 million. In the event the Red Sox do trade for Arenado, Devers would move to first base.

Rafael Devers is primarily known for his bat rather than his glove. He has a career .279/.345/.511 slash line for an OPS+ of 126. Last year, he hit 28 home runs with a .516 slugging percentage and an OPS+ of 139. His defense, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired. Devers was worth -9 Defensive Runs Saved and -6 Outs Above Average at third base last year. A move to first would present an opportunity to capitalize on Devers' bat while not sacrificing the club's defense at a premium position.

There are several complicating factors in this deal, foremost of them being Arenado's no-trade clause. Arenado hasn't requested a trade from the organization, so there's at least some desire to ride out the "reset" that the club is trudging through. Additionally, the Red Sox have youngster Triston Casas at first base. Casas, 24, was once rumored to be on the trade block, but Red Sox Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow shut down those rumors early in the offseason.

Casas slashed .241/.337/.462 last year with 13 home runs and 32 runs batted in in only 212 plate appearances. He appears to be their first baseman of the future, but a move of Devers to first base could complicate that situation. MLB Trade Rumors posits placing Devers as the team's full-time designated hitter, but that will leave Masataka Yoshida and his three years and $60 million without a spot.

Chaim Bloom's familiarity with the Red Sox could help facilitate a Nolan Arenado trade with the Red Sox

The Cardinals' future President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom is quite familiar with the Boston organization and its farm system. He is responsible for finding many of the club's top prospects. Barring money or additional players being sent over with Arenado, don't expect any one of Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, or Kyle Teel in return. The Bloom-Boston connection shouldn't be understated in this scenario.

The Cardinals could snag Yoshida (career 121 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers), and the finances would align well for both teams there. However, the Cardinals already have Lars Nootbaar, Michael Siani, Nolan Gorman, and Brendan Donovan as left-handed outfield/DH options. Yoshida will likely become a full-time DH next year, and at $20 million, that's a steep price to pay.

A trade involving Nolan Arenado to the Boston Red Sox would be a complicated one to pull off, but there's some interest and a reasonable fit between the two rival clubs. If the Cardinals are intent on jumpstarting their reset, they'll have to send money along with Arenado to Boston to land one of their top prospects.