Devastating injury to Red Sox slugger opens door for Cardinals to deal Nolan Arenado

The St. Louis Cardinals bent over backward in their attempts to trade Nolan Arenado this offseason to one of the teams he was willing to waive his no-trade clause for, but they ultimately came up short in their endeavor to deal the third baseman, whether it was from other teams' lack of interest in him or Arenado's reconsideration of the destination. One team that Arenado was reportedly willing to play for is the Boston Red Sox. Although they failed to come calling for Arenado, a gigantic blow that just hit Boston's roster could have them weighing their options and potentially turning to the veteran.

The injury to the Red Sox' Triston Casas could lead Boston to pivot to Nolan Arenado.

A severe knee injury after a collision at first base has led to Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas undergoing season-ending surgery and left Boston scrambling to find a long-term replacement. There have been persistent rumors that Boston has looked to move star third baseman Rafael Devers across the diamond to first base, and this injury could accelerate that transition and leave a gaping hole at the hot corner.

Arenado has bounced back a bit from 2024, which was the worst year of his career in nearly every category, and he should hold some value to a team willing to take on some of his contract. The Cardinals were adamant on making whoever traded for Arenado eat a significant portion of his remaining salary, and with the Red Sox' desperation as a team currently in a winning window, the Cardinals may finally be in a position of leverage in such a deal.

The incoming president of baseball operations for the Cardinals, Chaim Bloom, knows the Red Sox well after spending four seasons at the helm of the team, so he likely holds plenty of knowledge of the team's prospects, many of whom were drafted under his watch. Although John Mozeliak is still the de jure head of the Cardinals' front office, Bloom needs to have an active role in any deal involving Arenado and the Red Sox.

MLB.com placed the Red Sox third in its semiannual farm system rankings, and the Cardinals will likely seek out pitching help to bolster their minor league depth and provide an influx of pitchers with much-needed strikeout stuff. Luis Perales and David Sandlin headline the Red Sox' pitching prospects, and both of them fit the fireballer profile that the Cardinals should be seeking out.

Mozeliak brought up the possibility of competing in 2025, but the Cardinals currently sit at fourth place in the NL Central, with a 17-19 record. A Wild Card team is highly unlikely to emerge from the division, which will force the Cardinals to win the entire division if they want to compete in the postseason. With that in mind, the Cardinals can't let the fantasy of contending in Mozeliak's final season cloud their better judgment. If the Red Sox come calling for Arenado, the Cardinals need to pick up the phone on its first ring and get a deal done.