Speculating the 3 teams that have interest in St. Louis Cardinals' Nolan Arenado

"At least three mid-market teams have seriously inquired about his availability."

Katie Woo of The Athletic made it quite clear that Nolan Arenado has plenty of suitors. The eight-time All-Star is desired by several teams around the league, and it makes sense. Though Arenado has regressed these last two years, he still boasts an above-average bat and superb defense at third base.

Who these three teams are remains a mystery, but there are several bread crumbs that can lead us to speculate on who they might be.

1. Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox were major players in the Juan Soto sweepstakes. now that they've lost out, they are likely to pivot to other areas to improve a young yet talented roster.

The Red Sox have been rumored for weeks now as a trade partner for the Cardinals regarding Arenado. The Red Sox already have Rafael Devers, one of baseball's best hitters, at the hot corner, but they could shift things around to make space for Arenado. Boston could also trade first baseman Triston Casas and shift Arenado to first, something he's said he would be open to doing.

Boston's farm system is flush with talented young players, and they could even trade veteran outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida to the Cardinals in an equal-value trade from a financial perspective. Even Sean McAdam of MassLive has stated that the Red Sox have had preliminary discussions with the Cardinals surrounding Arenado.

2. New York Yankees

The Yankees were willing to offer Juan Soto $760 million over 16 years, so they clearly have financial flexibility. According to league sources, the Yankees are more than willing to transition to "Plan B" to field a competitive team for 2025.

That plan B could include Nolan Arenado. Katie Woo wrote that the Yankees have expressed interest in the Cardinals' third baseman.

The Yankees had the second-worst bWAR total at first base and ranked 17th in bWAR at third base. Trading for Nolan Arenado, someone who finished with 2.5 bWAR last year, would be a significant improvement. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is slated to be the team's third baseman right now, but he could also fill in at center field and second base, two other weak spots for the Yankees. Arenado could also transition to first base for the Yankees, as DJ LeMahieu is listed as their current first baseman.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers have already made improvements to their roster with the signing of starting pitcher Blake Snell, but they may not be done yet. They, too, were a finalist for Juan Soto, and one can never rule out Andrew Friedman when it comes to building a powerhouse team.

Arenado is from southern California, and if he seeks to join a contending team, there may not be a better fit than the Dodgers. One issue with the Dodgers is that Max Muncy is their incumbent third baseman, and general manager Brandon Gomes has been adamant that Muncy is the team's third baseman in 2025.

The list of interested teams likely isn't long for Arenado, and the teams to which he is willing to go shortens it even further. John Mozeliak has his work cut out for him over the next few days.