The end of the Cardinals' Nolan Arenado trade saga may be near based on new report

Don't hold your breath quite yet, but the St. Louis Cardinals may be nearing the end of the Nolan Arenado trade saga at last.

With spring training literally just days away, Arenado is still on the Cardinals roster, but a low-profile trade for infield depth on Thursday prompted discussions regarding Arenado's status with the club and whether or not a suitor could be found. While Alex Bregman's free agency continues to linger on and is making Arenado's market move like molasses, a new report from John Denton indicates the Cardinals have reengaged with three different clubs as of late on a potential trade.

The Cardinals have reengaged with the Red Sox, Dodgers, and Yankees on a potential Nolan Arenado trade

While teams like the Houston Astros and Detroit Tigers have seemed to enter the picture at times and even a club like the Kansas City Royals calling on Arenado's availability, it's always felt like one of those costal teams would be the fit for him.

The Yankees seem determined to upgrade at third base, and the Red Sox continue to linger in both the Bregman sweepstakes and Arenado market. The Dodgers are an interesting team to reenter the conversation, as they shot down the idea of it at the Winter Meetings, but GM Brandon Gomes says the club is being opportunistic about potential deals.

Boston seems to be the club that is gaining the most traction in talks, as the Cardinals have discussed prospect Blaze Jordan in those negotiations, but a sticking point has been how much the Cardinals are willing to eat on Arenado's contract to send him to the Red Sox.

It is clear though that the Cardinals do not want to get to camp with Arenado still on the team. It does not mean they won't do so if they have to, but they'd obviously love to find a trade partner for the future Hall of Famer, and with all clubs hoping to have their offseason business finished up in the next few days, we may see the trade finally come to fruition.

While the Red Sox appear to be the likeliest fit, don't be surprised if the Yankees or Dodgers jump the line here. You should not expect a significant return in this trade for Arenado, but the win here for St. Louis is freeing up future financial commitments to him as well as creating playing time for young talent in this "reset".