Trade proposal that would send Nolan Arenado to Boston is a win for the Cardinals

Ever since third baseman Nolan Arenado declined a trade that would have sent him to Houston in mid-December, the rumor mill and reports surrounding the 10-time Gold Glover have slowed significantly.

However, that hasn't stopped writers and fans from creating trade proposals for various teams.

Several ball clubs who would have once had interest in Arenado may have fallen away. The Houston Astros signed first baseman Christian Walker and traded for Isaac Paredes, so they're likely out. The Los Angeles Dodgers have made it clear that Max Muncy is their Opening Day third baseman. The New York Yankees seem content with letting Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Oswaldo Cabrera fill out the infield. Essentially, the list of teams interested in Arenado's services is growing shorter by the week.

One team still rumored to be interested in Nolan Arenado is the Boston Red Sox. A trade to Beantown would behoove Arenado late in his career, as he has a career .333/.362/.704 slash line in Fenway, and he would join a stacked team that includes Garrett Crochet, Rafael Devers, Wilyer Abreu, Triston Casas, Jarren Duran, and Tanner Houck.

Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report proposed a trade that would ship Nado to Boston, and the return would be quite impressive for the St. Louis Cardinals.

In Rymer's trade, Nolan Arenado and an undisclosed amount of cash would go to the Red Sox, and the Cardinals would get second baseman Vaughn Grissom and infield prospect Mikey Romero in return.

Grissom, 23, isn't a free agent until 2029. He has a career .255/.309/.346 slash line for an OPS+ of 81 in 321 at-bats for his career. The right-handed infielder had a 6.1% walk rate and a 21.2% strikeout rate last year for the Boston Red Sox. Boston initially acquired Grissom when they traded starting pitcher Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves.

According to all metrics (Outs Above Average, Defensive Runs Saved, and UZR/150), Grissom is a negative defender at both second base and shortstop, the only two positions where he's logged innings. Grissom played third base in the minors, but he hasn't played there since 2022. If the Cardinals traded for Grissom, Nolan Gorman would move to third base, Grissom could be the team's starting second baseman, and Brendan Donovan would be a full-time utility player.

Mikey Romero was selected 24th overall by Boston in the 2022 MLB Draft. Romero is Boston's 12th-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline.

The high school draftee has experienced some back issues as a prospect, but he was able to play 78 games in 2024. He finished the year with an .821 OPS and 16 home runs with just one stolen base. Romero turned it up a notch last year, and he's starting to live up to his first-round billing.

Mikey Romero won't be hitting 20+ home runs in the majors. Scouts see Romero as a second baseman, but Boston was intent on giving him full run at shortstop last year; he logged 424.2 last year alone at shortstop. He boasts decent speed, but his high baseball IQ and quick reactions would make him a premium defender with a decent hit tool.

This package nets the Cardinals a major-league player with significant team control and a pedigree that's glamourous in Vaughn Grissom. It also brings over a former first-round draft pick who, when healthy, is a regular major-league infielder. The amount of cash isn't mentioned by Rymer -- the Cardinals were willing to send $15-20 million to Houston just last month. If John Mozeliak can net these two players while sending over a comparable amount of cash to the Astros deal, this would be a win for the organization.