Astros rekindle trade efforts for Arenado (sources)
Brian McTaggart
Mark Feinsand
John Denton
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The Astros have renewed their interest in trading for Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, multiple sources told MLB.com on Saturday.
Arenado, who nixed a trade to the Astros in December, could now be willing to waive his no-trade clause and join a Houston team that has since added Christian Walker to play first base — a move which hadn’t been made when Arenado vetoed the trade and shows the Astros’ plan to push forward as contenders.
In December, the Cardinals were willing to send $15-20 million to the Astros as part of the deal to help pay down Arenado’s salary, sources said. The eight-time All-Star is set to earn $74 million over the next three years, though the Rockies are on the hook for $10 million as part of their 2021 trade with the Cardinals, while $12 million of the deal is deferred, bringing the present-day value of what he is owed to roughly $60 million. The money the Cardinals were willing to include would have brought the Astros’ commitment down to roughly $40-45 million over three years.
The Astros traded Kyle Tucker to the Cubs in January to trim payroll, saving $8.5 million, to get under the CBT, but the club would be willing to surpass it to get a player of Arenado’s caliber.
The Yankees kicked the tires on Arenado at some point this offseason, but plan on filling their third base vacancy with some combination of DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera and Oswald Peraza. The Yankees’ interest in Arenado could be reignited based on how that trio plays this spring, but at the moment, sources say the Yankees are not pursuing Arenado.
Part of the reason for Arenado’s reluctance to come to Houston in December, according to a source, was that the Astros had just traded Tucker to the Cubs, but the addition of Walker signals Houston is still looking to win. The Astros lost free agent third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency to the Red Sox, which also helped Arenado clarify his market.
“I’ve got a lot of goals, and I truly feel in my heart I can achieve all of them,” Arenado said Friday. “I think about (the Hall of Fame) and I’d love to accomplish that. But just like with the trade stuff, when I start thinking about it, I remind myself that I need to get back to work.”
The Astros would likely plug Arenado in at third base and move Isaac Paredes — one of three players acquired for Tucker — to second base. The Astros are moving Jose Altuve, who’s started at second base for Houston since 2011, to left field this season.
With a full no-trade clause in his contract, Arenado will have the final say over where he goes – or whether he goes at all, but he’s expected to be traded prior to Opening Day, a source said.
Trading Arenado would help the Cardinals stick to their initial plans of clearing salary off their books and committing fully to shifting the focus to their young core. When they were unable to trade Arenado this offseason, they had to deviate from those plans and welcome Arenado into the Spring Training camp.
Dealing Arenado would allow the Cardinals to move lefty slugger Nolan Gorman back to third base from second base and it could open up playing time for Minor League standout Thomas Saggese. The move would also put Gold Glover Brendan Donovan at second base and ease an overcrowded outfield that includes Jordan Walker, Lars Nootbaar, Michael Siani and Victor Scott II.
Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said last week that every time he thought about an Arenado deal this offseason, he feared a big bounce-back season from one of the club’s most driven players.
“As we think about (resetting the roster), he does make us a better team if he’s Nolan … and if he’s happy,” he said. “I like that he does seem to be motivated to want to be good. I can candidly say of all the trade conversations I’ve been in, (an Arenado bounce-back year) is what scares me the most. I think great players have that extra gear and when they find it, they’re special.
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“I would not bet against him; I’d bet on him. And I was afraid someone else was going to get that if we traded him. He’s a special player and he can still do things that many can’t.”
Supervising Club Reporter Brian McTaggart has covered the Astros since 2004, and for MLB.com since 2009.
Mark Feinsand, a senior national reporter, originally joined MLB.com as a reporter in 2001.
Senior Reporter John Denton covers the Cardinals for MLB.com.
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MLB rumors: Astros renew interest in Nolan Arenado trade, Anthony Rizzo mulling retirement
While it’s only February, this is the first weekend with a full slate of (spring training) baseball games. It certainly feels like spring is in the air. The 2025 Major League Baseball season is actually less than a month away, given that the Cubs and Dodgers square off for two games in Japan on March 18-19.
There might be some drama brewing in the AL Central, as a possible Twins owner has become a possible White Sox owner. Full story here.
In other news …
Back in December, news broke that the Cardinals and Astros agreed to a trade that would have sent All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado to Houston. Arenado used his no-trade rights to veto the deal and both sides moved on. They appear to be circling back, though.
The Astros have “renewed their interest” in Arenado, who “could now be willing to waive his no-trade clause” for a deal to the Astros, according to MLB.com.
It’s a bit shocking to see this level of reversal now during spring training. The Astros ended up trading for third baseman Isaac Paredes in the deal that sent Kyle Tucker to the Cubs. There was still flexibility, but then the Astros signed Christian Walker to play first base. It looked like the Astros’ infield was set.
In the midst of the talks to possibly re-sign Alex Bregman, however, word was that the Astros might move Jose Altuve to the outfield, which would then allow Paredes to shift to second base and open up third. This means there would be room for Arenado to play third in this alignment.
Arenado is set to make $32 million this season, though the Rockies are still handling $5 million of that and presumably the Cardinals would pay some of the remaining amount down as well. He then makes $27 million next season (again, the Rockies are paying $5 million of that) and $15 million in 2027.
As a 33-year-old last season, Arenado hit .272/.325/.394 (101 OPS+) with 16 homers, 71 RBI and 2.5 WAR.
Anthony Rizzo is 35 years old and remains unsigned. He wants to keep playing, but also realizes it might not be a possibility. Via The Athletic:
“I’ve definitely thought about it. I think I have a lot to give to the game still.
“But at the same time, if teams are not going to want to pay a few million dollars for veterans, I’ve seen it the last 10 years of my career. It’s what happens to the older guys. They kind of get squeezed. You’ve seen it happen more and more. I’m not naive to it. It could be it.”
Issues stemming from a concussion in 2023 and then a fractured forearm last season cost Rizzo a significant amount of time while on the injured list. In his 92 games last year with the Yankees, he hit .228/.301/.335 (81 OPS+) with just eight home runs. He hit 32 homers in 2022 with a 130 OPS+, so he isn’t too far removed from being greatly productive at the plate.
There aren’t really any likely contending teams out there with a glaring need for a lefty bat, especially in this era when everyone carries 13 pitchers. Rizzo has a limited enough skill set that he’s dead weight for most rosters. If there were an extra spot, certainly someone would pony up for a player with his pedigree and playoff experience.
Rizzo has played in parts of 14 seasons, having hit .261/.361/.467 (123 OPS+) with 338 doubles, 303 homers and 965 RBI. He’s a three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glover and World Series champion. He’s played in the playoffs eight different years, three times for the Yankees and five for the Cubs.
Brewers center fielder Blake Perkins has suffered a fracture in his shin after fouling a pitch off himself in batting practice. The tough-luck injury will cost him 3-4 weeks, according to manager Pat Murphy (via MLB.com).
Perkins, 28, hit .240/.316/.332 (81 OPS+) last season, but he’s an outstanding defender and baserunner. He stole 23 bases and posted 1.8 WAR.
With Perkins out, the Brewers will cover the outfield with Jackson Chourio (RF), Garrett Mitchell, Sal Frelick, Caleb Durbin and Brewers Hicklen, but Manuel Margot could also see an increase in playing time. Christian Yelich remains an outfield option, but given his history of injuries, particularly the back injury that ended his 2024 season, he would be best served to mostly be a designated hitter.
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Details On Nolan Arenado Trade Talks
MLB Trade Rumors
By Darragh McDonald | February 21, 2025 at 4:30pm CDT
For much of the offseason, a Nolan Arenado trade seemed inevitable. But spring training is now rolling along and he’s still a Cardinal. Today, Katie Woo of The Athletic takes an extensive look at the twists and turns of the winter. Many of the details came out over the past few months but the piece also provides some new tidbits and extra context.
Arenado’s no-trade clause was clearly a key part of the offseason narrative and the club’s efforts to trade him. Reports throughout the winter suggested there was a narrow group of clubs he was willing to join, which Woo confirms in her overview. Arenado told president of baseball operations John Mozeliak that he was willing to waive his no-trade for five clubs: the Yankees, Dodgers, Padres, Red Sox and Astros.
The first three clubs on that list never seemed especially interested. The Yankees were focused on Juan Soto at the start of the offseason. After missing out there, they pivoted to getting Max Fried, Devin Williams, Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers have Max Muncy at third and didn’t seem keen on a switch. The Padres have Manny Machado at the hot corner. Arenado was reportedly willing to move to a new position but the Friars have budgetary concerns that made a fit tough regardless.
It’s well known by now that the Astros were interested and seemed to have a deal lined up, but Arenado blocked it. Reporting has suggested that Arenado was open to going to Houston but was a bit concerned by the club trading Kyle Tucker and seemingly moving on from Alex Bregman. Woo’s reporting aligns with that framing, with Arenado wanting some time to think about the possibility of becoming an Astro. She writes that he was aware they might move on while he was taking some time to ponder the idea, which is what happened. They quickly signed Christian Walker to cover first base, which effectively locked Isaac Paredes into the third base spot.
That left the Red Sox as the best landing spot for Arenado, with Boston genuinely interested. However, they bolstered their infield by waiting out Bregman and signing him, taking them out of the running for Arenado.
Woo reports that other clubs checked in about Arenado’s availability, including the Royals, Tigers, Mariners and Angels. Those were all sensible on-paper landing spots. The Royals were looking to add a big bat to the lineup and could bump Maikel Garcia to a utility role. The Tigers were involved in the Bregman market, making him a six-figure offer, clearly indicating a willingness to add an established third baseman ahead of prospect Jace Jung. The infield had been a target for the Mariners this winter, who eventually added Donovan Solano and re-signed Jorge Polanco. The Angels were looking to add at third base with Anthony Rendon no longer reliable, eventually signing Yoán Moncada. However, none of those clubs made progress with the Cardinals, as they were informed that Arenado wasn’t interested in waiving his no-trade protection for them.
All of that led to Mozeliak recently declaring that Arenado would stay a Cardinal, suggesting that he would have to change his team preferences in order for a deal to come together. That doesn’t seem likely to come to pass. Arenado has a two-year-old kid and is apparently only open to uprooting his family under very specific circumstances. It’s long been reported that Arenado is primarily motivated by winning but it appears that his off-field circumstances are also playing a notable role in his decision making. “I don’t see myself changing that list ever,” Arenado said. “I have a family now. … To be willing to pick up my family and move them, it has to be something that’s worth it.”
That’s his right as a player with a no-trade clause, though it leaves the Cardinals in an awkward spot. They are doing a reset, trying to turn the franchise away from upgrading the big league roster to a focus more on player development. It’s unclear how long it will take them to make a full-throated attempt at competing again. For now, Arenado is still on the team, which his contract running through 2027. He’ll be 36 years old in the final year of that pact.
It’s possible a trade could come together at the deadline or in another offseason, but it seems it would have to involve a change at one of Arenado’s preferred destinations. Muncy is in the final guaranteed year of his deal, so perhaps a move to the Dodgers for 2026 is possible, though they could keep Muncy around for ’26 via a $10MM club option. Goldschmidt is only on a one-year deal, so the Yankees might have more interest in an infield addition next winter. Bregman could opt out of his Boston deal, though they have a number of infield prospects likely to be coming up this year. Perhaps the Padres would have interest next winter after Luis Arráez, Dylan Cease and Michael King hit free agency, with Robert Suarez having the change to opt-out as well. A significant injury or two could always change the calculus somewhere.
“If something comes up and it makes sense, I’ll certainly get with him and we’ll talk about it,” Mozeliak said over the weekend. “But it’s not something where I’m getting up every morning and chasing the waiver wire or chasing injuries. I think from our fan perspective, from our team perspective, from our perspective, he is a part of the Cardinals.”
It’s an interesting end to an offseason where Mozeliak regarded an Arenado trade as a top priority. The Cards wanted to reduce payroll and open up some playing time for younger players. They could have dropped the payroll in other ways, such as by trading guys like Ryan Helsley or Erick Fedde, but haven’t shown much interest in doing that in the short term. Perhaps the Cardinals will end up being one of the most interesting clubs to watch when the July deadline rolls around, whether Arenado is likely to move or not.
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