As the offseason began, the Cardinals made it clear they were looking for multi-year All-Star Nolan Arenado, and with about a month until the teams meet for winter training, that remains the case.
Speaking to the media on the first day of the Cardinals’ Winter Warm-Up on Saturday, GM Johannes Mozeliak made his priorities clear when it comes to the team’s offseason moves.
“I think priorities one, two and three are still Nolan,” Mozeliak said, via the Belleville News-Democrat.
The Cardinals want to get out from under Arenado’s money. The third baseman is entering his age-34 season and has three years and $74 million remaining on his contract. However, the Rockies — who traded Arenado to St. Louis — are on the hook for a portion of the contract, lowering Arenado’s commitment for the past three seasons to about $60 million.
“[Trading Arenado] gives us some financial flexibility to maybe add areas that we haven’t been able to do so far,” Mozeliak said. “So obviously a bullpen, if we decided to look for a right-handed bat with a punch, something like that. But it just gives us some financial relief right now in a stressful environment.”
Mozeliak apparently had a deal in place with the Houston Astros to send Arenado there as a replacement Alex Bregmanbut Arenado used his no-trade clause to block this. Arenado said he wanted more time to assess the Astros’ situation after the team acted Kyle Tucker to the Cubs that same week.
With no deal in sight, that could open the door for the Yankees looking for a new infielder.
Earlier this season, the Yankees reportedly contacted the Cardinals about a potential Arenado trade. However, talks broke down when St. Louis showed no interest in taking up the matter Marcus Stroman‘s contract.
Stroman is expected to make about $18.3 million in 2025 and has a vesting option worth the same amount in 2026 if he pitches 140 innings next season.
The Yankees did sign the first baseman Paul Goudschmidt in December, having played with Arenado in St. Louis for the past few seasons, and it is being reported that Goldschmidt could influence Arenado to forego his no-trade to come to The Bronx.
While the Yankees reportedly don’t believe Arenado is a fit for them, the fact remains that they still have a hole in their field, but Stroman’s contract is seemingly holding them back.
New York wants to free up Stroman’s money to acquire another infielder, who is reportedly “not a particularly expensive player.” Arenado’s contract wouldn’t be in that price range, but if the Cardinals’ priority is dealing their third baseman, there could be an opportunity for a potential trade.
In the meantime, Mozeliak and the Cardinals are waiting to see how free agency will develop, especially when it comes to the third base market. Bregman is the top free agent third baseman and is not yet under contract. Mozeliak believes Arenado’s market will take shape once he signs, although Mozeliak did not mention Bregman by name.
“I would imagine the free agent market would slow that down,” Mozeliak said when asked why a deal for Arenado had not yet materialized. “In many ways, that was exactly what I expected early on. Depending on where he goes, the underbidders might be interested [in Arenado].”
The first full squad practice for the Cardinals is scheduled for February 17.
