The Los Angeles Dodgers have already been linked to various different potential trade candidates ahead of the 2023 deadline. The team is reportedly interested in Chicago White Sox ace Lucas Giolito. LA has also been mentioned as a possible landing destination for Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels. Nolan Arenado of the St. Louis Cardinals is the most recent superstar to be connected to the Dodgers in trade rumors.
ESPN's Alden Gonzalez reported that Los Angeles is “enamored” with the Cardinals star third baseman. Gonzalez added that Arenado may be willing to waive his no-trade clause if a deal is completed between the Dodgers and Cardinals. Reaching that deal, however, will prove to be quite a challenge. After all, Arenado is still only 32-years old and is under contract through the 2027 campaign. He likely still has plenty of productive years left in the tank.
Today, we are going to create the perfect Dodgers trade offer for Arenado.
Perfect Nolan Arenado trade Dodgers must offer Cardinals
Nolan Arenado is arguably the best third baseman in the game. As a result, acquiring him will come at a steep cost. The Cardinals need to improve their pitching depth. Adding at least one top-tier pitching prospect, possibly even two, will be of the utmost importance.
The Cardinals initially acquired Arenado from the Colorado Rockies for five prospects, none of which turned into stars at the MLB level. Many believe St. Louis fleeced the Rockies. That won't be the case in a potential Cardinals-Dodgers deal though, as St. Louis' organization is known for receiving impressive returns in trades. So the Cardinals-Rockies deal isn't too comparable.
That said, five prospects may be what it takes to complete a trade. Here is the perfect Dodgers' trade offer to the Cardinals:
Cardinals receive: RHP Gavin Stone (LAD's No. 4 prospect), RHP Ryan Pepiot (LAD's No. 7 prospect), INF Jorbit Vivas (LAD's No. 12 prospect), RHP Landon Knack (LAD's No. 17 prospect), Peter Heubeck (LAD's No. 29 prospect)
Dodgers receive: 3B Nolan Arenado
The Dodgers and Cardinals would need to discuss how Nolan Arenado's remaining salary would be distributed. The Dodgers would likely need to take on most of it, a price they may be willing to pay.
Cardinals prospect return
In Stone and Pepiot, the Cardinals receive a pair of future star pitchers. Both hurlers are MLB ready and have displayed signs of stardom during their professional careers. Jack Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery are expected to be traded, while Adam Wainwright is retiring after this season. Adding Stone and Pepiot to the rotation, possibly as early as 2023, will set St. Louis up nicely for years to come.
The other two pitchers in the trade are Knack and Heubeck. In Knack, he's already 26-years old but could play a role on the pitching staff soon. He's a pitcher who may be a diamond in the rough for the Cardinals in this mock trade. Meanwhile, Heubeck is young and wouldn't make an impact for a few years. That said, he features a fairly high-ceiling.
Finally, the only offensive player in the Dodgers trade package for Arenado is Vivas, a versatile infielder. His MLB ETA is 2024 and he's regarded as a quality contact hitter. St. Louis could move him around the infield and use him as a talented utility man.
Nolan Arenado's fit in LA
The Dodgers need help at third base. Max Muncy is a decent player, but hasn't been able to replicate his previous All-Star form. Los Angeles doesn't need to give up on Muncy, but moving him to a different position wouldn't be a bad idea. Arenado, meanwhile, is one of the best defenders at the hot corner in all of baseball.
Los Angeles' lineup would feature a superb core of superstars in Arenado, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Will Smith. In fact, each of those players are arguably the best at their respective positions. Adding Arenado to the mix would make the Dodgers a juggernaut of sorts, something that may be necessary given how well the Atlanta Braves are performing in the National League in 2023.
Finally, Arenado is from Southern California. His aforementioned trade clause likely wouldn't be an issue if he receives the chance to return home. Although it isn't guaranteed that he wouldn't exercise the clause, Alden Gonzalez said the “expectation” is that he'd welcome a trade to the Dodgers. That alone is something that's important in all of this to remember.
In the end, there's no guarantee that the Cardinals will even trade Arenado since he's under contract for multiple years to come. However, this Dodgers trade offer may convince the Cardinals into making a deal.
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