Will the Los Angeles Dodgers trade for Nolan Arenado? The question begins with whether or not the St. Louis Cardinals will even trade the star third baseman. Arenado is set to make a lucrative amount of money through the 2027 season, so the financial element will be a factor.

“Rival execs say that if the Cardinals are going to move Nolan Arenado, who is owed $64 million, they expect St. Louis would have to either eat some salary or take on a contract a trade partner wants to move,” Buster Olney of ESPN wrote Saturday on X, formerly Twitter. “Chris Taylor is owed $17 million on his deal. If LAD wants him, seems like there is middle ground to be found.”

The Cardinals will have to take on some of Arenado's salary in all likelihood if a trade were to come to fruition. If a potential suitor were to add a player with a lucrative contract, though, it could catch the Cardinals' attention. They would not need to pay as much of Arenado's salary, although they would be taking on another possibly expensive contract.

It should be noted that Taylor has a $12 million club option for 2026, an option that will likely not be picked up by either the Dodgers or another team barring a bounce-back 2025 campaign.

Nolan Arenado, Chris Taylor looking for bounce-back seasons as Dodgers-Cardinals trade rumors swirl

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Taylor, a versatile 34-year-old, endured a miserable 2024 season at the plate. He slashed just .202/.298/.300 across 87 games played. He only hit four home runs as well.

Arenado did not have his best season by any means in 2024 either. The 33-year-old hit .272/.325/.394 in 152 games. He added 16 home runs. The eight-time All-Star did not play up to his standards.

Still, Arenado is going to draw interest if made available for trade by the Cardinals. Not only does he feature a high offensive ceiling, but Arenado is among the best defensive third baseman in the entire sport.

The Dodgers could package Taylor with a few prospects with potential in a possible deal. It remains to be seen if LA has serious interest in acquiring Arenado, however.