The Arizona Diamondbacks recently acquired third baseman Nolan Arenado from the St. Louis Cardinals. The deal provides the Diamondbacks with a proven veteran in Arenado. According to a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Athletics were close to acquiring the slugger before the Cardinals-Diamondbacks deal came to fruition.
“But it turns out the Athletics also wanted Arenado and had a deal in place for him, according to people briefed on the discussions,” Rosenthal wrote in a recent article.
Arenado's no-trade clause reportedly played a role in the potential Athletics-Cardinals deal failing to happen.
“But Arenado indicated he would not necessarily approve a trade to the A’s, a person familiar with his thinking said. He preferred the Diamondbacks or Padres,” Rosenthal added.
The A's are in an interesting spot. They feature an intriguing young core of players. Sure, they probably aren't set to contend for a World Series anytime soon, but the Athletics could make some noise in the standings within the next year or two.
With Arenado in Arizona, most projected depth charts have Max Muncy handling third base duties for the Athletics. Muncy is joined by Jacob Wilson, Tyler Soderstrom, and Nick Kurts as core players for the ball club's future.
Meanwhile, Arenado is ready to make an impact with the Diamondbacks. Arenado may not be the same offensive presence he once was, but he's still a reliable defender at third base. Additionally, a bounce back offensive season is not out of the question.
There's a reason he received trade interest from multiple teams despite a forgettable 2025 campaign.
