The St. Louis Cardinals have been trying to trade Nolan Arenado all offseason, and with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers being seen as long shots to make a move for him, the Boston Red Sox remain arguably the most logical destination, as he would waive his no-trade clause to go there, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. However, the Red Sox have yet to bite, and there is some trepidation due to the implications for Rafael Devers as well as the money the Cardinals are willing to pick up.

“Moving Arenado could force St. Louis to eat upward of half the money he is owed,” Passan wrote. “Short of that, Boston's interest is iffy. Such posturing, of course, is the domain of the winter — and when something looks dead one day, it can come back to life the next. (Pete Alonso's return to the Mets, for example.) Still, for a team that values its analytical model as much as Boston does, deviating from it is not Boston's style. The Red Sox will set a number they're willing to take on. And either there will or won't be a deal.”

Despite the awkwardness, the Cardinals are content to run it back, according to Passan. The organization seemed intent on moving Arenado this offseason, even having a conversation at the end of last season about it. The third baseman did not waive his no-trade clause when they were in agreement on terms with the Houston Astros. The Astros pivoted to other plans, and now the Cardinals are still trying to make a deal work.

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Arenado has declined offensively over the past two seasons, but he is still a quality defender who could help a team with playoff hopes. The Red Sox fit that mold, but it seems like they will not bend over backward to make it happen. An addition of Arenado would mean Devers moves to more of a designated hitter role. The Colorado Rockies are already picking up some of Arenado's money, but it appears teams would like the Cardinals to pick up more for the remaining three years of his contract.

With Spring Training starting up soon, it will be interesting to see if the Cardinals are able to make something work.