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St. Louis Cardinals president John Mozeliak said that the teams he has been talking to regarding a potential Nolan Arenado trade has been limited to five clubs that he would approve a move to, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are two teams that have been known, but the San Diego Padres are another on the list, according to Goold. There has not been much talk about the Padres as a fit for Arenado, and understandably so, given the presence of Manny Machado on the roster. It has been indicated that Arenado would play first base if needed, however. That would possibly be the position he would play with the Padres, if he is dealt there.
The Padres are in an interesting spot, however. They have not been very active this offseason, and are potentially looking to offload Dylan Cease or Michael King to free up some salary. It is unknown whether Arenado would fit in the team's current budget, even if the Cardinals retain some money.
The first base component is also interesting. Much of Arenado's current value is due to his glove, which still remains strong at third base. That value would be diminished at a less valuable position like first base. Given Arenado's offensive decline over the past two seasons, it would be questionable for a team to add him as a first baseman.
Earlier in the offseason, the Cardinals tried to trade Arenado to the Houston Astros, but he exercised his no-trade clause to nix that deal. Now, we know that the Yankees, Red Sox and Padres are on the list, with the Los Angeles Dodgers as another team he would approve a move to. It will be interesting to see if, and when a deal might come to fruition, as this has been a goal for the Cardinals since the end of last season.
