Two new teams have emerged as suitors in a potential trade for Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado. ESPN MLB Insider Jeff Passan reports the Rockies are “intrigued” by the prospects of dealing with the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.
Passan noted that while the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals might seem like natural fits depending on which of the two teams misses out on free-agent third baseman Josh Donaldson, trade talks with the Rockies have either gone nowhere or are nonexistent.
Instead, both NL Central clubs could make their pitches:
Arenado would work with Atlanta or Washington similarly well, although, according to sources, conversations with the Braves have gone nowhere, and the Nationals haven't focused on acquiring him. As the Colorado Rockies search for potential trade partners, two teams in particular have intrigued them, according to sources: the Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals.
Passan envisions a hypothetical involving the Cubs — who appear insistent on doing whatever they can to get below the Competitive Balance Tax Threshold — trading All-Star catcher Willson Contreras and an expensive contract (Jason Heyward) to the Rockies in exchange for Nolan Arenado.
However, Chicago's acquisition of Arenado would mean the departure of Kris Bryant, whose value may be wavering among opposing executives. If the Cubs are unable to move Bryant without attaining the proper value, it seems rather unlikely they will trade for the Rockies star.
The Cardinals, on the other hand, have plenty of payroll space to afford Arenado's $35 million salary. As Passan indicates, they also have the appealing big-league talent — most notably Tommy Edman, Lane Thomas and Randy Arozarena — to get a deal done with Colorado.
In any case, two of the teams that have done the very least this winter may be in the position to make the biggest splash of the offseason.
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