MLB rumors: Nolan Arenado willing to make major change to help facilitate Cardinals trade
Cardinals star Nolan Arenado could a slightly different role next season for another team.
As the trade rumors around St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado continue to heighten in the offseason, it seems likely to happen as the star player looks to make some changes. While some people may say that the Cardinals should not trade Arenado, the team seems to head into a reset per the latest reporting from Katie Woo of The Athletic.
One of the changes Arenado is willing to commit to doing as part of another team trading for him is that besides playing solely third base, he would also play first base “to create roster flexibility.”
“When the St. Louis Cardinals acquired Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies in February 2021, he was overjoyed to finally join a consistent winner,” Woo wrote on the situation with Arenado. “Now, as the Cardinals shift directions and contemplate trading Arenado, the 10-time Gold Glove-winning third baseman is willing to play first base, or at least less at third, to create roster flexibility for a potential new team, league sources briefed on his situation say.”
“The Cardinals are in an unconventional offseason, at least for their standards,” Woo continued. “For the first time in long-time president of baseball operations John Mozeliak’s 17-year tenure, the Cardinals are taking a step back and will use the 2025 season as an organizational reset.”
The conversation around trading Arenado has reportedly been around since the end of last season, as St. Louis had an 83-79 record, which put them second in the NL Central. There have been a “few teams” that could be interested, as both the star and executive John Mozeliak are mutually open to a trade.
“The Cardinals have been exploring Arenado’s potential trade market for weeks,” Woo wrote. “Those conversations, preliminary in nature, have yet to yield any substantive progress. Still, a few teams have expressed initial interest, per a league source. As the winter meetings approach, talks are likely to intensify, and there is a growing sense throughout the industry that Arenado will be on the move.”
“The plan to trade Arenado dates to the end of the season,” Woo continued. “With a change in the organization’s operations on the horizon, Mozeliak met with Arenado in late September and explained the team’s strategy was shifting. According to multiple league sources, Arenado and Mozeliak were open to the possibility of a potential trade this winter. Arenado did not demand a trade but was agreeable to the idea when approached by Mozeliak.”
This shocking decision by Nolan Arenado to move to first base has set the MLB ablaze. The St. Louis Cardinals star is willing to make a major change as part of a potential trade, offering to play both third base and first base to create roster flexibility. While some may argue against trading Arenado, the Cardinals seem to be heading into a reset, with the 2025 season being an organizational reset. Trade rumors have been swirling since the end of last season, and there is growing interest from other teams. As talks intensify, it appears increasingly likely that Nolan Arenado will be on the move. This decision marks a seismic shift in the MLB landscape, and fans across the league are eagerly awaiting the outcome of this earth-shattering trade.
