BREAKING NEWS: Astros Reportedly Interested In trading For Nolan Arenado

Baseball’s offseason is now heating up, and the Houston Astros seem to be in the center of everything. According to a report by Chandler Rome at The Athletic, the Astros have surfaced Saturday as a “serious suitor” for St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado. Rome reports that while there’s no deal on the table, talks between the Astros and Cardinals have sped up in recent days.

Adding Arenado would obviously mean there’s no chance that Alex Bregman returns to Houston. But also: why Arenado?

Why Arenado?
Arenado, who is owed $74 million through the 2027 season, hasn’t exactly been a marquee name in recent years. After the veteran joined the Cardinals via a blockbuster trade before the 2021 season, he had a decent first year and outstanding 2022, but the last two years have been about average: .269 batting average, 21 home runs per season.

Plus, he’s been a far cry from the hitter he was with the Colorado Rockies. (But let’s be honest, how many former Rockies are the same after leaving Coors Field?) Back then Arenado hit around 40 home runs annually with averages hovering around .300 and on-base marks among the best the best in baseball. Not to mention that Arenado maintained a 10-year Gold Glove award streak, which ran out in 2023. A Hall of Fame plaque seemed all but assured.

We’re not saying Arenado is washed or anything, but there’s reason to be cautious about the Astros potentially adding a guy who will turn 34 early in the 2025 season and has likely dropped off his established all-star level. Especially when Houston will have to pay him some of that $74 million over the next three years (Rome reports the Astros would ask St. Louis to help with that cost in a trade). No, we’re not having flashbacks to Jose Abreu. Not at all.

In other words, why would a team that just traded a major star in his peak—Kyle Tucker—now bring in an aging and possibly overpriced hitter at the back end of his career?

Why Arenado … could make sense
One may imagine this is a way for the Astros to committ fewer financial resources and years on third base. The Astros have a six-year, $156 million offer out there for longtime third baseman Alex Bregman, who is currently a free agent. But that offer seems to pale in comparison to what experts think Bregman should get in the free agent market. Heck, according to reports, Bregman expects no less than $200 million and seven years in a contract. The Yankees have been rumored to be in on Bregman, and undoubtedly his market has heated up in recent days.

So, if Bregman is out of the question to begin with, Arenado would present a more realistic approach at the hot corner, and he should still be a productive contributor for a decent portion of the remaining contract. So, if one imagines Arenado getting the bulk of action at third, with newly acquired Isaac Paredes sliding in as a substitute who can also move around the infield, that seems to work for a couple seasons.

The Astros wouldn’t have the final say in an Arenado trade, however. The third baseman’s contract includes a full no-trade clause, and while Arenado said he would waive it this season, his reported “wish list” did not initially include Houston (listed are the Angels, Dodgers, Padres, Phillies, Mets and Red Sox). Arenado could of course just say yes to a trade to Houston, rendering all of that “wish list” talk moot.