Nolan Arenado Was Reportedly 'Willing to Revisit' Astros Trade After His Veto

The Houston Astros might have been able to land Nolan Arenado had they waited a bit longer.

Sep 25, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third base Nolan Arenado (28) reacts in the third inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Whatever criticisms are being hurled the way of Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown following his decision to trade Kyle Tucker and move on from Alex Bregman, that can't include his mindset to be aggressive.

He and the rest of the organization could have easily waited around for their star third baseman to make his free agency decision, and with there being a sizable gap between the two sides and their preferred compensation package, it wasn't a given he'd return to the Astros.

So, Brown was pragmatic.

Knowing they likely wouldn't be able to hand out the type of contract it would take to keep Tucker with the team going forward, they traded him a year before he was scheduled to hit the open market, getting a solid return package that addressed three areas of need.

With 2024 All-Star Isaac Paredes being the headliner to take over the hot corner in case Bregman signed elsewhere, Brown gave the team an insurance policy.

His aggression didn't stop there, though.

Houston tried to acquire future Hall of Fame third baseman Nolan Arenado before he exercised his no-trade clause, but instead of waiting around to see if he would change his mind, they pivoted and landed star slugger Christian Walker to solve their issues at first base.

On paper, this looks like a great move.

If Paredes can play at the level he did with the Tampa Bay Rays before his tough second half with the Chicago Cubs after he was dealt at the deadline, then the Astros will have an ascending player at third base on a cost controlled deal.

Meanwhile, their issues at first should be solved with three more prime years of Walker giving them a power threat and elite defense.

However, there are risks that come with this since Paredes could continue to regress and Walker's age might see him fall off a cliff soon.

And if that's the case, this bit of information could make Brown's aggression be viewed as overzealousness.

Per Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic, there's a chance Houston could have netted Arenado after all if they had waited just a tad longer.

"Per sources, Arenado was willing to revisit the Astros after further clarity developed in his market (namely, Alex Bregman signing). However, the Astros pivoted quickly and signed first baseman Christian Walker to a three-year, $60 million deal just days after," the insiders report.

The acquisition of Arenado would have resulted in Paredes taking over at first base, a position he's played just 71 times in the Majors.

Brown's decision to keep the young third baseman at his natural position while bringing in the established veteran Walker could work out perfectly, but if these two players don't live up to their potential, then they could look back upon this few-day stretch with regret.