Mets Urged To Consider Trade For Cardinals $260 Million Five-Time Silver Slugger

The St. Louis superstar could be a fit for Queens

Sep 10, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of New York Mets hats in the dugout against the Atlanta Braves in the sixth inning at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals hope to maximize trade value for several stars who could be dealt from the big-league roster this offseason.

With three-time All-Stars Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras no longer available to be traded, the Cardinals' options are limited. Due to St. Louis having a youth-laden roster, there aren't many logical chips to choose from for the 11-time World Series champions.

However, a beloved Cardinals superstar has been mentioned as a potential trade candidate with the National League East-rival New York Mets.

"Even if (Juan) Soto comes at that $47 million annual salary, plenty of payroll room will remain to sign a couple of starting pitchers and perhaps bring back (Pete) Alonso as well -- or, maybe, sign Alex Bregman or Willy Adames to play third base and slide (Mark) Vientos over to first," ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and David Schoenfield wrote Tuesday when discussing the Mets' offseason agenda. "(Or, one of my favorite ideas: Trade for Nolan Arenado, with the Cardinals picking up some of the remaining $74 million owed to him over the next three years)."

Arenado has a no-trade clause in his contract, which keeps him at bay in St. Louis through 2027. With the five-time Silver Slugger desiring to win a World Series title before he retires, remaining with the Cardinals for another three seasons seems unlikely.

Trading Arenado could be difficult with the $74 million remaining on his contract. A wealthy team such as the Mets could be more inclined to give the eight-time All-Star a chance.

The Mets are in a solid position to be perennial contenders, making Queens an ideal trade destination for Arenado. Trading the six-time Platinum Glove defender likely won't reel in a favorable haul but it will give the Cardinals fan favorite a legitimate shot at winning a title while alleviating St. Louis of an expensive commitment.

More MLB: Cardinals All-Star Has Better Chance Of Being Traded Than Kept, Per League Sources