Cardinals 8-Time All-Star Called Trade Candidate As Offseason Heats Up

St. Louis' infield certainly is going to look different in 2025

Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

We are finally at the point in the offseason when all of the rumors and speculation soon will turn into actual moves.

The 2024 Major League Baseball Winter Meetings are just days away from kicking off. We are now in December and that means that the Major League Baseball Hot Stove is finally turning on and starting to heat up. Some smaller moves already have started to pop up, like the New York Mets landing Frankie Montas and the Chicago Cubs signing Matthew Boyd.

The St. Louis Cardinals will be a team to watch in the coming weeks as they attempt to reset the organization without completely tearing the whole thing down. Most of the rumors about the team this winter have involved star third baseman Nolan Arenado, as he is the team's most likely trade piece.

MLB.com's Mark Feinsand put together a list of potential trade chips from each team and had Arenado from the Cardinals unsurprisingly.

"Cardinals: Nolan Arenado, (third baseman)," Feinsand said. "File this one under the “where there’s smoke, there’s fire” category. Arenado’s name has surfaced in trade reports all offseason, and given the Cardinals’ plan to reset this winter, the 33-year-old would likely welcome a change of scenery as long as it meant joining a contender.

"Arenado has three years and $74 million remaining on his contract, along with a full no-trade clause, so he will ultimately control his destiny if St. Louis wants to trade him."

He still has plenty left in the tank. A deal involving him could be the quickest way for St. Louis to lower the payroll while bringing back top prospects. A trade makes almost too much sense, sadly.

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