Cardinals Mock Trade Dumps 8-Time All-Star To Phillies In 3-Team Swap

Would the Cardinals actually make a deal of this nature?

May 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Philadelphia Phillies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It seems like only a matter of time before the St. Louis Cardinals cut ties with superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado.

St. Louis tried to do so on Wednesday by shipping him to the Houston Astros, but he turned down the deal and invoked his no-trade clause. At this point, it seems like a guarantee that he's going to be moved, but the location is still up in the air. It all comes down to what Arenado wants in his next organization.

With the trade market heating up, Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller made a list of seven hypothetical trades. One was a three-team swap that would send Arenado to the Philadelphia Phillies while landing Seattle Mariners prospect Colt Emerson in St. Louis.

"One of the six teams on Arenado's initial list of preferred landing spots was the Philadelphia Phillies," Miller said. "For that to make sense, though, the Phillies trading away Bohm is a must, perhaps even in the same deal for a rare three-team swap. Nearly one-third of the league could make a lot of sense as a candidate to trade for Bohm, but the Seattle Mariners might be the most eager of the bunch...

"Thus far this offseason, the M's have done nothing to address their offensive woes from 2024, aside from outrighting Luis Urias and non-tendering Josh Rojas to make room for a TBD third baseman. They don't have much wiggle room in their budget for free-agent acquisitions, but Bohm's projected 2025 salary of $8.1M should be more than fine. The Trade: St. Louis sends 3B Nolan Arenado to Philadelphia; Philadelphia sends 3B Alec Bohm to Seattle; Seattle sends SS Colt Emerson (Joel Reuter's No. 35 overall prospect) to St. Louis."

This is just a hypothetical, but maybe the Phillies would have more luck convincing Arenado to agree to a deal?

More MLB: Cardinals Predicted To Ditch 8-Time All-Star In Trade With Astros