Washington Nationals Would Be Smart To Pursue Trade for Nolan Arenado
The Washington Nationals were not on the reported list of teams that St. Louis Cardinals star Nolan Arenado would waive his no-trade clause. But, that shouldn’t deter the team from at least attempting to make a deal for him.
His agent, Joel Wolfe, has said that the number of teams to which his client would accept a trade is “bigger than you might think,” via John Denton of MLB.com.
Rumors are floating around that only six teams are on that list; the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are teams that he doesn’t have much interest in joining at all.
“It’s more of a, ‘Would you be OK with this team, OK with that team?’” Wolfe said. “We don’t want to waste [Mozeliak’s] time. There are some hard no’s of where he’d prefer not to go. So, it’s been dynamic in the discussion about how it will work.”
No teams have been mentioned as being on the list of hard no’s. As long as the Nationals aren’t on that list, they should do what they can to convince Arenado that the nation’s capital is the place for him.
Even with his production at the plate declining in recent years, he would be a huge upgrade for Washington at the hot corner. In the opinion of David Schoenfield of ESPN, the National League East risers are one of the best fits for him.
“Nationals third basemen hit .228 with an MLB-worst seven home runs in 2024. Even Arenado's 2024 production would be a huge improvement over those meager numbers. He would add an experienced veteran to a young team that could use his leadership as it tries to climb in a loaded National League East.”
The veteran Gold Glover has made it clear that he wants to play for a team that is winning. With the Cardinals heading for a reset, they no longer fit that description.
The Nationals won the World Series in 2019 and haven’t been in the playoffs since. The 71 games they won in 2023 and 2024 are the most they have had in the last five years since that title.
That is likely a tough sell for Arenado, but they are a franchise that is on the rise. There is a lot of young talent already in the Major Leagues and even more in the Minor League pipeline.
If they can add another veteran or two to the mix, they would become a more attractive destination for Arenado. Washington certainly has a stronger case when it comes to pitching playoff hopes than the Angels, who are reportedly on his list, do.
