Report: Cardinals' Arenado blocks trade to Astros
St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado used his no-trade clause to block a trade to the Houston Astros, sources told MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, Brian McTaggart, and John Denton.
The Cardinals were willing to send $15 million to $20 million to Houston to help pay some of the remaining $74 million left on Arenado's contract, sources told Feinsand, McTaggart, and Denton.
The Astros recently emerged as a serious suitor to acquire Arenado after trading Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs. Houston acquired infielder Isaac Paredes in the Tucker trade, but he's capable of playing either first or third base.
The Cardinals and Astros continue to have dialogue regarding Arenado, but a source told Feinsand, McTaggart, and Denton that Houston isn't confident a trade will be completed.
Per sources: Part of Arenado's decision stemmed from a preference to not make a decision this early in the offseason. It is unclear whether the Astros will continue heavily pursuing Arenado or pivot to other options. #STLCards https://t.co/HyI2i8GVDu
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) December 18, 2024
Arenado hit .272/.325/.394 with 16 home runs, 23 doubles, and 71 RBIs across 152 games in 2024. He continues to rank among the game's best defenders at third base, finishing the 2024 campaign in the 95th percentile in Baseball Savant's outs above average.
The Astros have also shown interest in bringing back longtime third baseman Alex Bregman and reportedly offered him a six-year, $156-million contract. Bregman is apparently looking for a deal closer to the $200-million mark.