It was a surprising sight to see Nolan Arenado still wearing a St. Louis Cardinals jersey at the start of spring training following an offseason filled with trade rumors.
The Cardinals didn’t hide their intention to move Arenado after the eight-time All-Star third baseman expressed his desire to play for a contender while St. Louis goes through a reset.
St. Louis believed a trade was on the horizon with the Houston Astros and had a framework in place, however, Arenado ended up nixing the deal that was reportedly at the “1-yard line.”
Now, new information reveals that Arenado wouldn’t consider deals to other 2024 playoff teams beyond just the Astros.
Related: Why St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado surprisingly rejected Houston Astros trade at ‘1-yard line’
MLB insider: Nolan Arenado rejected going to two other playoff teams
According to The Athletic’s Katie Woo, Arenado wouldn’t consider waiving his no-trade clause for the Detroit Tigers or Kansas City Royals, two 2024 playoff teams that inquired about the 10-time Gold Glover’s availability. The Los Angeles Angels also reached out to the Cardinals.
“Arenado wasn’t going to accept a trade just anywhere. Should he be dealt, it would be to a team that had firmly put itself in a position to contend for a World Series or a team that was planning to in the near future,” Woo reported.
“That’s why talks with the Tigers, Royals and Angels never got off the ground. Those teams were viewed as non-starters by the player, a source described, and no substantial discussions took place.”
Arenado reportedly had only five teams on his list for which he would waive his no-trade clause: the Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees.
Even though the Astros were on his approved list, he rebuffed the deal because he was concerned about where Houston would be after trading Kyle Tucker and losing Alex Bregman. The Astros then pivoted to first baseman Christian Walker, signing him to a three-year, $60 million deal.
The Dodgers, Padres, and Red Sox are already set at third base, and the Yankees don’t appear inclined to trade for Arenado and the $74 million remaining on the last three years of his contract.
If Arenado doesn’t expand his list of approved teams, he won’t be moving on from St. Louis.
Related: MLB insider sheds light on odds of Nolan Arenado trade to New York Yankees
