As the trade deadline approaches, speculation around Nolan Arenado’s future in St. Louis has resurfaced. The star third baseman was a major topic of conversation during the offseason, with reports suggesting the Cardinals attempted to trade him to the Houston Astros—a deal that ultimately fell through. Arenado’s full no-trade clause and his short list of preferred destinations significantly limited the Cardinals’ options.
Despite the rumors, Arenado has continued to shine defensively and remains a strong candidate to win his 11th career Gold Glove at third base. While his offensive numbers dipped earlier in the season, he’s found his groove in June, posting a .292/.324/.446 slash line with three home runs and 11 RBIs over 17 games.
On Thursday, he added another milestone to his résumé, becoming just the seventh player in MLB history to reach 350 home runs and 10 Gold Gloves—a testament to his enduring excellence
Still, with his name back in the rumor mill, fans are once again wondering if a deal might happen this summer. According to The Athletic’s Katie Woo, that remains unlikely.
“Probably not to the extent of last offseason (which I’m still recovering from), but expect Arenado’s name to still pop up in rumors as we inch closer to July,” Woo noted. “However, the likelihood of Arenado being traded is not high. As we learned over the winter, Arenado’s full no-trade clause has greatly slimmed potential landing spots. His performance also hasn’t increased his value. In fact, his .686 OPS would likely serve as a deterrent for a contending team, and that’s to say nothing of the money still owed on his contract.”
While nothing can be ruled out entirely, a summer trade seems improbable. If Arenado is moved at all, a deal this coming offseason appears far more realistic than something ahead of the deadline.
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