Could Cardinals trade 3B Nolan Arenado at the 2023 trade deadline?

The baseball world is enjoying the 2023 All-Star break. We witnessed an exciting Home Run Derby and currently await Tuesday night’s All-Star Game. While not on the forefront of our minds, the 2023 trade deadline is only three weeks away on Tuesday, August 1. Last year, we saw a mega deal for Juan Soto going to the San Diego Padres. While all eyes are on a possible trade involving Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani, there is another big name not being ruled out.

The St. Louis Cardinals could be looking to move veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado. They acquired him ahead of the 2021 season in exchange for five players. Arenado hit .255 with 34 home runs and 105 RBI in 2021 and followed it up hitting .239 with 30 home runs and 103 RBI last year.

The problem is that the Cardinals are coming out of the All-Star break with a 38-52 record and sitting in last place in the NL Central. They are 11.5 games back of the Cincinnati Reds. Arenado started slowly like the majority of his teammates but has turned his season around and is hitting .283 with 19 home runs and 62 RBI in 86 games. It remains to be seen what kind of trade package he would garner, but Arenado has won 10 consecutive Gold Glove Awards at third base and is still hitting well above average.

The 32-year-old still has four full years left on the initial 8-year, $260 million deal he signed with the Colorado Rockies in 2019. The New York Yankees make sense as a team with a need, as do the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros. It will be interesting to see how a potential suitor handles the contract and what they are willing to part with to acquire him.