The St. Louis Cardinals, annually one of Major League Baseball’s most consistent contenders, find themselves in the unusual position of seller heading into the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline. But at least one of the team’s star players hasn’t been talked to about a trade.
Third baseman Nolan Arenado would seem to be a logical trade candidate, but has a full no-trade clause. But while the no-trade clause does complicate matters but isn’t a roadblock. It can always be waived, which is what happened when the Cardinals acquired Arenado from the Colorado Rockies.
But after Friday’s loss to the Chicago Cubs, Arenado made it clear that he has not discussed waiving his no-trade clause with team president, John Mozeliak.
“I don’t know where those reports come from,” Arenado said, per Ben Fredrickson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “When Mo comes up to me and wants to have those conversations, we will have them.”
Nolan Arenado said he hasn't been asked about waiving his no-trade clause and hasn't talked about it. "I don't know where those reports came from," he said. "When Mo comes up to me and wants to have those conversations, we will have them."
— Ben Frederickson (@Ben_Fred) July 29, 2023
The notion of a trade is far from baseless. Mozeliak has said, in no uncertain terms, that trades are going to happen.
Additionally, Joel Wolfe, Arenado’s agent, has talked about a potential trade. He told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that “the idea that Arenado would only waive his no-trade clause for the Dodgers was ‘inaccurate.'”
Spoke with Joel Wolfe, who represents Nolan Arenado. He declined to get into specifics about the L.A. Times report regarding the Cardinals-Dodgers talks, but he did say the idea that Arenado would only waive his no-trade clause for the Dodgers was "inaccurate."
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) July 27, 2023
If Arenado is willing to waive his no-trade clause, he won’t lack for interested suitors. He’s an eight-time All-Star and hitting .284/.332/.517 with 22 home runs on the season. Arenado is also one of baseball’s best defensive players as he’s won 10 straight Gold Gloves and six straight Platinum Gloves.
[Ben Fredrickson, Mark Feinsand]
