The St. Louis Cardinals went to great lengths this past offseason to trade Nolan Arenado, specifically to teams he’d agree to waive his no-trade clause for. Despite their efforts, a deal never materialized—either due to limited interest from potential suitors or Arenado having second thoughts about certain destinations. One club Arenado was reportedly open to joining was the Boston Red Sox. While Boston didn’t pursue him at the time, a significant recent injury on their roster could push them to reconsider and potentially revisit interest in the veteran third baseman.
The injury to the Red Sox’ Triston Casas could lead Boston to pivot to Nolan Arenado.
A devastating knee injury has sidelined Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas for the rest of the season, following a collision at first base that now requires season-ending surgery. The loss leaves Boston scrambling for a long-term replacement and could speed up an internal shift that’s been rumored for some time: moving star third baseman Rafael Devers across the diamond to first base. That shift, however, would create a major vacancy at third—and Nolan Arenado may be the best option to fill it.
Arenado has shown signs of bouncing back after a disappointing 2024 season, his worst in nearly every statistical category. While he’s no longer the perennial MVP candidate of years past, he could still hold significant value to a contending team willing to absorb part of his contract. That said, St. Louis reportedly insisted during the offseason that any team acquiring Arenado would have to take on a substantial portion of his remaining salary. With Boston now operating from a position of need and still firmly in a win-now mode, the Cardinals might finally have leverage to revisit a deal.
The Cardinals’ new incoming president of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom, could be a key figure in any potential trade with Boston. Bloom, who previously spent four years leading the Red Sox’ front office, is intimately familiar with the organization and many of the prospects still in their pipeline—several of whom he helped draft. While John Mozeliak remains the acting head of baseball operations, Bloom’s insight should carry significant weight if trade talks resume.
Boston boasts one of the strongest farm systems in the league, recently ranked third by MLB.com, and St. Louis is in need of power arms throughout its organization. Two of Boston’s most intriguing pitching prospects, Luis Perales and David Sandlin, fit the mold of the hard-throwing, high-upside arms the Cardinals sorely lack.
Despite Mozeliak’s public optimism about contending in 2025, the Cardinals sit at 17–19 and fourth in the NL Central. Given how weak the division has been, a Wild Card bid appears unlikely—the team would need to win the division outright to make the playoffs. As much as the front office may want to chase one more run in Mozeliak’s final season, reality should outweigh sentiment. If the Red Sox call about Arenado, the Cardinals shouldn’t hesitate. They need to answer on the first ring—and seriously engage in talks.