Dodgers In Position To Strike If Cardinals Star Becomes Available

Will the St. Louis Cardinals cut ties with one of the best infielders in Major League Baseball in recent memory?

Nolan Arenado was talked about all offseason as a trade piece and the noise carried over into the 2025 season. But, the Cardinals aren’t where many expected them to be. The Cardinals have 47-41 record and look like a contender rather than a seller.

Despite this, Sports Illustrated's Ryan Phillips suggested Arenado as a potential solution for the Los Angeles Dodgers with Max Muncy now injured.

"Nolan Arenado (Trade)," Phillips said. "Everyone has known for months that the Cardinals would love to move Arenado, who has a no-trade clause, and he'd almost certainly welcome a trade back to his Southern California home. The eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove-winner would be a major upgrade over Muncy defensively, though he isn't the hitter he once was. So far in 2025, he's slashing .247/.306/.395 with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs in 80 games...

"Arenado had three years and $74 million left on his contract entering the 2025 season, so St. Louis would likely have to eat some of that to get anything of value from the Dodgers. L.A. could drive a hard bargain to take on the 34-year-old."

This is a topic that was discussed at length this past offseason but didn't make sense at the time because Muncy was with the team. Now, he's set to miss an extended period so it's hard not to see why it makes sense. It was rumored that Los Angeles was his top destination if moved back in the offseason. But, now, the Cardinals have overperformed. Is that enough for St. Louis to keep him around, or will there be some sort of deal made?