May 3, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) is congratulated by bench coach Joe McEwing (77) after scoring against the Los Angeles Angels during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals have exhausted all of their trade options for superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado but perhaps a new opportunity has risen.
Arenado's contract includes a full no-trade clause, meaning he dictates whether he stays or goes. Unfortunately, teams he's willing to be moved to haven't shown much interest.
However, one of the teams on Arenado's wish list might be in the market for a third baseman and the 10-time Gold Glove defender could be a perfect fit.
"News: Anthony Rendon is having hip surgery and is expected to miss a long amount of time," The Athletic's Sam Blum first reported Wednesday. "He had a setback in his rehab the last few weeks. Another injury for Rendon, and it now becomes unclear if and when he'll play for the (Los Angeles) Angels again."
Being a Southern California native, Arenado included the Angels on his list of teams to which he'd accept a trade earlier this offseason. With third baseman Rendon likely out of the picture for 2025, the Cardinals should aggressively pursue a deal with Los Angeles.
Rendon hasn't played in more than 58 in a single season since 2019 when he was at the peak of his game with the Washington Nationals.
Considering how expensive Rendon's contract is with the Angels (seven years, $245 million), St. Louis wouldn't be able to complete a one-for-one swap to send Arenado to Los Angeles. The Cardinals would likely have to provide $15-20 million in the deal.
The Angels are likely stuck with Rendon until his contract expires after the 2026 season but perhaps Arenado could be used as a temporary replacement for the two-time Silver Slugger.
At this point in the offseason, the Cardinals might have to get creative to find a trade partner for Arenado. Could the Angels be the solution?