Nolan Arenado Headed to St. Louis Cardinals in Blockbuster Trade

Just do something, they said. The NL Central is weak, they said. No one wants to win the division.

After months of distaste in the mouths of baseball fans, the St. Louis Cardinals have done what everyone thought impossible. Nolan Arenado is headed to St. Louis in a blockbuster trade.

On Friday evening, the Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that the St. Louis Cardinals would acquire star third baseman Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies. The return of players to Colorado has not yet been publicized.

Arenado already enters into his ninth MLB season in 2021 with a record full of accolades. For his career Arenado owns eight consecutive Gold Gloves, four Silver Slugger Awards, three National League home run titles and five All Star selections. Now he brings his star power to St. Louis.

This move comes after a long and fraught relationship between Arenado and the Colorado Rockies’ front office. Just last offseason, Arenado indicated that he had felt “disrespected” by GM Jeff Bridich after no moves were made to significantly improve the team.

Rosenthal initially reported on the trade talks Thursday evening, which many fans found reminiscent of last year’s rumors. Rosenthal officially broke news the news of the trade on Twitter:

Payroll implications of the trade are also monumental, as Arenado is still guaranteed about $200 million under his current contract. Early reports suggest the Rockies will send some money the Cardinals’ way to cover the cost, though what amount is not currently known. 

Arenado also owns a full no-trade clause, which he is expected to decline in order to complete the transaction. Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association would also have to approve the trade. That could happen as early as Saturday morning.

Featured Image Courtesy of NBC Sports

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