How Much Money To Get A Taker For Arenado?

[Talkin' Baseball]

What is the amount the Cardinals would have to eat before a team would be willing to take Arenado in exchange for a player that probably none of us has heard of? According to Cots Baseball Contracts, Arenado's remaining contract looks like this:

2025 salary- 32M, Rockies pay 5M of that and 6M is deferred for the Cardinals to pay later. So, the Cardinals are responsible to pay 21M this year, and by the deadline the remaining balance would be about 7M.

2026 salary- 27M, Rockies pay 5M of that and 6M is deferred for the Cardinals to pay later. So, the Cardinals are responsible to pay 16m next year.

2027 salary- 15M. No help from the Rockies, no deferrals.

I assume, at a minimum, the Cardinals will have to pay the 12M in deferrals. Of the remaining 7M this year, 16M next year, and 15 M the year after, how much will the Cardinals have to pick up to find a trade partner?

[OldRed]

Not much offensively these days.

[ramfandan]

Unsure on the math % to be paid but the Yankees signed Goldy for $12.5 M Just a wild guess, but if trading team would be left paying Arenado $15 M range per year for the next two years, it may be in the ballpark .

[Cusecards]

The more you get back in talent the more you’ll have to kick in.
Sliding scale.

[Mort Gage]

When looking at Arenado never forget luxury tax implications. Most if not all teams on his trade list are in tax territory. For some of them it's 100%, so Arenado's contract could cost them double without offsetting money. All for a mid 30s 3B with a .674 OPS.

[Swuhgen]

Not much offensively these days.

These days?

[Talkin' Baseball]

Unsure on the math % to be paid but the Yankees signed Goldy for $12.5 M Just a wild guess, but if trading team would be left paying Arenado $15 M range per year for the next two years, it may be in the ballpark .

That would be the 12M in deferrals, plus another 1M next year. The Cardinals might do that if they could find a taker.

[Talkin' Baseball]

Not much offensively these days.

These days?

That's not the question- the question is how much $

[ramfandan]

Unsure on the math % to be paid but the Yankees signed Goldy for $12.5 M Just a wild guess, but if trading team would be left paying Arenado $15 M range per year for the next two years, it may be in the ballpark .

That would be the 12M in deferrals, plus another 1M next year. The Cardinals might do that if they could find a taker.

Finding the 'taker' may be less of a stumbling block than finding a team that Arenado is willing to waive his NTC . Nado has 100% leverage as he had from the beginning of this whole process. If he rather play in St. Louis than Team Y who would deal for him , the Cardinals don't get to trade him.
He certainly realizes he is NOT in Bloom's plans moving forward . If a team comes calling he likes, he will waive the NTC and move on . He is not vindictive toward the Cardinals. He understands he is not part of the near future or long term in St. Louis.

[IndCard75]

Arenado would have to be a salary dump type of trade.
We would have to do something like take Stroman from Yankees for Arenado.

Max Muncy has also been bad this year. Possibly the Dodgers would be willing to swap him for Arenado.

[Talkin' Baseball]

Arenado would have to be a salary dump type of trade.
We would have to do something like take Stroman from Yankees for Arenado.

Max Muncy has also been bad this year. Possibly the Dodgers would be willing to swap him for Arenado.

Why would we trade for Muncy?

[Red7]

Arenado would have to be a salary dump type of trade.
We would have to do something like take Stroman from Yankees for Arenado.

Max Muncy has also been bad this year. Possibly the Dodgers would be willing to swap him for Arenado.

Why would we trade for Muncy?

Exactly. Trading Arenado for Muncy accomplishes nothing. They would still have an overpriced underperforming veteran. That being the case, I’d rather have Arenado.

[KeeptheRamsinSTL]

Arenado would have to be a salary dump type of trade.
We would have to do something like take Stroman from Yankees for Arenado.

Max Muncy has also been bad this year. Possibly the Dodgers would be willing to swap him for Arenado.

Why would we trade for Muncy?

I would not trade Arenado for Muncy but there is a reason for the Cardinals to consider the trade. Muncy is on the last year of his contact. Arenado has two years left. Muncy is owed less than Arenado this year. If the Dodger's didn't ask for money back this would be a way for the Cardinals to escape most of Arenado's contract. Muncy has a club option for 2026 for $10 million.

[Jobu's Rum]

I've said trade him for nothing but salary relief since the start of the year, only so we can get Saggese, Wetherholt and Gorman more ABs, especially Sag. Put Donny at 3rd

[Talkin' Baseball]

I've said trade him for nothing but salary relief since the start of the year, only so we can get Saggese, Wetherholt and Gorman more ABs, especially Sag. Put Donny at 3rd

Okay, but the question is, how much money do the Cardinals have to put with him to make it happen?

[Talkin' Baseball]

How about this? The Cardinals trade Nolan Arenado to the Dodgers for Bobby Miller. Baseball Trade Values says that Miller has a trade value of literally zero. The Cardinals agree to pay the 12M deferred money as well as 3M of his remaining 7M salary this year, 3M of his 16M owed next year, and 2M of the 15M owed in 2027. In other words, the Cardinals kick in 20M. That would put him approximately in the Paul Goldschmidt category for salary. Would the Cardinals do this? Would the Dodgers do this?