scoutyjones2 wrote: ↑24 Nov 2025 08:30 am
What do they have that the Cards want? Short sighted article
I could see him going there since his hitting academy is only 10 min away too.
I can see Kikuchi coming back. He had a good year but I think his contract is basically breakeven or a bit underwater, so we would still have to eat salary and take on Kikuchi’s full salary.
Just no on Kikuchi, or any other bad contract. We don't have to take on a bad contract to move him. If we have to have a bad contract, let's just keep the decent third baseman.
Depends.
Maybe you trade NA for Nick Castellanos. With this trade, you are saving money while betting NC has a better 2026 rebound than NA—-thus being more flippable…
I am against trading Arenado for any underwater contract. It is to me, the worst possible outcome of the Arenado situation.
No.
Keep in mind NA’s ops was .666 last year. And has two more years on his contract. That’s underwater. Worst possible outcome would be keeping him through the duration of contract.
Now, Nick C has only one more year left.
Contract alone, NC would be easier to flip. And the trade alone saves money.
Now is it fair to say that NC could have better numbers by the trade deadline than NA? Sure.
scoutyjones2 wrote: ↑24 Nov 2025 08:30 am
What do they have that the Cards want? Short sighted article
I could see him going there since his hitting academy is only 10 min away too.
I can see Kikuchi coming back. He had a good year but I think his contract is basically breakeven or a bit underwater, so we would still have to eat salary and take on Kikuchi’s full salary.
Just no on Kikuchi, or any other bad contract. We don't have to take on a bad contract to move him. If we have to have a bad contract, let's just keep the decent third baseman.
Depends.
Maybe you trade NA for Nick Castellanos. With this trade, you are saving money while betting NC has a better 2026 rebound than NA—-thus being more flippable…
I am against trading Arenado for any underwater contract. It is to me, the worst possible outcome of the Arenado situation.
No.
Keep in mind NA’s ops was .666 last year. And has two more years on his contract. That’s underwater. Worst possible outcome would be keeping him through the duration of contract.
Now, Nick C has only one more year left.
Contract alone, NC would be easier to flip. And the trade alone saves money.
Now is it fair to say that NC could have better numbers by the trade deadline than NA? Sure.
brock118 wrote: ↑24 Nov 2025 15:42 pm
I believe one of the pundits said he turned down a trade to the Angels last year. I don't see the Angels going after him or him wanting to go to a team going nowhere. He can just stay if he wants that.
scoutyjones2 wrote: ↑24 Nov 2025 08:30 am
What do they have that the Cards want? Short sighted article
I could see him going there since his hitting academy is only 10 min away too.
I can see Kikuchi coming back. He had a good year but I think his contract is basically breakeven or a bit underwater, so we would still have to eat salary and take on Kikuchi’s full salary.
Just no on Kikuchi, or any other bad contract. We don't have to take on a bad contract to move him. If we have to have a bad contract, let's just keep the decent third baseman.
Depends.
Maybe you trade NA for Nick Castellanos. With this trade, you are saving money while betting NC has a better 2026 rebound than NA—-thus being more flippable…
I am against trading Arenado for any underwater contract. It is to me, the worst possible outcome of the Arenado situation.
No.
Keep in mind NA’s ops was .666 last year. And has two more years on his contract. That’s underwater. Worst possible outcome would be keeping him through the duration of contract.
Now, Nick C has only one more year left.
Contract alone, NC would be easier to flip. And the trade alone saves money.
Now is it fair to say that NC could have better numbers by the trade deadline than NA? Sure.
Difficult to imagine NA on Philly radar for me. Seems like too
much of a sideways move on a team already having some age concerns.
Nick is a gamble. IF he repeats 2025 that's not flip candidate and a 2024 match gets
right back to a lottery ticket return. He'll need a 2023 return in order to get upside
in return. So pay $20 million to go away and save $20 million or pay $20 million for NC and save
whatever the Cards are on the hook for in the NC trade.
okcardfan wrote: ↑24 Nov 2025 13:51 pm
Agree 100% with Talkin' and Ozzie's take, keep Arenado if otherwise you'd have to take on another bad contract.
You know he's a good guy, at least, and also a superior fielder and not a strikeout king like Gorman or Walker.
Don't forget he was apparently injured during the season but still insisted on playing hurt anyway. Too earnest.
If he's fully healthy he might be an average hitter, maybe slightly above that, maybe clearly above that, and presumably will remain the superior fielder he's always been, with a tiny slippage that would make him still the best fielder at 3B on the team, and probably by quite a bit.
Would I pay $10M or $20M to trade him for some other team's $10M or $20M salary dump? Duh, no. I'd do it for a rookie MLB or high MiLB RH OFer or RH starting pitcher in the trading partner's top 10 prospects, plus a guy in rookie ball with some chance of making the big leagues for even a cup of coffee.
No salary dump deal. Otherwise, keep Arenado. (For those of you worried, doing so doesn't prevent ownership from spending money on other good players too, for goodness sake).
With respect, there is no scenario in which N/A being in STL next year would be acceptable.
The moment he is traded, the organization is better.
That is not a dig at N/A.
It simply reflects 2 truths.
He is part of a failed past.
He is simply in the way moving forward.
okcardfan wrote: ↑24 Nov 2025 13:51 pm
Agree 100% with Talkin' and Ozzie's take, keep Arenado if otherwise you'd have to take on another bad contract.
You know he's a good guy, at least, and also a superior fielder and not a strikeout king like Gorman or Walker.
Don't forget he was apparently injured during the season but still insisted on playing hurt anyway. Too earnest.
If he's fully healthy he might be an average hitter, maybe slightly above that, maybe clearly above that, and presumably will remain the superior fielder he's always been, with a tiny slippage that would make him still the best fielder at 3B on the team, and probably by quite a bit.
Would I pay $10M or $20M to trade him for some other team's $10M or $20M salary dump? Duh, no. I'd do it for a rookie MLB or high MiLB RH OFer or RH starting pitcher in the trading partner's top 10 prospects, plus a guy in rookie ball with some chance of making the big leagues for even a cup of coffee.
No salary dump deal. Otherwise, keep Arenado. (For those of you worried, doing so doesn't prevent ownership from spending money on other good players too, for goodness sake).
With respect, there is no scenario in which N/A being in STL next year would be acceptable.
The moment he is traded, the organization is better.
That is not a dig at N/A.
It simply reflects 2 truths.
He is part of a failed past.
He is simply in the way moving forward.
After grouping the other 29 teams in various categories , Petriello narrows his choices of best 7 landing spots
No. 1 Angels
1) Angels
This might be it. This might be the spot. The Angels, 72-90 last year and having missed the playoffs for the past 11 seasons, might not be an obvious landing spot for a player hoping to find a contender. But they continue to operate as though they are, and the addition of Grayson Rodriguez surely opened some eyes across the sport. With Anthony Rendon completely out of the mix, the Angels had baseball’s weakest third base situation in 2025, a last-place ranking they’re projected to repeat in 2026. Although Arenado grew up in Southern California as a Dodgers fan, he attended high school in Lake Forest, which is far closer to Angel Stadium than it is Dodger Stadium. If he wants to get back home, he’ll never have a better chance than this.
His 7th thru 2nd were in descending order: 7. Athletics 6. Pirates 5. Phillies 4 TIgers 3. Red Sox 2. D'Backs
Looks like Petriello has also been reading from and learning from my posts, as everyone here does.
Months ago, I alone first correctly analyzed and explained that AZ was the most likely landing spot for N/A.
All here disagreed.
Initially.
Then several began to come around.
It is very, very clear - and has been for some time - that given all known factors, AZ is the most probable landing spot for N/A.
And unlike the last time STL traded him, this time he will not refuse to report.
(1) have to eat a lot of his salary to get even one solid prospect back or
(2) take back another sketchy contract, maybe one for an OF/SP who is only signed for 2026
Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑24 Nov 2025 17:04 pm
I am against trading Arenado for any underwater contract. It is to me, the worst possible outcome of the Arenado situation.
I don’t really follow why? They aren’t going to use the savings to obtain new players. Also, they are going to be $70M under the payroll from just two years ago as is so it’s not like taking a bad contract (that helps in the interim, ie eating innings) would hurt or hinder the ‘rebuild’ financially.
I’d actually love to take a couple bad contracts and get a prospect or two with them. I hate the idea of trading Gray for this very reason. Castellanos is a great example or DeGrom from Texas.
Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑24 Nov 2025 17:04 pm
I am against trading Arenado for any underwater contract. It is to me, the worst possible outcome of the Arenado situation.
I don’t really follow why? They aren’t going to use the savings to obtain new players. Also, they are going to be $70M under the payroll from just two years ago as is so it’s not like taking a bad contract (that helps in the interim, ie eating innings) would hurt or hinder the ‘rebuild’ financially.
I’d actually love to take a couple bad contracts and get a prospect or two with them. I hate the idea of trading Gray for this very reason. Castellanos is a great example or DeGrom from Texas.
Bottom line.
Many ways to get it done.
But it all comes back to one central truth.
Paying him to play elsewhere is better for STL than paying him to play for the Cardinals.
Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑24 Nov 2025 17:04 pm
I am against trading Arenado for any underwater contract. It is to me, the worst possible outcome of the Arenado situation.
I don’t really follow why? They aren’t going to use the savings to obtain new players. Also, they are going to be $70M under the payroll from just two years ago as is so it’s not like taking a bad contract (that helps in the interim, ie eating innings) would hurt or hinder the ‘rebuild’ financially.
I’d actually love to take a couple bad contracts and get a prospect or two with them. I hate the idea of trading Gray for this very reason. Castellanos is a great example or DeGrom from Texas.
Because it is a lateral move. You've just moved the furniture. You still have a bad contract to move. You are still at the mercy of the market. You still have the injury risk before you try to make the final move. You still have the money on the books. And, you still have someone who doesn't fit into your plans.
You say that they won't use the savings to obtain new players. If you mean they won't spend all of the savings on new players, you are probably right. But if they save, say 20M, I think it will affect how they feel about adding a player, or players. It won't be the 4-5 year deals, but something to help bridge the gaps we have now.
From various articles I read, it does not appear that Arenado will refuse to waive his no trade clause . The Cardinals gave permission to his agent Joel Wolfe to work out a deal for a trade. So Wolfe is not going to be working with teams they have no interest in .
Wolfe also has reportedly told teams that Arenado would be willing to switch positions too if needed.
Both Wolfe and Bloom have agreed that a 'new fit for Arenado was in the best interest of both parties.
So when the deal happens , there won't be an controversy about 'no trade clause' . Wolfe will find a team that Arenado is fine with.
As I see it , once Wolfe finds the team(s) that truly would accept Arenado , then Bloom will become involved to work out how much of the $$$ he will pay off on the contract . I would guess Bloom has already given Wolfe a range of $$$ he is fine with on the remaining monies. That way Wolfe can pass that on to the teams he is talking with. He will have a ballpark idea of how much Bloom is going to pony up.
