I fully expect the Nolan Arenado rumor mill to start churning at full blast now that it appears the Los Angeles Angels have a clear path for him to potentially join the team, but there are still so many questions.
Let’s start with what we know. MLB Trade Rumors just shared word that the Angels and Anthony Rendon have agreed to restructure that last year of his contract. They say that Sam Blum of The Athletic is reporting that Rendon’s final $38 million dollars will be deferred and paid out over the next 3 to 5 years. It goes on to say that Rendon’s time with the Angels will now be over. The MLBPA will need to sign off on this deal I believe. By the way, there’s also a report that Rendon isn’t retiring so he’ll still technically be a part of the Angels roster for now, but could be released if a deal is made as his pay will be the same no matter what.
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It’s no secret that Nolan Arenado has reportedly been open to a trade to the Angels in the past. It’s not a slam dunk that the Angels would be interested in him, though. A report from MLB Trade Rumors a few days ago that the Angels are one of the teams interested in Kazuma Okamoto who also happens to be a third baseman. The Padres are also interested in his services. I understand why Nolan would be interested in a team in his home area of southern California, but I still can’t imagine that he would be willing to play for a team that has very little chance at being a contender. Perhaps the St. Louis Cardinals aggressive trade activity so far this offseason would inspire him to consider the Angels even more now, though.
I still believe that the one team that makes the most sense for Nolan is the Boston Red Sox. If they were to miss out on bringing back Alex Bregman, I think they’d be willing to consider trading for Arenado if the Cardinals ate a big chunk of the salary. Yes, the sample size is small, but Nolan does have good numbers at Fenway Park and his buddy Trevor Story remains a Red Sox for the next two years, too. I admit this is still a long shot as the Red Sox likely have a higher quality target than Arenado at this point, but Nolan might end up being their best option if the other third base options disappear. I can’t wait to see the comments light up when/if the Cardinals and Red Sox complete another trade.
I believe the next St. Louis Cardinal trade will involve Brendan Donovan, but I also think that the Cardinals will jump at the chance if Los Angeles suddenly is willing to take on Arenado. It was reportedly one of the priorities of the team as the offseason began and there’s at least now a clear path to one of Nolan’s possible destinations.