Nolan Arenado DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, the Houston Astros have begun to rekindle trade talks for St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado. Earlier in the offseason, the third baseman refused to waive his no-trade clause to go to Houston. However, it appears the Astros have begun to express interest in a trade once again. Feinsand noted that Arenado may be inclined to join Houston as they brought in first baseman Christian Walker, who was not on the team yet when they first attempted to acquire Arenado. The Cardinals have expressed interest in shedding payroll throughout the offseason and have actively searched for a trade partner for Arenado. However, they were unable to get a deal done prior to spring training. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Arenado's status. If he were to get shipped to Houston, he would cover the hot corner, which would shift Isaac Paredes to the keystone and Jose Altuve to left field. Last season in St. Louis, Arenado held a .272/.325/.394 line with 16 long balls.

St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said on Thursday that third baseman Nolan Arenado is likely to remain with the team after the organization tried to trade him all offseason. "(Nolan Arenado) is likely going to be a part of our club at this point," Mozeliak said. The Cards had a deal in place with the Houston Astros in December, but Arenado, who has a full no-trade clause, turned it down. The Boston Red Sox were another suitor for the 33-year-old, but after signing Alex Bregman on Wednesday night, they are out of the picture. At least to open up the 2025 season, Arenado will be at third for St. Louis, with Nolan Gorman staying at second and Brendan Donovan primarily playing the outfield. The eight-time All-Star has seen his power decline in the last two seasons in St. Louis, and he's no longer a top-15 fantasy third baseman based on RotoBaller's 2025 rankings.

St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said he's been limited to talking to five teams that fit third baseman Nolan Arenado's wishes, and that group of teams hasn't grown as the official start of spring training nears. Mozeliak did not name the specific teams, but the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold lists the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and San Diego Padres. Arenado, who has a full no-trade clause, already nixed a trade to the Houston Astros earlier this offseason. The Padres are a new team that we haven't heard yet, and they'd be an interesting fit with Manny Machado already entrenched at third base, but Arenado has also said he'd be willing to shift across the diamond to first base to accommodate a trade to his liking. Fantasy-wise, Arenado's offensive numbers have been declining in recent seasons, and RotoBaller has him ranked as the No. 19 third baseman.