In the event you suppose the Los Angeles Dodgers have reached the restrict on superstars on their roster heading into the 2025 marketing campaign, brace your self. It is potential the defending World Champions should still add to their already insane quantity of expertise by way of a blockbuster deal.
In line with MLB.com’s John Denton, the St. Louis Cardinals have “reengaged” the Los Angeles Dodgers in commerce talks round All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado. The 33-year-old Arenado is a local of Southern California and, in keeping with Denton, “would favor a commerce to a contending group over remaining with the rebuilding membership (Cardinals).”
Denton additionally mentions the New York Yankees and Boston Pink Sox as groups with which the Cardinals have reengaged on commerce talks for Arenado.
This is what Denton wrote:
“A sticking level in any Arenado deal might come all the way down to how a lot of the $64 million remaining on Arenado’s contract the Cardinals are keen to soak up. Preliminary commerce talks in early January broke down when the Cardinals refused to pay as a lot as $20 million towards the steadiness of Arenado’s contract, a supply stated. After failing to make a lot commerce progress elsewhere all through January, the Cardinals reengaged the Pink Sox, Yankees and Dodgers about potential restructured offers for the star third baseman.”
Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said back in January that buying and selling Arenado was “precedence one, two and three” as St. Louis continues to search for methods to shed payroll forward of the 2025 marketing campaign.
Whereas Arenado nonetheless stays with the membership on the time of this writing, it is clear that his tenure with St. Louis has been disappointing. Traded from the Colorado Rockies to St. Louis earlier than the beginning of the 2021 season, Arenado has by no means received a postseason sport with St. Louis as his membership was swept out of the wild-card rounds in 2021 and 2022.
Arenado has additionally seen his manufacturing dip over the past two seasons, posting OPS+ numbers of 108 and 101, respectively, throughout that span. His profession common OPS+ sits at 120 heading into the 2025 season.
If the Dodgers had been to accumulate Arenado, it might set off an attention-grabbing chain of occasions inside Chavez Ravine. Max Muncy is penciled in because the beginning third baseman in Los Angeles at current, and Shohei Ohtani is anticipated to as soon as once more maintain down the group’s designated hitter duties. Nevertheless, Muncy might, in concept, be shifted to second base (the place he has performed in 186 video games throughout his nine-year MLB profession) with new acquisition Hyeseong Kim then moved right into a full-time utility function.
Might the Dodgers land Arenado in a blockbuster deal? In an offseason the place Los Angeles has already shocked with some signings and the money that has come along with them, it definitely appears to be an actual risk.
