5 potential trade suitors for Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado

The Dodgers are of course coming off winning the World Series win. But they are also in line to lose third baseman Justin Turner in free agency, so there will be a hole to fill. Shortstop Corey Seager is also set to hit free agency next offseason, and as a Scott Boras client the Dodgers may actually get priced out with extension talks not moving right now.

The Dodgers have been interested in Arenado for awhile. According to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi, they remain interested in him.

Morosi also pointed to what is coming off the Dodgers books after 2021.

“Among Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, Seager and Chris Taylor, roughly $70 million comes off the books following the 2021 season. The Dodgers likely will need to apply some of that savings toward raises for Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler and Julio Urías, but there should be plenty left for Friedman to spend elsewhere.”

Arenado grew up a Dodgers’ fan in Lake Forest, California, so waiving his no-trade clause to play for his childhood team would presumably be no issue. The Dodgers could probably use a right-handed bat in the middle of order too, assuming Turner leaves.

There are two major reasons the Dodgers makes sense as the No. 1 suitor for Arenado, and getting down to it they are the only reasons that matter. They have the ability to take on the rest of his contract, with Morosi adding the idea of moving his ability to opt-out down the line a year or two in exchange for waiving his no-trade. The Dodgers also have an enviable development pipeline that promises to keep their success rolling right along. So dealing from that surplus should not be a problem to land Arenado (or another big name).

Here’s how a deal to send Arenado to the Dodgers might look.

The Rockies may be hesitant to send Arenado to a division rival, even if competing with the Dodgers and the Padres at the top of the NL West is a pipedream right now. But if the defending champs put forth the offer above, or even add another prospect to sweeten the pot (right-hander Landon Knack?) that will be impossible to turn down.