A Cardinals-Red Sox blockbuster to finally kick off St. Louis' long overdue 'reset'

The St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox have been in the news this week thanks to various reports suggesting that Boston could be the favorite to land third baseman Nolan Arenado. However, St. Louis has had a difficult time finding any takes for their Gold Glove third baseman, and a deal looks less and less likely as spring training approaches.

The Cardinals don't seem to want to eat a lot of money on his contract just for the sake of moving him, as they have made it clear they hope to reduce their payroll for 2025. Why they can't invest in the minor league system and major league roster at the same time is anybody's guess, but it may take a little something extra for St. Louis to get Arenado off their books.

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A Cardinals-Red Sox blockbuster to kick off St. Louis' rebuild

Earlier this week, Brandon Kiley of 101 ESPN correctly pointed out that if the Cardinals are serious about resetting and giving their youth opportunities, they need to find a way to trade Arenado. That may even include them trading away other pieces to sweeten the deal if they are unwilling to eat more money.

Kiley even pointed out that it may take the Cardinals trading Ryan Helsley to get this done. They seem inclined to keep their All-Star closer, but if they truly want to reset and prepare for the future, it makes sense to deal Helsley, especially to a team such as the Red Sox, who have a strong farm system.

Bleis, Garcia and Fitts were the Red Sox No. 6, 9 and 10 prospects in 2024, respectively. Fitts would give them another MLB ready starter to add to their stache of young pitching prospects. Bleis and Garcia would give them some outfield depth at the minor league level. They are low on position player prospects, especially in the outfield.

Trading Arenado would allow St. Louis to open up everyday roles for players such as Nolan Gorman and Thomas Saggese. It also might clear some space for them to make a signing or two. They could look to bring back right-hander Andrew Kittredge to bolster their bullpen.

This may be the best way for them to take Arenado off the books for St. Louis. It's clear that regardless of what they do with Helsley, they are not focused on contending in 2025 and will use this year to see what they have in their younger players.