A Cardinals-Red Sox trade if Nolan Arenado forces his way to Boston

The St. Louis Cardinals began the offseason with a plethora of moves that indicated they were entering a long awaited rebuild. St. Louis let multiple veteran pitchers walk in free agency before doing the same thing with veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. Shortly after, the rumor emerged that St. Louis was actively shopping third baseman Nolan Arenado.

Arenado is coming off a 2024 season in which he slashed .272/.325/.394 with 16 home runs and 23 doubles. Two seasons ago, the veteran posted a career high in WAR though. Baseball Reference projects him to slash .267/.324/.440 with 21 home runs and 26 doubles.

To this point, it doesn't seem as though any team has been close to acquiring the Gold Glove third baseman. But the Boston Red Sox remain in potential pursuit and Arenado could force his way to Boston if he really wanted to join a potential contender.

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This Red Sox-Cardinals trade would put an end to the Nolan Arenado saga

The Red Sox have been a serious contender in the Alex Bregman sweepstakes, but as Bregman begins to zero in on a team, it doesn't seem as though it's going to be Boston. So, if the Red Sox want to bring in a star third baseman, it might have to make the trade with the Cardinals after all.

This deal is pretty simple. The Cardinals would send Arenado and a solid chunk of cash to pay for the veteran's deal to the Red Sox in exchange for prospect Richard Fitts.

Fitts, 25, was excellent in just over 20 innings of big league time last season. He excelled in the minor leagues as well. The righty has multiple solid offerings and the mound precense to compete on the biggest stage. He might not crack the Red Sox's rotation to begin the season, but if he's traded to the Cardinals, there's a much better chance he makes his way to the St. Louis rotation.

The Red Sox could use Arenado at third base while moving Rafael Devers over to first base. Devers could split time with first baseman Triston Casas. One could play first base while the other is the designated hitter and vice versa. This kind of move could work to keep both players healthy and fresh through the long season.