Nolan Arenado blocks potential trade to Astros: Best memes and tweets

It's no secret that the St. Louis Cardinals want to trade third baseman Nolan Arenado this offseason. John Mozeliak basically said as much at the Winter Meetings, and a declining 33-year-old with three years and nearly $75 million left on his contract doesn't have much of a place on a rebuilding team that's actively looking to get younger and cheaper. The one complicating factor was Arenado's no-trade clause, with the veteran reportedly only willing to consider a move to another contender.

According to recent reports, that list included East Coast teams like the New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox, as well as teams like the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres that would bring the Southern California native closer to home. But one team it apparently does not include is the Houston Astros: According to MLB.com's Mark Feinsand and John Denton, St. Louis was "in discussions" on a potential trade sending Arenado to Houston, only for the third baseman to inform the Cardinals that he wouldn't waive his no-trade clause.

Feinsand and Denton add that talks haven't completely halted, but it certainly seems like all parties involved are pessimistic that a deal can get done. Which is a pretty stunning rebuke: If Arenado really is primarily motivated by getting to play for a World Series contender, a team that's made the postseason in each of the last eight seasons (with two titles in that span) would seem to be a pretty nice landing spot.

Then again, Houston did just trade away arguably its best player in outfielder Kyle Tucker, and trying to trade for Arenado suggests that they see the writing on the wall with free agent Alex Bregman. That doesn't inspire a ton of confidence in the team's ability to keep pace with the Dodgers, Mets and others. Or maybe Arenado has just held a grudge against the franchise ever since news of its sign-stealing scandal broke.

Either way, the internet is having a field day. Whether Dodgers fans, Yankees fans or any other baseball fan who wants to see Houston faceplant, there was plenty of schadenfreude to go around.

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Best memes and tweets after Nolan Arenado shoots down trade to Astros