The Colorado Rockies are trading star third baseman Nolan Arenado to the St. Louis Cardinals, sources told Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
The Rockies are sending significant cash to St. Louis, believed to be in the $50-million range. Colorado will receive five prospects in return, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Arenado has also agreed to defer money as part of the deal, according to Rosenthal.
Completion of the trade is pending approval from both MLB and the players’ association. Arenado must also formally waive his no-trade clause. As a result, it could take several days for the deal to become official, Rosenthal reports.
In exchange for waiving his no-trade clause, Arenado will keep his opt-out clause in 2021 and gain a second opt-out after the 2022 season, according to Rosenthal. Additionally, the Cardinals will extend his contract by one year at $15 million, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.
Arenado, who has spent his entire career in Colorado, is entering the third season of what was originally an eight-year, $260-million contract. He’ll earn $35 million in 2021 and, once the extension from St. Louis is tacked on, will be owed $214 million through 2027.
News of the trade apparently left Arenado “thrilled,” and he’s expected to officially waive his no-trade clause as soon as Saturday, according to Heyman.
The five-time All-Star is regarded as the premier defensive third baseman in the National League; he’s won a Gold Glove in each of his eight seasons and is tied with Scott Rolen for the third-most at the position. Arenado’s also a threat at the plate – he’s a career .293/.349/.541 hitter with 1,206 hits, 235 home runs, and 760 RBIs – and is a three-time home run champion.
Having played his entire career at hitter-friendly Coors Field, Arenado’s career splits are skewed in favor of Colorado.
Arenado’s career splits
| Site | Gm. | BA | OPS | HR | RBI | BB | K |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 543 | .322 | .985 | 136 | 461 | 185 | 316 |
| Road | 536 | .263 | .793 | 99 | 299 | 177 | 368 |
The 2020 season was difficult for Arenado. He appeared in just 48 games during the shortened campaign, posting a .738 OPS with eight home runs. Before the pandemic stoppage last March, he became embroiled in a rift with Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich, though team owner Dick Monfort claimed it was “blown out of proportion.”
Arenado, 29, will look to boost a Cardinals team that’s been searching for an upgrade at third base. Former All-Star Matt Carpenter has held down the hot corner since 2018, but his production has dropped off considerably over the last two years. Carpenter posted a meager 77 OPS+ over 169 plate appearances in 2020.
