UPDATE (July 29, 6:15 p.m. PT): St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said there will not be a Nolan Arenado trade at the August 1 deadline.
The Los Angeles Dodgers have been the most aggressive team in upgrading their roster prior to the August 1 trade deadline, already making three deals to acquire Kiké Hernández, Amed Rosario, Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly.
Despite the three trades, the Dodgers are not ruling out any more additions before 3 p.m. PT on Tuesday. “There’s still time on the clock,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I think we raised the floor, raised the ceiling. But until the clock runs out, I think we’re all still trying to find ways to get better.”
While acquiring more pitching is viewed as the Dodgers’ biggest need, the team is also pursuing a potential splash, discussing Nolan Arenado with the St. Louis Cardinals.
Talks have continued between the two sides, and according to Jack Harris and Jorge Castillo of the L.A. Times, getting an Arenado trade completed is the primary focus for the Dodgers:
Their talks with the St. Louis Cardinals about Nolan Arenado have continued, with the team still focused on a potential blockbuster for the superstar third baseman.
Multiple reports have already confirmed the discussions between the two teams, and it has reached the point where names in a potential return for the Cardinals have begun to surface.
The Cardinals are in desperate need of team-controlled pitching, and are said to be eyeing Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, Ryan Pepiot and Emmet Sheehan. The trade could also include the Dodgers sending back Max Muncy or Chris Taylor, and potentially both, to St. Louis.
Trading Muncy or Taylor would help offset some of the financial cost for the Dodgers and clear up a potential log jam of position players, while also helping the Cardinals remain competitive.
The Dodgers could also look to acquire any of Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery or Jordan Hicks in the deal to address their need for pitching, making the Cardinals an ideal trade partner.
Arenado has long been a target for the Dodgers as they planned to pursue him as a free agent before he signed an eight-year contract extension with the Colorado Rockies.
When he grew frustrated with Colorado’s ownership, the Dodgers were among the teams interested in trading for Arenado, but Rockies owner Dick Monfort refused to deal him within the division and instead took a comically bad offer from the Cardinals.
Arenado has four years remaining on his contract following this season, and with a focus on competing in 2024, the Cardinals don’t need to move the star third baseman short of a deal they love. The odds may still be against the Dodgers on getting this deal done, but it won’t be from a lack of trying.
Nolan Arenado would likely waive no-trade clause for Dodgers
Arenado has a full no-trade clause, which adds another hurdle to getting a potential trade done. However, according to multiple reports, the Southern California native would likely waive that to join the Dodgers.
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