The Boston Red Sox could be just a few strategic moves away from becoming serious contenders in the American League, and they seem to have their sights set on adding another top hitter. Rumors are circulating that they are targeting St. Louis Cardinals’ infielder Nolan Arenado for a potential trade.
Arenado, a 33-year-old former superstar and perennial Gold Glove winner at third base, is reportedly open to waiving his no-trade clause to join the Red Sox. According to team reporter Tyler Milliken, Boston is now seen as a strong contender to land Arenado in a trade, with some sources suggesting that their pursuit of Alex Bregman could be winding down. However, for the deal to happen, the Cardinals would likely need to absorb some of Arenado’s salary, and the Red Sox may need to part ways with young first baseman Triston Casas.
Nolan Arenado
The challenge with acquiring Arenado is that it might require trading off the promising Casas. While Arenado is an elite defensive third baseman, his offensive numbers have been declining. Over the past two seasons, Casas has posted a 126 OPS+, a significant improvement over Arenado’s 104 OPS+. With the Red Sox planning to keep Masataka Yoshida in the designated hitter spot, acquiring Arenado could create some roster flexibility issues.
If the Red Sox pull off the trade, it’s likely that they would shift Rafael Devers to first base, moving Casas in a separate deal to address other needs. While this potential trade could improve their defense, it raises questions about long-term production and whether it’s worth parting with Casas’ future potential for a player nearing the end of his peak years.
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