With the St. Louis Cardinals hosting the Houston Astros for a three-game series Monday through Wednesday, the question was inevitable.
Why, Nolan Arenado, did you nix the trade to Houston?
It was no secret that the Cardinals were trying to deal the veteran third baseman throughout the offseason. It was also no secret that Arenado, with full no-trade veto power, had only a small group of teams to which he would approve being sent.
One of those teams was thought to be Houston, but about a week before Christmas, after a deal sending Arenado to the Astros had been all but completed, Arenado flinched. Spurred by Houston’s trade of Kyle Tucker just days prior, Arenado became concerned about the franchise potentially sliding away from contention.
“I think a lot of fans think I just said ‘no’ because I think they’re bad, which is obviously false and not true,” Arenado said.
Instead, Arenado, noting there were also rumors at the time that Houston could be shopping other valuable players such as Ryan Pressly and Framber Valdez, told the Astros that he needed time to reassess the situation.
“I didn’t want to rush into it,” Arenado said. “I didn’t feel comfortable making that decision within that time frame. I had to make sure they knew that because I didn’t want to bring them along for a long time and just tell them ‘no.’ That didn’t feel right.”
But Houston couldn’t wait, and the team quickly changed directions, signing first baseman Christian Walker to a three-year deal just one day after Arenado informed everyone of his stance.
“I respect the Astros because they can’t just wait for me to make my decision,” Arenado said. “They have to move on and they have to make their team better, which they did. They got Walker and they did some other things. I can see how it was taken as ‘no,’ but they know I didn’t say ‘no.’ It was more of, ‘I need to see how this all plays out first.’”
Nolan Arenado Blocks Houston Trade But Other Deals Possible
The way it played out for the Cardinals is that Arenado is still a member of the team, although for how much longer is anybody’s guess.
As John Mozeliak and the Cardinals front office waffles between the team being in a “reset” vs. a “transition,” the team’s position in the standings could have as much to say as anything about whether St. Louis decides to make any mid-season trades. Arenado’s play on the field obviously matters in terms of generating interest from potential trade partners, and the 34-year-old has done his part so far, entering Saturday’s game with a slash line of .296/.390/.465.
But regardless of those factors, the rumor mill never stops, and there continue to be a plethora of proposals that would send Arenado to various contending teams. Some even suggest that Arenado could be a fit for the Cubs.
However, with many in the industry feeling that the Cardinals missed their chance to fully capitalize on an Arenado trade, closer Ryan Helsley could be the more valuable trade chip as the deadline approaches.
Ryan Helsley Emerges as Cardinals Top Trade Candidate
Among the recent rumors, Zach Pressnell of Newsweek believes the Boston Red Sox could acquire Helsley for shortstop/second baseman Franklin Arias (Boston’s No. 4 prospect) and outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia (No. 6)
“Helsley is among the best relievers in the game, but he's on an expiring contract,” Pressnell wrote. “The Red Sox could part ways with a few top prospects who are blocked by even better young talent in order to land the star righty.”
In a separate piece, Pressnell suggests that the Braves could get Helsley in exchange for a pair of right-handed pitchers, Hurston Waldrep (No. 3) and Bryce Elder, a former top 5 prospect in the Braves system who won 12 games in 2023.
“Both Bryce Elder and Hurston Waldrep have tried their chances at the big league level but have fallen short,” Pressnell stated. “It's hard to write off Waldrep at this point, as he was rushed to the big leagues last season and could still be very productive down the road, but Elder badly needs a change of scenery.
“The only holdup with this trade is the fact that the Cardinals already have a decent bit of pitching in their farm system. Still, adding Elder to the big league roster and Waldrep as an eventual replacement for Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde, or Miles Mikolas would be a step in the right direction.”
Newsweek’s Drew VonScio feels the Dodgers could make a legitimate push for Helsley, proposing the All-Star closer head to the defending World Series champion for outfielder Zyhir Hope (No. 6) and middle infielder Noah Miller (No. 25).
“Ryan Helsley is set to be a free agent after this season, so he will have the most suitors among contenders,” VonScio wrote.” As a result, the Cardinals will take the highest bidder when it comes to dealing their closer.”