Nolan Arenado’s tiny list of approved trade destinations spells bad news for Blue Jays

A little earlier this offseason, we had touched on the fact that the Toronto Blue Jays and the St. Louis Cardinals could be perfect trade partners. Building upon that, ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel had recently suggested that the Jays could potentially work out a deal with the Cardinals that would land them star third baseman Nolan Arenado. This trade transaction would bring great intrigue to the Jays, as given his pedigree and extensive experience, Arenado could potentially be a huge leader and difference maker for Toronto.

With a no-trade clause currently attached to his remaining three years in his $74 million contract, Arenado had recently made known his list of approved trade destinations if the Cardinals intend to move the 33-year-old star. Among the list included the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox, and even surprisingly the Los Angeles Angels, but the Blue Jays unfortunately did not make the cut, according to John Denton of MLB.com.

Nolan Arenado’s tiny list of approved trade destinations spells bad news for Blue Jays

That no doubt is bad news for the Jays, as not only is Arenado a huge offensive force at the plate, he is a defensive stalwart in the field as well. As an eight-time All-Star and five-time Silver Slugger winner, he has maintained a .285 batting average and .857 OPS while averaging 33 home runs and 109 RBI each season over a 162-game schedule pace for his MLB career. Despite a somewhat down season this past year compared to his usual standards, Arenado is just one year removed from his All-Star, 26-homer, 93-RBI campaign in 2023.

More importantly, as a ten-time Gold Glove winner, Arenado could hold his own at the hot corner as well even at the wrong side of 30. In case those that were worried about a potential decline happening any time soon, his .977 fielding percentage was tops among NL third baseman in 2024, along with registering a solid 6 DRS in the process.

With the trade approval list now serving as another obstacle for the Jays, they now have their work cut out for them if they seriously want to pursue the Cardinals’ star as their answer at third base. Toronto would have to work hard and do enough to convince Arenado to waive his no-trade clause in order for any deal to take shape. But for a former two-time MVP finalist, it might just as well be worth all the effort to get it done.