Cardinals, Rockies talking trade for Nolan Arenado originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The NL Central has been the quietest of all divisions this offseason, with most teams taking steps back on paper, but the Cardinals could shake things up dramatically.
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported late Thursday St. Louis is in talks with the Rockies to acquire superstar third baseman Nolan Arenado.
Rosenthal adds no deal appears close and cites one source that cautioned a trade may not happen. However, he also cites other sources who say the Rockies are motivated to trade Arenado and the Cardinals are motivated to acquire him.
The Rockies also appeared to be motivated to move Arenado last winter, when the Cubs were linked to him.
St. Louis and Colorado have talked on several occasions about Arenado, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. However, Goold adds the 29-year-old's large salary and contract opt-out after the coming season have been snags in talks.
Arenado is under contract through 2026 for $199 million.
If St. Louis is able to pull off a trade for Arenado, it would swing a wide-open NL Central division and put them in the driver's seat. One of their biggest needs in recent seasons has been a middle-of-the-order bat after Marcell Ozuna left for the Braves in free agency last winter.
Arenado is a career .293/.349/.541 hitter with 37+ home runs each season from 2015-19. He's a five-time All-Star and an eight-time Gold Glove Award winner.
Team president Jed Hoyer has maintained throughout this winter the Cubs intention to compete for the division in 2021, even as they retool. But a Cardinals trade for Arenado would change things real fast.
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