No One Seems To Want Nolan Arenado, Ya'll

And in fairness, he hasn’t exactly been easy to deal with when it comes to his no-trade clause.

When it comes to Nolan Arenado, here’s the reality: He was once an exceptional hitter and a strong fielder, but at 33 years old, his best days might be behind him. That’s my opinion. This might explain why the New York Yankees couldn’t—or wouldn’t—finalize a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. Whether it was due to the Cardinals’ high asking price or the Yankees’ unwillingness to part with key prospects, the result was the same: lots of rumors and no deal.

But the Yankees aren’t the only team seemingly hesitant about Arenado. A mix of factors could be at play here—his hefty contract, his age, and even his no-trade clause. The Cardinals have reportedly been shopping Arenado, yet he blocked a potential trade to the Houston Astros earlier this offseason, utilizing his no-trade rights to remain in St. Louis.

With Spring Training in full swing, Arenado is still a Cardinal, despite the team’s apparent interest in moving him. While he has provided a list of preferred destinations—including the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Astros—he’s already shut down one opportunity with Houston. His reluctance to expand that list only complicates matters further.

It’s a messy situation. There’s no clear indication that the Yankees will make another push for Arenado this season. While Paul Goldschmidt, now a Yankee, has expressed interest in bringing Arenado to the Bronx, the hurdles remain significant. Did the Yankees float Marcus Stroman in trade talks, only to back off when the Cardinals hesitated? It all comes down to balancing Arenado’s age, Stroman’s inconsistent performance, the no-trade clause, and the potential Goldschmidt-Arenado reunion.

With just over a month before Opening Day, Arenado is still in St. Louis. Could the Cardinals absorb enough of his contract to make a trade worthwhile for the Yankees? According to Goldschmidt, they should at least consider it.

“It doesn’t matter if the team’s winning and he’s got four hits. He wants to get that fifth hit,” Goldschmidt told The Athletic. “He’s such a competitor. He makes the people around him better.”

Still, the odds of a deal seem slim. At this point, it feels like no team is truly eager to take on Arenado. At 33, he might not be the game-changer he once was, and that’s a hard sell for any contender looking to make a splash this season.