Nolan Arenado, in a surprise move, has drawn a line in the sand. He has decided not to waive his no-trade clause for a potential deal with the Houston Astros. The 33-year-old St. Louis Cardinal star has been a hot topic of the offseason quite lately. The Astros, after bidding goodbye to Kyle Tucker, were looking for a replacement, and he seemed the perfect fit. Plus, the Cardinals’ president, John Mozeliak, has been open about wanting to part ways with Arenado.

However, it seems like Arenado isn’t quite ready. In a December 18 report by the NY Post, they shed light on Arenado’s ‘wishlist’ of teams. Everyone from the LA Dodgers, San Diego Padres, and Los Angeles Angels was there. But not the Houston Astros! But really, trading Arenado is not just a matter of choice. First, the Cardinals are looking to recoup and rebuild. Secondly, he has a hefty contract that complicates things. Not every team can be ready to take him on!

Money is a major issue with Nolan Arenado

Nolan Arenado is owed $74 million over the next three years, with the Colorado Rockies covering only a mere $10 million of that. This means $64 million is left for any team that is willing to take him on board, so it’s a big financial commitment. To sweeten the deal, the Cardinals decided to chip in $15 million–$20 million of that contract. The Astros were tempted as the contribution by the Cardinals slashed Houston’s financial hit to around $40-$45 million. But even then, Arenado has exercised his no-trade clause.

However, Feinsand has mentioned that there are still ongoing talks between the teams. But a source has mentioned to Feinsand, “It’s definitely not close.” The reason why Arenado did so is unknown, but the Athletic has highlighted that the Astros were on the third baseman’s list, but after the trade of Kyle Tucker and the uncertainty of Alex Bregman, that interest waned off. But getting the interest of a 10-time Gold Glove winner wasn’t going to be simple.

The St. Louis Cardinals, meanwhile, are at a crossroads. Because Arenado’s performance has dipped significantly. While in 2022 he slashed .293/.358/.533 and posted a 7.9 WAR, last season it was a .272/.325/.394 slash line and 2.5 WAR. So definitely a huge dip. Arenado might have a chance to go elsewhere, but Houston may not be it.

Sean Casey still sees Arenado’s MVP potential

As far as the dip in Arenado’s career, Sean Casey, the former Yankee coach, believes it can be excised. He attributed some of Arenado’s struggles to Busch Stadium. In his “The Mayor Office” segment, Casey mentioned insights that he got from Matt Carpenter, who played with Arenado before. “He was saying, ‘Dude, this guy still has MVP-type ability.’ If you think about it, St. Louis is not a good place to hit. Dude, it’s a bomb there. It’s not a great yard to hit in if you’re playing every day there,” Casey mentioned, as he gave alternative teams that Nolan Arenado could be at, like the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.

“You take Arenado and put him in Fenway—he’s another pull-righty—that’s another nice fit,” Casey mentioned for Nolan’s fit in Boston Red Sox. And for the Yankees, he said, It’s more intriguing with Max Fried now joining the team. Casey stressed Arenado’s offensive powers. “Max Fried is the No. 1 ground-ball pitcher in the game. Where are those ground balls going? Third base. And then you’ve got Arenado, a Gold Glove winner, over there. Him and Volpe on the left side—oh, forget about it.”

Whether it’s Boston or New York, Casey sees Arenado as a transformative addition for an AL East contender. It remains to see if the man of the hour himself will be ready for the move!