Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado refuses to trade to Astros, for now

Despite the St. Louis Cardinals’ intentions to trade him, Nolan Arenado is not close to making a decision about his future.

Athletics first reported Saturday that the Houston Astros had emerged as legitimate suitors for Arenado. By the end of the weekend, the Astros had a deal in place to acquire the third baseman, and there was a growing feeling in the organization that it would land the eight-time All-Star.

Instead, Arenado declined to waive his no-trade clause, preferring not to make a decision this early in the offseason, according to multiple league sources. The decision, first reported by MLB.com Wednesdayis not final, and the Cardinals and Astros will continue talks. It’s unclear whether the Astros will continue to pursue Arenado or pivot to other options.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak first approached Arenado with the idea of ​​a trade in the final week of the regular season, citing desires to lower payroll and focus on player development.

Arenado, who opted out of the remainder of his contract with St. Louis at the end of the 2022 season, agreed to the concept. He presented Mozeliak with a short list of teams he would be willing to waive his full no-trade clause for. That list originally included the Astros, though a source said Houston’s trade of Kyle Tucker and the uncertainty of Alex Bregman’s return may have changed Arenado’s mind.

The Cardinals are financially motivated to deal Arenado, who is owed $74 million over the next three seasons. According to a league source, if Arenado approved the trade, the Cardinals would have to pay about $5 million each year. Houston would foot the rest of the bill, amounting to approximately $45 million after factoring in layoffs.

(Photo by Nolan Arenado: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)