MLB Rumors: Red Sox Considered ‘Strong Candidate’ To Land Nolan Arenado

It’s already become apparent that St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado views the Boston Red Sox highly this offseason.

So much so, that the club soon became regarded as the team to land Arenado in the 33-year-old’s expected departure from St. Louis. Arenado generated trade interest from the Houston Astros, but wanted no part of H-Town, leaving others across the league including Boston among those still in the running.

“The Red Sox have emerged as a strong candidate to land Arenado via a trade from the Cardinals, a source told MLB.com in recent days,” MLB insider John Denton reported Monday. “Boston could be close to pulling out of the sweepstakes for free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, who could potentially command a deal worth $200 million, per the source.”

Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow checked a few boxes from the organization’s offseason wish list. However, the one still standing unaddressed is a right-handed bat. Boston missed out on Teoscar Hernández and failed to retain Tyler O’Neill, pushing Arenado ahead in the line of the best available alternatives.

It also wouldn’t cost the team a large multi-year commitment either as Arenado has $74 million remaining on his contract with the Cardinals.

Arenado, an eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove Award recipient, batted .272 with 16 home runs and 71 RBIs across 152 games played. That marked Arenado’s fewest homers hit in the past four seasons, and his first All-Star Game miss since 2020, but Fenway Park could be the solution for both the 12-year veteran and the Red Sox.

Fenway Park is regarded as a right-handed hitter’s dream setting and could be for Arenado.

Playing at Busch Stadium, which features a 336-foot and 375-foot wall in left field, generated 13 home runs from Arenado’s bat toward that side of the field — none went opposite field. St. Louis presents a harsher setting for Arenado’s right-handed swing than Fenway Park’s 310-foot Green Monster wall, which could help generate an uptick in power as Arenado looks to re-establish himself in 2025.

Another factor to be mindful of is Boston’s starting shortstop Trevor Story.

Arenado and Story were teammates for six seasons with the Colorado Rockies, representing the National League club for two All-Star Games together. Story spent the last three years in Boston, striving to help get the team over the hump and to its first playoff appearance since 2021.

Together the two could bolster the Red Sox’s infield chances of contending next season.