DALLAS — The St. Louis Cardinals have informed third baseman Nolan Arenado that they will do everything possible to trade him this winter, and have even granted permission to his agent to help facilitate a deal.
Arenado wants to be traded to a contender – with the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers his personal first choice – but is willing to waive his no-trade clause for “more teams than you would think,” agent Joel Wolfe said.
“He would strongly consider it if it’s the right place to go,” Wolfe said, “but he’s not going to go just anywhere. We hope something good happens, but he’s not going to approve and move his family and go play somewhere that would be (a lateral move).
“He’s in a good place with the Cardinals. He’s not going to go just to go.”
Wolfe has directly spoken to several teams who have shown varying interest in Arenado, including the Boston Red Sox, San Diego Padres, Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros. The Dodgers, however, plan to have Max Muncy remain their starting third baseman.
Arenado, who lives in Southern California and also spends time in Phoenix in the offseason, twice passed on opt-out clause to remain with the Cardinals.
But now the Cardinals say they are going into a soft rebuild while cutting payroll.
His preference?
“A team that he thinks is going to win now and consistently for the remainder of his career,” Wolfe said. “He wants a team that has the…
