The Los Angeles Angels were previously mentioned as a potential trade suitor for St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado. With the Angels’ Anthony Rendon situation now resolved, a possible trade seems far more realistic. While it remains to be seen if trade talks have begun, the Halos are still rumored to have interest in the third baseman. A number of different sources have made the Angels-Arenado connection.
However, does a trade make sense? Would moving on from one veteran third baseman for another veteran at the same position be the best move?
Announcer Mike Ferrin believes a move to Anaheim would only help Arenado, via MLB Network Radio.
“Busch Stadium (the Cardinals’ stadium) is not a good hitter’s ball park,” Ferrin said recently. “It is a tough place to hit… When you’re aging and the power starts to go, going to Angel Stadium theoretically I think would be a big boost for him. That is one of the better home run hitter’s ball parks in the majors. It changed a lot when they lowered that fence in right center field. It’s reachable to left.
“You might see the power numbers tick up overall a little bit. It’s still shocking to me that he slugged under .400 the last two years. That’s not what you expect out of Nolan Arenado at all.”
Arenado has indeed slugged under .400 in each of the past two seasons, recording a .394 slugging percentage in 2024 and a mark of .377 in 2025. Perhaps moving to Angel Stadium would help him get back on track in the power department.
Will Angels actually trade for Nolan Arenado?
Plenty of rumors swirl throughout the MLB offseason. Some end up coming to fruition, while others never occur and are forgotten once the season begins.
One thing we know for sure is that Arenado is likely going to be traded. The expectation around the MLB world is that the rebuilding Cardinals are prepared to move on from the 34-year-old. St. Louis has already traded Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras, while Brendan Donovan is also a candidate to be moved.
And Arenado was the likeliest of all of those players to be headed elsewhere, so a trade is probably going to happen barring unforeseen circumstances.
The real question is which team will Arenado end up with? The Angels are seemingly in the conversation, with some even suggesting they could be a serious suitor. Others are more skeptical. Nevertheless, the Angels are at least a possibility for Arenado. The fact that he is from Southern California only makes Anaheim seem like a more realistic destination.
There have not been many other teams consistently mentioned as possible landing destinations for the eight-time All-Star. The Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks could make sense as suitors, but they have not been linked to an Arenado trade on a consistent basis.
A front-runner has yet to be officially announced, but the Angels are leading the way as far as trade rumors are concerned. As a result, they are the team worth most closely monitoring in the Nolan Arenado trade sweepstakes at the moment.
