The St. Louis Cardinals hope to remove significant burdens from the payroll this offseason as they look to rebuild and reset. It’s well known that several stars, such as Sonny Gray and Ryan Helsley, could be traded this winter to help the Cardinals front office’s payroll reduction efforts. Another beloved St. Louis player on the trade block could be moved to the National League East in a shocking blockbuster with the Philadelphia Phillies.

“He (Nolan Arenado) could be an ideal fit with the Phillies, particularly if, as rumored, they’re willing to trade Alec Bohm,” MLB.com’s Will Leitch wrote Wednesday when discussing the Cardinals’ offseason agenda. “Arenado is not even that expensive, with three years and $74 million remaining on his contract (not counting the portion the (Colorado) Rockies are paying). Planning on trying to win a World Series the next three seasons? Arenado certainly can help with that.”

Arenado joined the Cardinals in 2021 in hopes of helping St. Louis win its 12th World Series title after spending eight seasons with the Rockies, during which Colorado made the playoffs twice.

Unfortunately, Arenado’s window to win a championship in St. Louis is closing. With the Cardinals embarking on a youth movement, it could be a while before they return to the postseason, let alone win the World Series.

Philadelphia third baseman Bohm performed so horribly in the playoffs this year that trading for Arenado to replace him at the hot corner might be worth it. The 10-time Gold Glove defender’s pedigree speaks for itself and if the Phillies are serious about improving their roster from last season, swapping Bohm for Arenado would be a step in the right direction.