Phillies trading for 'ideal' former All-Star third baseman is a huge mistake

The Major League Baseball offseason is an exciting time of the year, especially in November and December when free agency begins and trading resumes. The rumor mill is heating up, and it will only get crazier when the Winter Meetings take place from Dec. 9-12.

The Philadelphia Phillies had a disappointing end to the 2024 season. The roster will likely be similar in 2025, but that doesn’t mean the organization won’t look into adding any players in free agency or via trade. The Phillies will go after the right player if the price is right.

Phillies trading for ‘ideal’ former All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado is a huge mistake

The St. Louis Cardinals are looking to shed payroll and prioritize youth heading into 2025. The Cardinals will reportedly gauge interest in eight-time All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado, per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The path to acquiring Arenado might be tricky. The 33-year-old has three years and $74 million remaining on his contract. The Colorado Rockies, his former team, owes him $10 million of that, per Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors. Arenado also has a no-trade clause.

Arenado has been one of baseball’s elite talents since debuting with the Rockies in 2013. He’s a 10-time Gold Glove winner, six-time Platinum Glove winner, five-time Silver Slugger and was in the MVP conversation six different years. He most recently finished third in the 2022 National League MVP voting when he hit 30 home runs and 103 RBI with the Cardinals.

Arenado is a career .285 hitter. He has 341 home runs and 1,132 RBI in his 12-year career. He’s one of the best defensive third basemen in major league history.

Will Leitch of MLB.com recently called Arenado “an ideal fit” for the Phillies. There’s no debate whether Arenado is a great player, but he’s a player that the Phillies should stay away from in trade talks. He’ll be 34 in April, he’s signed to an expensive contract, the Phillies would have to part with prospects to acquire him and they already have Alec Bohm at third base.

Arenado hasn’t been the player baseball is accustomed to seeing from him over the last two years. He had a .266 batting average in 2023 and had just 16 home runs and 71 RBI in 2024. It doesn’t make sense for the Phillies to invest so much in an aging player when the organization has younger options in Bohm if he’s not traded, and top prospect Aidan Miller.