MLB Rumors: A St. Louis Cardinals' Trade For Nolan Arenado Could Include Starting Pitcher, Infielder

Some of the best players in baseball are at the center of trade rumors, but it’s becoming clear that Nolan Arenado has the best chance of being moved before the start of the 2020 MLB season. The Colorado Rockies appear willing to deal their star for the right price, and one possible destination has emerged as the favorite for the third baseman.

MLB.com's Jon Morosi has reported that the St. Louis Cardinals are a potential landing spot for Arenado. The Rockies and Cardinals have at least had preliminary discussions about a blockbuster trade.

St. Louis is looking to add a second star to a lineup that includes Paul Goldschmidt. The Cardinals traded for the six-time All-Star last offseason. He led the team with 34 home runs and 97 RBI.

The Cardinals reached the NLCS in spite of an offense that ranked 10th among 15 National League teams in runs scored. Adding Arenado, who has averaged 40 home runs and 124 RBI over the last five seasons, could go a long way in getting St. Louis back to the World Series.

What would the Cardinals be willing to give up in order to make a trade happen? Jack Flaherty is reportedly off the table after he led St. Louis with a 2.75 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP and 231 strikeouts in 196.1 innings last year.

The team leader in wins, according to Morosi, could be at the center of a deal with the Rockies. Dakota Hudson went 16-7 with a 3.35 ERA, a 1.41 WHIP and 136 strikeouts in 174.2 innings. The 25-year-old gave up five runs in five playoff innings, only able to get one out in his NLCS start.

Hudson, a first-round draft pick in 2016, has plenty of upside. He also led the league in walks, which could be a concern for Colorado.

Morosi also named 2018 first-round pick Nolan Gorman and infielder Matt Carpenter as players that could go to the Rockies in a trade for Arenado.

Gorman hit .248/.326/.439 with 15 home runs in 125 games in Single-A. Carpenter has two years and $37 million left on his contract after a down year in 2019 that saw him hit .226/.334/.392 with 15 homers in 129 games.

The Texas Rangers and Atlanta Braves have also been linked to Arenado.