The Houston Astros are reportedly rekindling their interest in acquiring St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado.
Back in December, the two teams had agreed on a trade that would have sent Arenado to Houston, but he exercised his full no-trade clause to block the move.
A key factor in his reluctance was the Astros’ decision to trade All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs, which raised concerns about their commitment to contending. However, Houston has since made moves that may change Arenado’s perspective, including signing former Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker to a three-year, $60 million deal.
The Astros now have a clear need at third base following the departure of Alex Bregman, who recently signed a three-year, $120 million contract with the Boston Red Sox. Interestingly, Arenado was previously linked to Boston, with ESPN’s Buster Olney reporting that he “would really like” to join the Red Sox.
That possibility was shut down when Boston added Bregman to pair with Rafael Devers at the hot corner. According to MLB.com, the Red Sox’s decision helped Arenado “clarify his market.”
Although he previously rejected a trade to Houston, Arenado may now be reconsidering his stance as the MLB offseason winds down.
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