💥 BREAKING NEWS: Nolan Arenado falls short as the solution at third base for the A’s, leaving fans and analysts stunned ⚡ .MH
After trading Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox, the St. Louis Cardinals will now be focused on finding a new home for veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado. On the surface, the A’s could be a fit for him, seeing as how they need an upgrade at third base, and they could also use some added veteran presence on the roster.
The Cardinals are also including $20 million to help cover part of Gray’s salary $31 million salary for the 2026 season. He also has a $30 million mutual option for 2027 with a $5 million buyout, so essentially the Red Sox are on the hook for $16 million guaranteed after St. Louis pitched in.
Arenado is set to earn $27 million in 2026, with $5 million being paid by the Rockies, and another $15 million in 2027. Would they look at sending another $20 million along with Arenado to help cover the $37 million left on his deal that is not set to be paid by the Rockies? They may have to in order to get anything in return for the 34 year old.
Recent Production, Big Obstacle
In his age 34 season, Arenado was still a solid defensive player, putting up +6 DRS and +3 OAA while also batting .237 with a .289 OBP and 12 home runs in 107 games played. He finished with an 84 wRC+ (100 is league average), which was his lowest mark since 2020.
That Covid season may provide a little bit of hope for an acquiring team, as he hit .253 with a .303 OBP, 8 home runs and a 76 wRC+ in his 48 games that year. The key stat that held true in both ’20 and ’25 is that his BABIP was .241, well below league average.
From 2021-24 he was an above average bat, and hit 25+ home runs in three of those four seasons. The downside here is that he has been declining since 2023, posting a wRC+ of 107 in 2023, 103 in 2024, and then the 86 this past season. He’s also getting older, and it’s just harder to make the case for huge turnarounds as players age.
His bat speed ranked in the 40th percentile, and his average exit velocity was just 86.8 miles per hour, which sat in the 10th percentile. There’s always a chance he could bounce back, but is it worth taking on the contract if you’re a team like the A’s to find out?
Plus, the big obstacle for the green and gold would be his no-trade clause, meaning he’d have to approve a trade to West Sacramento. It’s hard to see that happening, given that he’s towards the end of his career and likely wouldn’t want to spend the next two seasons in a minor-league park.
Plus, the A’s Have an Arenado Type Already
While the A’s are on the lookout for an upgrade at third base, Arenado may not even be better than the A’s in-house option. Brett Harris is also known for his tremendous glove work, and over the course of just 183 2/3 innings at third base this past season he put up a +5 DRS and +2 OAA. Arenado finished with +6 and +3 in 880 2/3 innings of work this past season.
On a per-inning basis, Harris was far and away the better defender, so if the A’s were interested in adding Arenado for his glove, then that wouldn’t make a ton of sense. Harris is still pre-arb, meaning he’ll be making roughly the MLB minimum in 2026. Seems like a much more cost effective route for the A’s to go.
The bat is certainly a question for Harris, but it’s also not a sure thing for Arenado. Across 32 games with the A’s, Harris batted .274 with a .349 OBP and a 96 wRC+. He also had a .377 BABIP and didn’t hit a home run, so the bat may not be as far along as an initial look at the numbers may suggest.
The point here is that Arenado’s bat is a huge question mark, with his glove being the piece you’re paying for. The A’s already have that type of player (with a lot less track record) on the roster, and he’s not going to eat up a huge chunk of the team’s payroll either.
The A’s may very well look to upgrade the hot corner, but Arenado isn’t going to be their target.
