After an offseason of trade speculation, the Philadelphia Phillies decided to keep Alec Bohm as their everyday third baseman. But if that decision doesn’t pan out, they now have an enticing alternative to consider.
St. Louis Cardinals’ 3B Nolan Arenado has been open to a trade to several contenders – the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees – over the offseason as his current club rebuilds. According to a report by Jon Heyman, he’s since added two more teams to the list: the Phillies and their division rival, the New York Mets.
https://t.co/D6kophZPPH. Cards star Arenado adds 2 teams to preferred list, acts professionally while still in limbo. “I’m not trying to cause any problems. I’ve got to be committed. The year I had last year wasn’t the year I wanted …I’ve got to focus on being better than that”
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 7, 2025
Arenado has a complete no-trade clause in his current contract, which runs for three more seasons at a total cost of $74 million. He’s coming off his worst campaign in the past decade – where he had only 16 HRs and 71 RBIs, both the fewest in a full season since 2014 – so his trade value isn’t exactly pristine. Still, the Cardinals could get better value for the eight-time NL All-Star if he returns to his normal production early this season.
Arenado turns 34 next month, and he’s well aware that his best chances at a World Series Championship are slipping away. St. Louis let Paul Goldschmidt walk and is more interested in seeing what some prospects can do right now than going all in. The Phillies already have one of the strongest lineups top-to-bottom in the sport, and with Dave Dombrowski at the helm, they’re sure to consider ways to keep adding on. It could be a good fit under the right circumstances.
Assuming that Arenado stays at third base, where he’s played exclusively his entire MLB career, some current Phillies are prepared to make position changes. Bohm played 80 games at first base in 2023, as well as a handful last year, and he had better defensive numbers while doing so. Star Bryce Harper has been excellent at first base himself, but #3 has stated he’s more than willing to return to the outfield if it helps the club win.
