When the St. Louis Cardinals traded pitcher Sonny Gray to the Boston Red Sox, it signaled some potential changes coming this winter. President of baseball operations, Chaim Bloom, appears to be headed for a rebuild with the Cardinals.
Was Gray the first domino to fall this offseason? It appears that maybe the case. Trading away some key players is something that Bloom has done before when he was with the Red Sox. Now it appears that he could again be overseeing a rebuild where some key players are moved.
St. Louis third baseman Nolan Arenado is someone who could be moved. Two left-handed hitters, Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson, could also be, according to The Athletic. If true, then it’s setting up to be a wild offseason for the Cardinals.
Cardinals Shopping Nolan Arenado
The Athletic said moving Arenado might not be easy, but he reportedly has expanded and opened up his no-trade list, making it easier to facilitate a trade. Another issue that can complicate things for Bloom is the third base free agent market. He’ll likely have to wait until Alex Bregman makes a decision, and that could be a while.
“Alex Bregman and Eugenio Suárez are the top third basemen available in free agency, along with Japanese corner infielder Munetaka Murakami, who was posted on Nov. 8. Arenado’s market could open up once these players sign. He was linked to the Red Sox last winter, and Boston was one of five teams he was willing to approve for a trade. But it’s difficult to imagine those talks possibly reviving until Bregman, who opted out of his deal with the Red Sox, makes a decision,” wrote The Athletic.
Boston makes the most sense, but again, that depends on what Bregman decides to do. Does he return to the Red Sox, or does he go to the Detroit Tigers or someone else? Then there is what happens with the St. Louis outfielders.
Cardinals Fire Sale Could Include Outfielders
Bloom would like to bolster the Cardinals’ farm system, and one way to do that is to trade Donovan. He’ll be 29 years old when the 2026 season begins. He’ll have two years of team control remaining, and his value might be at its highest point. There has been interest surrounding him, and Bloom won’t trade him unless he’s blown away, according to The Athletic.
As for Burleson, he became one of the top players for St. Louis this past season and is under control until 2029. Like Donovan, Bloom will have to be blown away to make a trade, but that has been the case in the past, and it wouldn’t be surprising if it happens again. They are not the only names Bloom might be willing to listen on.
“Other names to watch are Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman, who are seen as pivot points for teams looking to land left-handed help at a lesser price,” The Athletic wrote.
This is going to be an interesting offseason for the Cardinals, looking ahead to 2026. You get the feeling with Bloom’s history with Boston, anything is possible to happen in terms of trades.
Cardinals Offseason Fire Sale Reportedly Just Beginning Under Chaim Bloom