Feb 17, 2025; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third base Nolan Arenado (28) laughs as he heads off to a workout station at spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

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Houston Astros take another shot at landing Nolan Arenado

The Astros have renewed their interest in trading for Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado.

Feb 17, 2025; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third base Nolan Arenado (28) laughs as he heads off to a workout station at spring training. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The Houston Astros are back in the mix for Nolan Arenado. After the Cardinals star vetoed a trade to Houston in December, multiple sources told MLB.com on Saturday that the Astros have renewed their interest in landing the veteran third baseman.

The difference this time is that the Astros have since added Christian Walker at first base, a move that further signals their push to contend. With that in place, Nolan Arenado might now be more willing to waive his no-trade clause and join Houston.

Nolan Arenado’s preferred teams

Despite months of trade speculation, Arenado has remained firm on where he’d be willing to go. According to The Athletic’s Katie Woo, his list of approved teams includes just five clubs:

Yankees
Dodgers
Padres
Red Sox
Astros

That’s already ruled out several teams that have shown interest, including the Mariners, Tigers, Royals, and Angels.

The Cardinals were reportedly open to covering $15–20 million of Nolan Arenado’s remaining contract, which sits at $74 million over the next three seasons. That would bring his financial commitment down to around $40–45 million, a much more manageable number for an Astros team that recently traded Kyle Tucker to the Cubs to trim payroll and get under the CBT threshold.

The Astros are "rekindling trade talks for Nolan Arenado," per Brian McTaggart. pic.twitter.com/WELZT6nKmK
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) February 22, 2025

However, Houston has shown a willingness to exceed the tax line for the right player. Arenado, even with his power numbers dipping, remains an elite defender and strong contact hitter – making him an appealing option for a club still looking to solidify its infield.

Nolan Arenado’s arm is absolutely INSANE. pic.twitter.com/a4CNW01p3a
— Baseball’s Greatest Moments (@BBGreatMoments) February 23, 2025

What about the Yankees?

The Yankees also need a third baseman, but they don’t seem to be in active pursuit of Arenado – at least not yet. Instead, they plan to rely on a mix of DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Oswald Peraza to fill the position.

Still, if that trio struggles this spring, there’s a chance the Yankees could reignite their interest. Arenado in pinstripes has long been a rumored possibility, and with Houston pushing to make a deal, the Yankees might have to make a decision soon.

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For now, the Astros appear to be in the driver’s seat – but if the past few months have shown anything, Arenado’s next move is far from certain.

Houston Astros

Nolan Arenado

Yankees

Mohsin Baldiwala

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Mohsin Baldiwala is a Master’s student in Journalism and freelance content producer who got hooked on baseball through Seinfeld’s hapless George Costanza. The same reason why he’s a Yankees fan. He writes about sports because he believes it can offer a brief escape from the world’s chaos. Even if that means enduring the heartbreak of the 2024 World Series.