Mets Eye Cardinals Sensation Nolan Arenado as Strategic Pivot in Desperate Bid to Boost Postseason Dream
The New York Mets have been making waves this offseason, with a flurry of moves to strengthen their roster. After securing the services of outfielder Juan Soto, they shifted their focus to bolstering their pitching staff, including the re-signing of Sean Manaea on a lucrative three-year, $75 million contract.
However, their attention has now turned to securing the future of their star first baseman, Pete Alonso. With Alonso’s contract still up in the air as spring training approaches, the Mets find themselves in a precarious position. If they are unable to strike a deal with Alonso, they may need to explore alternative options to fill the void.
One potential solution that has caught the eye of the Mets’ front office is St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado. Will Leitch of MLB.com loosely linked the Mets to Arenado, suggesting that a trade could be on the cards.
“The Arenado market appears to have dried up considerably, in part due to the Cardinals’ efforts to offload most of his remaining salary. You can still come up with some potential landing spots, depending on what happens with Alonso and Bregman: the Red Sox, the Mets, maybe even a team like the Royals,” Leitch speculated.
While Arenado’s offensive production dipped last season, with a .272 batting average and career-low power numbers of 16 home runs and a .719 OPS, he remains a defensive stalwart at third base. Moving to a more hitter-friendly environment like Citi Field in New York could potentially rejuvenate his power numbers, which have been stifled at Busch Stadium in the past two years.
Moreover, the Cardinals are currently in a rebuilding phase, while the Mets are aggressively pursuing a championship. If the Mets fail to re-sign Alonso, pursuing Arenado would make perfect sense as they aim to strengthen their lineup.
Arenado’s impressive resume speaks for itself. With eight All-Star appearances, 10 Gold Glove awards, eight Platinum Glove awards, and five Silver Slugger awards, he is undoubtedly one of the most accomplished players in the league. His addition to the Mets’ roster could significantly enhance their chances of making a deep postseason run in 2025.
As the offseason progresses, it remains to be seen if the Mets will actively pursue a trade for Arenado. The potential acquisition of a player of his caliber would undoubtedly generate excitement among Mets fans, who are hungry for a return to the glory days.
