At the forefront of the St. Louis Cardinals' plans this offseason is finding a new home for future Hall of Fame third baseman Nolan Arenado. The Seattle Mariners stick out among possible locations and factors he is considering when deciding whether to waive his no-trade clause.
Seattle isn’t a big market contender, so why does this make sense? Arenado wants to contend, and the Mariners just took a trip to Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. With Eugenio Suarez on the open market and the possibility of his departure from the Pacific Northwest happening for the second time, the reigning American League West champions could be in the market for a replacement.
As it stands, Fangraphs projects Ben Williamson to reprise his early-season role from this year as the Mariners' third baseman. In 85 games this year, Williamson slashed .253/.294/.310 with just one home run. While Arenado has declined from his prime seasons the past two years, he was still able to produce 52 RBIs and 12 home runs with the Cardinals this season, despite having a worse average and OPS than Williamson.
If the Cardinals are willing to eat some of Arenado’s contract, they might be able to pull in a top-30 prospect from the Mariners in the deal, bolstering their farm and giving Arenado a real shot at a title in the process.
Arenado wants to win, and the Mariners are closer to a World Series Championship than they’ve ever been. Bringing in a veteran like Arenado could help bolster their team. In a dangerous lineup, he could benefit from protection by sluggers on either side of him.