Tigers could have unique advantage if they want to explore Nolan Arenado trade

In an attempt to cut costs after a middling 2024, the St. Louis Cardinals are reportedly shopping eight-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glover, and five-time Silver Slugger Nolan Arenado. They've already shaved off some payroll, having declined club options for Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn, and reports have suggested they may also try to trade Sonny Gray, who they owe $25 million in 2025, the most of any Cardinal.

Coincidentally, the Detroit Tigers still don't seem to have a clear vision of what they want at third base. Last offseason, the Gio Urshela signing seemed like the solution, but the Tigers continued to carousel him out with Matt Vierling, Andy Ibáñez, and Zach McKinstry. When Jace Jung was called up to the majors in August, he looked like he could be the perfect long-term solution, but in the last two weeks of the regular season, they went back to a pretty consistent Jung-Vierling-Ibáñez-McKinstry rotation.

Detroit can do this, in part, because none of these guys are superstars that have big money attached to them, so they also don't get a promised daily position. They seemed enamored with that carousel strategy, and although it did work out a little better for them in 2024 than most fans expected, third base has still been begging for an upgrade for a few years now. Arenado could be a solution.

He's owed $21 million in 2025, and then his contract becomes exponentially cheaper over the final two years. Although we've established that the Tigers have no interest in spending big money one way or the other, they do have what a lot of other clubs don't: excess prospect capital. If they're not willing to install Jung at third base full-time in Detroit, maybe they should consider giving him (among others) a chance at doing so with the Cardinals, if it'll get St. Louis to eat some of that fat Arenado contract upon a trade.

Tigers could use prospect power to swing a trade for Nolan Arenado as Cardinals look to cut payroll

Arenado's play has been declining over the last two seasons, but who would really say no to one of the best third baseman of an era, whose best season isn't that far behind him? The Tigers are in desperate need for some veteran leadership (and Javy Báez doesn't count). Arenado has also reportedly said he'd be willing to move to first base, which could solve the Spencer Torkelson dilemma.

If the Tigers were to throw a handful of top prospects at the Cardinals in order to make a trade happen, Jung would be an easy first choice as a top prospect who's already dipped his toe into the majors (and even has postseason experience already). Although they definitely wouldn't go as far as to throw in Nos. 1 or 2 Max Clark and Jackson Jobe, Thayron Liranzo and Josue Briceño, who tore up the Arizona Fall League this year, could also be options.

It would take a little extra firepower for Detroit to get St. Louis to eat some of Arenado's money, at least in 2025, so a few more names lower down in the pipeline or unranked guys would probably have to be thrown in as sweeteners.

The Tigers are devoted to their prospects, so they might look at the money still attached to Arenado and the haul it would take to get him to Detroit and balk at both. Still, it's hard not to like the mental image of him wearing the Old English D if the price is right.