The Cardinals’ “reset” plan is still going nowhere. While they could have made some trades to acquire promising young players, they haven’t taken any action that would affect the Major League roster. It seems like John Mozeliak is maintaining his position, but today, I want to focus on something outside of his control. This isn’t about defending him, but rather highlighting that the issue surrounding a potential Nolan Arenado trade stems from the DeWitts.
Jon Morosi reported on MLB Network that there’s been little progress in trading Arenado. The Cardinals are aiming to reduce payroll, and trading Arenado is their best option. However, teams are hesitant to take on his substantial salary, which is understandable, but the Cardinals are also reluctant to absorb much of that cost.
In December, they had a trade with Houston in place, but it fell apart when Arenado used his no-trade clause to block it. Despite their efforts, the Cardinals haven’t been able to find a suitable trade partner, largely due to their own reluctance. While they don’t want to absorb too much of his salary, they seem unwilling to offer a bit more money to make a trade happen.
The problem ultimately lies with the DeWitts, who have remained stubborn when it comes to finances. They’re acting like they can’t afford to invest, despite being multi-billionaires. By sticking to the same position they had before the Astros deal fell apart, they’re hurting themselves. This could be the primary reason a trade hasn’t gone through—they’re acting as though they’re broke, despite having the means to spend.
Arenado is owed $64 million through 2027, with the Rockies paying $10 million of that. If the Cardinals absorbed $20 million of his contract, they’d free up a significant amount of payroll, and any team that acquired Arenado would still be taking on the majority of the contract. That would create room for additional moves as well.
The bigger issue, though, is the DeWitts’ unwillingness to invest in the roster. While they did spend last offseason, they’ve been silent this winter. And although I have issues with Mozeliak, this situation is not on him. Not trading other players is another conversation for another time.
It’s frustrating that the Cardinals are acting like everything hinges on trading Arenado when they could be adding pieces to the roster in other ways. Are we really to believe they can’t afford a $5 million investment in a reliever or a right-handed bat? They could fill some gaps even without moving Arenado.
In the end, this all points back to the DeWitts being too conservative with their finances. I understand the Cardinals won’t spend like the Dodgers, but the constant refrain of being “poor” is getting old. It’s time for ownership to stop being so tight-fisted.
Leave a Reply