In the Dodgers’ search for a superstar this offseason, one name has seemed to be on the periphery. That name is Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado. Arenado has long been a superstar in the league, marked by his Gold Glove defense, power bat, and consistency. He ranks amongst the creme de la creme of the hot corner.
While Nolan Arenado, a native of Southern California who attended El Toro High School in Lake Forest, would seem to be a perfect fit for the Dodgers after missing out on new Angels third baseman Anthony Rendon in free agency. However, the Rockies would logically be opposed to dealing their franchise player within the division unless they were to receive some kind of godfather offer from the Dodgers which is not too likely considering the operating style of Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman.
In a recent column by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the likelihood of a trade that would send the All-Star third baseman to Los Angeles is explored:
A trade of Nolan Arenado no longer seems like a preposterous idea. Story: https://t.co/YlDteldjwV #Rockies
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 19, 2019
Although a trade appears to be likelier by the day, as Rosenthal mentions, the Dodgers appear an unlikely destination to land his services. This has become like clockwork for the Dodgers’ front office in their hesitancy to acquire stars for one reason or another.
According to Rosenthal, the Rangers are amongst the most prominent teams in discussions for Arenado with the potential of the Braves and Nationals being on the periphery. The Dodgers and Cardinals were also mentioned, but according to Rosenthal, Dodgers officials believe the Rockies are considered unlikely to trade him to Southern California.
Here is the excerpt from the column specifically relating to the Dodgers:
The Rangers are among the clubs talking to the Rockies about Arenado, according to major-league sources. The loser of the Donaldson’s tug-of-war between the Braves and Nationals would be another possibility. Both the Cardinals and Dodgers have a longstanding interest in Arenado, though Dodgers officials believe there is little chance the Rockies would trade him within the division.
The 28-year-old third baseman is still owed $234 million over the next seven seasons after signing an eight-year, $260 million extension with the Colorado Rockies. With the way the Dodgers stand financially in relation to the luxury tax threshold, they could fit Arenado into their plans rather easily — just like they would have made room for Anthony Rendon.
Arenado held a .315 batting average and .962 on-base plus slugging percentage in 2019 with 8 defensive runs saved. He should continue to play amongst the biggest names in baseball for at least the next few seasons — minimum.
