Trade Talks Reach Fever Pitch: Dodgers and Cardinals Discuss Blockbuster Swap

The Los Angeles Dodgers have already made some moves this winter, but is the biggest blockbuster acquisition still in the works?

Blake Snell, Michael Conforto, and Blake Treinen have already joined the Dodgers in free agency, and LA hopes Roki Sasaki is on the way to join their rotation soon. But one should never get comfortable assuming the Dodgers don’t have more surprises in store.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado is known to be available via trade, and the Dodgers are his hometown team. However, Los Angeles has so far spurned any discussion of trading for Arenado, expressing confidence in Max Muncy at the hot corner.

But teams are always prone to say one thing publicly and do otherwise behind closed doors. Could Arenado still be on the table for Los Angeles this winter?

Thomas Gauvain of FanSided recently proposed a deal that would send Arenado to the Dodgers for right-handed pitcher Bobby Miller, who lost his spot in LA’s rotation after a rough 2024 season. The Cardinals would retain $20 million of future salary in the deal.

The Cardinals receive a legitimate starting pitcher, and all they have to forfeit is Arenado and some cash. Bobby Miller had a down year in 2024 with an 8.52 ERA in only 56 innings pitched, but his 2023 was exceptional,” Gauvain said.

“The Dodgers have already exceeded the luxury tax, so they’ll happily accept any cash in addition to Arenado… It’s possible the Cardinals will have to add either more money or a prospect of some kind to sweeten the deal.”

Arenado will be 34 in 2025, and judging by his numbers, he appears to be in decline. His .719 OPS was his lowest by far since his rookie year in 2013. However, his glove still plays, and there’s a solid chance his numbers could tick back up while playing for a better team.

In 2023, Miller had a 3.76 ERA in 124 1/3 innings pitched, striking out 119. He looked like a surefire piece of the Dodgers’ future rotation, but now, that rotation is full of present-day superstars, not to mention the fact that other youngsters like Emmett Sheehan and Landon Knack are still around.

Giving up Miller is a luxury the Dodgers can afford, but the real question is whether or not Arenado is a piece worth chasing. They don’t seem to be interested at the moment, but that could change during the course of the regular season if the third baseman isn’t moved in the meantime.