Arenado Shocker! New York Mets Suddenly Set to Land Star Third Baseman

Just when the Nolan Arenado saga seemed to be coming to an end, a new report surfaced… and it involves the New York Mets, of all teams.

The St. Louis Cardinals have spent all offseason trying to offload the All-Star third baseman’s lucrative contract, but trade efforts have been unsuccessful. Arenado, who has a no-trade clause, listed the Houston Astros, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees as preferred destinations, although negotiations have fallen through with each party.

But according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Arenado had since added two teams to his list. One of those teams is the Mets, while the other is one of their hated division rivals.

Unsurprisingly, the Mets didn’t show any interest in trading for the 33-year-old despite his past accomplishments. Even though Arenado has expressed his desire to play for a contender, a criteria fit by New York, there are a myriad of reasons why this wouldn’t work out.

The most obvious reason is that the Mets already have Mark Vientos at third base. Admittedly, the 25-year-old doesn’t have the best defense at the hot corner ( -5 Fielding Run Value, -7 Outs Above Average), Vientos emerged as a legitimate cornerstone last season. In 111 games, he slashed .266/.322/.516 with 22 doubles, 27 home runs, 71 RBI, and a 133 wRC+; he was even better in the postseason, hitting .327/.362/.636 with five home runs and 14 RBI in just 13 games. Thanks to Vientos’s breakout campaign, New York has their third baseman of the future.

Another reason why Arenado doesn’t fit with the Mets is also the reason why the Cardinals have tried (and failed) to trade him: his contract. The third baseman is owed $52 million from 2025 to 2027, and carries a luxury tax hit of $25.55 million each year. The Mets, who already signed Juan Soto to a 15-year, $765 million deal and are paying Francisco Lindor $227 million over the next seven years, are understandably hesitant to pay another lucrative deal.

Even if New York were to consider taking on the rest of the contract, Arenado simply isn’t the player he used to be. Last season, the 33-year-old played in 152 games but only hit 16 home runs with a .394 slugging percentage, a far cry from a player with 341 career homers and a .515 lifetime slugging percentage. The surprising lack of power dragged his OPS down to .719 (as opposed to .857 for his career) and his wRC+ to 102, only two points above league average. Given how money Arenado is owed, that production isn’t worth it.

It is still worth mentioning how great Arenado has been in his career, being arguably the best fielding third baseman of his generation (10 Gold Gloves and six consecutive Platinum Gloves) along with a powerful bat. If the 12-year veteran bounces back in the first half of 2025, perhaps the Cardinals could find a trade suitor for him.

But with Vientos anchoring third and multiple expensive contracts already in place, the Mets were never going to be a good fit for Arenado, even if he showed interest in a trade to Queens.