Nolan Arenado had a strong preference for where he wanted to play.
After months of trade talks and a request to be traded by the St. Louis Cardinals, the future Hall of Fame third baseman landed with the Arizona Diamondbacks just a few weeks ago.
But the Diamondbacks and San Diego Padres weren't the only two teams targeting Arenado in a trade. According to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, the Athletics had a deal in place for the 34-year-old.
"The A’s would have absorbed more money than the Diamondbacks, who will pay Arenado $11 million of the $42 million he is owed the next two seasons, with his previous club, the St. Louis Cardinals, picking up the rest," Rosenthal wrote Tuesday. "But Arenado indicated he would not necessarily approve a trade to the A’s, a person familiar with his thinking said. He preferred the Diamondbacks or Padres."
The A's options at third base
Arenado would've given the A's much-needed veteran presence on a fairly young roster. Instead, the AL West club will evaluate its third base depth during spring training.
"With Arenado out of the picture, the A’s currently intend to use Max Muncy at third base, with Brett Harris and Darell Hernaiz also in the mix," Rosenthal added. "They possibly could pursue a free agent such as Eugenio Suárez or Yoan Moncada as well."
Suárez hit 49 home runs in 2025 and would be the main power threat in a lineup that finished seventh in MLB last season with 219 homers.
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