When the St. Louis Cardinals obtained Matthew Liberatore from the Tampa Bay Rays for Jose Martinez and Randy Arozarena, there was speculation the organization was putting themselves in a position to obtain Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies.
According to Jon Paul Morosi of MLB.com, there was something to that speculation as the St. Louis Cardinals and Colorado Rockies “have begun exchanging names in their discussions about a blockbuster trade involving superstar Nolan Arenado.”
At the moment, the Rockies appear interested in Liberatore as well other other Cardinals prospects including Dylan Carlson, Nolan Gorman, and Andrew Knizner. In addition to prospects, the Rockies are rumored to want Major League players as well, and Morosi’s report indicates the Rockies may have some interest in Matt Carpenter.
While it appears this potential trade is beyond just exploratory talks, there are some remaining stumbling blocks like Arenado’s opt out and no trade clause. With respect to the later, it is not expected for that to be an issue with Arenado wanting to play for a winner and his friendship with Cardinals first baseman Paul Goldschmidt.
