The St. Louis Cardinals acquired third base Nolan Arenado in an exchange with the Colorado Rockies, sources confirmed to ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Friday.
The Rockies are getting multiple players in the business and will send more than $ 50 million to St. Louis, the sources said.
The news was first reported by The Athletic.
Arenado, 29, is scheduled to make $ 35 million in 2021 as part of a $ 260 million eight-year contract that he signed with the Rockies in 2019. The deal includes an opt-out clause after the 21 season. .
Five times All-Star, Arenado fought on the plate during the shortened season of 2020, hitting 0.253 with eight homers before losing the final nine games with a bruise on his left shoulder bone. He also won an eighth consecutive gold glove.
The low year came after he hit the best of his career, 0.315, with 41 homers and 118 RBIs in 2019.
In December, Rockies manager Bud Black played down rumors that Arenado and shortstop Trevor Story would be negotiated, saying, “My expectation is that they will be with us on the opening day.”
The Rockies have lost the playoffs in the past two seasons after going through the wild card round in 2017 and the National League Division Series in 2018.