Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported that the Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers are viable trade candidates for multiple time Gold Glove Third Baseman Nolan Arenado. The newest update to his no-trade Claus, leaves an open-mindedness to teams outside of the Boston Red Sox. Now that the possibility of a trade is now open, the question is does making a move like this make sense for Detroit?

The short answer is yes. The Tigers are still looking for an everyday 3rd basemen that can provide run production from the right side of the plate, and defend the position at a high level. If the negations with Bregman fall through, Arenado could be a serviceable second option. The downside being his age and noticeable decline in productivity.

Nolan Arenado has reportedly been more "open minded" to waiving his no-trade clause to more teams in the last 24 hours, per @jonmorosi.#MLBNHotStove pic.twitter.com/AibevANjLl

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 9, 2025

When you look at the bat to ball analytics. Arenado is a dead pull contact hitter, whose power has steadily declined in the last few years. Arenado rarely strikes out. His K rate and whiff rate hover around the 90 percentile and have done-so on a consistent basis throughout his career. Arenado’s profile fits the bill for the Tiger’s needs. He’s a right-handed power bat, that produces well with runners on base. Arenado hit .300 with runners on last year, with a .773 OPS. He is a veteran player, who can contribute immediately, which is essential for a team looking to advance deeper in the playoffs.

The result of the signing would displace Jace Jung as a everyday 3rd basemen. In limited time the highly touted prospect struggled at the plated, and defend his newly changed the position at the hot corner. The signing would give him another year to develop, and if he survives any future trades he could likely take over the reigns at second base next year once Gleyber Torres moves on.

Concerns

With all that Aronado brings to the table, he doesn’t come without a few areas of concern. As stated earlier, his power numbers have steadily declined as he has crossed the 30 year old threshold. With his dead pull approach, he would be hitting directly into the deepest parts of the ball park in Detroit. Busch Stadium isn’t the most hitter friendly park, and things don’t get any more favorable in Comerica. In addition, acquiring Arenado would come at the cost of a 3 year commitment totaling around $72 million. The bright side of this commitment being, once you factor in deferred money, Colorado’s agreed portion, and the amount St. Louis will likely contribute, that leaves a much smaller total what the Tigers would be on the hook for. The Cardinals were willing to contribute $20 million to make the trade to Houston happen. A trade, Arenado would ultimately exercise his no-trade clause to block.

In the end, if Arenado doesn’t sign off on the trade than, all of this speculation is null in void. This is an ongoing development that will continue to be monitored, stay tuned to FFSN for any breaking news. Here is a potential batting lineup involving Arenado.

CF Meadows

2B Torres

LF Greene

DH Carpenter

3B Arenado

1B Keith

RF Vierling/Perez

SS Baez/Sweemey

C Rogers