Offseason Rumors: Could a Nolan Arenado trade make sense for Phillies?
Keep track of all the latest offseason rumors pertaining to the Phillies on Phillies Nation.
Tuesday, Nov. 11: Could Nolan Arenado be a fit for Phillies?
Veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado was ultimately not traded by St. Louis last offseason. But if the Cardinals deal the eight-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glover this time around, could Philadelphia make sense as a landing spot?
Reporting from the general managers’ meetings in Las Vegas, Cardinals beat writer Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat wrote, “The Philadelphia Phillies seemed like the most logical destination for Arenado last winter, and that has seemingly only intensified after another year of playoff disappointment.”
The Phillies will have positions to upgrade, and third base could be one after Alec Bohm posted a .741 OPS in 2025. But at this point in his career, it’s not exactly clear that Arenado would be an improvement for Philadelphia. Once an MVP candidate, Arenado had just 12 home runs and a .666 OPS this past season. He was limited to 107 games. He’s still an excellent defender, but his offense appears to be on the decline.
Arenado is owed $31 million in cash over the next two seasons (with additional deferrals down the line), and he’ll turn 35 in April. Even if the Cardinals were to eat a portion of his salary and take back only a lottery-ticket prospect in return, Arenado would probably not provide enough to be a wise use of the Phillies’ resources. What the Phillies could potentially do, however, is try to flip another expensive player, such as Nick Castellanos or Taijuan Walker, for Arenado if they believe he’s a better fit. He’s under contract for a year longer than those two, but he’s owed less annually from this point forward. St. Louis could clear money faster, and Philadelphia could add an infielder and hope he returns to form.
Still, the Phillies could likely find better solutions for their lineup elsewhere, as Arenado’s days as an impact bat might be behind him.
Friday, Nov 7: Salisbury: Phillies have “seriously” discussed hiring Don Mattingly as bench coach
The Phillies are looking for a new bench coach after moving Mike Calitri to the newly-established major league field coordinator role. Former Marlins and Dodgers manager Don Mattingly left his role as Blue Jays bench coach after the World Series. Could he be a candidate for the same role in Philadelphia? Jim Salisbury discussed the possibility on the WIP Morning Show:
It’s been seriously discussed by the organization. You know, there might be a complication. His son (Preston) is the GM as we all know, but maybe that’s not a complication. But, you know, they are on record as saying they want to have a bench coach who has major league managerial experience. He’s managed two teams. He’s got history with Rob Thomson dating back to their time as staffers on the Yankees. He’s got history with Kevin Long. Obviously, his son is there. And he’s a good baseball man and, you know, on that coaching staff, there’s a real dearth of major league experience on the playing side. He would really bring some of that. So he might bring some different kind of voice in that clubhouse and a different level of respect. They have talked about it. Dave Dombrowski wants it, from what I’ve heard. That’s his kind of guy. And we’ll see where it goes. Obviously, Don Mattingly has left the door open to stay in baseball. He would like to manage, but I don’t think any of the managerial openings that are still around intrigue him. But coming here and trying to get a ring here with his son, I think it would be a hell of a story.