Elephant Rumblings: Should Forst build a house of Cards?

MLB news roundup

Happy Monday, Athletics Nation!

December is upon us. The A’s have been a bit busy this offseason, but they still have big holes to fill and a lot of work left to do, especially if they are really going to follow through on stated intentions to increase payroll.

A’s GM David Forst has admitted that the free agent market might be tough for the A’s, who plan to play at Triple-A Sutter Health Park Field for the next three seasons. The A’s can be expected to keep drawing potential refurbs from the scrap heap, but they also might be able to reel in some star power through a trade.

The St. Louis Cardinals appear poised for a roster reset, and a couple of intriguing possibilities involving their players were suggested over the weekend.

Jason Burke at SI.com believes that ten-time Gold Glove Award winner Nolan Arenado is the piece the A’s need. It’s true enough that the hot corner is a key need for the A’s, and Arenado would be a big upgrade. However, he has a full no-trade clause in his contract. There are rumors that both the Dodgers and Yankees are in pursuit of Arenado, who even made a cryptic post on Instagram that could be construed as an indication he’s headed to LA.

Burke concludes that “This is a trade that’s not necessarily likely to happen, but it would make a lot of sense for both sides to explore the possibility,” which is both true and seemingly an admission that the idea is essentially just a thought experiment.

AN’s own Nico has a more plausible Cardinals trade target in mind: starting pitcher Steven Matz. He’s more attainable and more affordable than Arenado, and might prove a better value if the A’s end up getting the 33-year-old lefty’s good side. Getting Matz does nothing to fill the hole at third base, but the A’s need more pitching, too. Be sure to check out Nico’s piece for deeper analysis on this potentially prudent roll of the dice.

Have a terrific week, AN.

A’s Coverage:

• Athletics 2024 Season in Review: Brent Rooker
• Trying To Read A’s Minds As Hot Stove (Presumably) Heats Up
• Latest On Athletics’ Las Vegas Ballpark Plans
• The Piece the A’s Need is with the St. Louis Cardinals
• A’s Daily Walkoff: The Franchise Saves Leaderboard
• A’s Daily Walkoff: Wally Moses, the underrated hits mahine

MLB News & Interest:

• Dodgers Sign Blake Snell To Five-Year Deal
• HOF slugger ‘recruiting Soto hard’ to sign with Red Sox (report)
• NL East Notes: Phillies, Harper, Finnegan, Alcantara
• Looking For A Match In A Cody Bellinger Trade
• What Should The Padres Do With Luis Arraez?
• Five Non-Tendered Pitchers To Keep An Eye On This Winter
• Five Non-Tendered Hitters To Keep An Eye On This Winter
• This year’s World Series teams eyeing the same star 3B?
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

Brodie: keep MLB hopes alive in Oakland.

Frankie to the Mets.