Astros cross off familiar name in search for deadline third baseman

There was a point this offseason where it seemed that Nolan Arenado was going to be the third baseman for the Houston Astros. The Astros were one of the few teams that had permission to speak with Arenado as the St. Louis Cardinals looked for him to waive his no-trade clause, and the conversation came after there was a trade agreement in place between the two teams. However, Arenado vetoed the deal, setting the stage for him to open the season with the Cardinals.

Of course, Arenado rejecting the trade turned out to be a blessing for the Astros, as Isaac Paredes, one of the players acquired in the Kyle Tucker trade, turned out to be an All-Star third baseman in Houston this season. With Paredes on the IL for the foreseeable future with a hamstring injury, the Astros may be in the market for a third baseman, but it doesn't sound like they have any interest in rekindling their trade talks for Arenado.

Third base woes rising but Astros still ignoring this offseason option

Bob Nightengale of USA Today confirmed that the Astros don't have an interest in Arenado with the trade deadline approaching on Thursday. Nightengale added a quote from Dana Brown, which certainly makes it seem like the Cardinals' third baseman had a miscalculation about what Houston would do this season.

“We tried to convince him that we’re not rebuilding, that the window is always open with our owner," GM Dana Brown said. “We planned to compete in 2025 and beyond. He misunderstood the plan."

The Astros are three games out from being the best team in the American League this season, while the Cardinals, despite being 2.5 games out of a Wild-Card spot in the National League, are desperately trying to find a taker for Arenado's contract before Thursday.

Arenado is an example for the Astros that sometimes, the best deal you make is the one you don't make. Arenado remains an excellent defender at third base, but his offensive regression would have only created more problems for an Astros' lineup that has been without Yordan Álvarez since early May.

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