The St. Louis Cardinals are finalizing a trade to acquire star third baseman Nolan Arenado from the Colorado Rockies, a blockbuster that still needs various approvals but is expected to be completed in the coming days, sources confirmed to ESPN on Friday.
The complicated deal took months of on-and-off discussions and gained momentum in recent weeks when the Rockies committed to sending around $50 million to help cover a portion of the six years and $199 million remaining on Arenado's contract, sources said.
If finalized, the deal would include multiple adjustments to Arenado's contract, including an additional year guaranteed at $15 million, an additional opt-out clause and a reinstatement of the no-trade clause he must waive to consummate the trade.