St. Louis Cardinals star third baseman Nolan Arenado invoked his no-trade clause to block a deal that would have sent him to the Houston Astros, sources told ESPN on Wednesday, confirming news that was first reported by MLB.com.
Despite the setback, the two teams were still negotiating a potential trade involving Arenado, though a deal was not imminent, according to MLB.com.
The Astros' attempt to land Arenado comes days after they traded outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs. Alex Bregman, the Astros' longtime third baseman, could leave in free agency.