The St. Louis Cardinals acquired third baseman Nolan Arenado in a trade with the Colorado Rockies, ESPN’s Jeff Passan confirmed.
The Rockies will get multiple players in the deal and will send more than $ 50 million to St. Louis, sources said.
The news was first reported by The Athletic.
Arenado, 29, will earn a $ 35 million salary in 2021 as part of a $ 260 million, eight-year contract he signed with the Rockies in 2019. The deal includes an opt-out clause after Season 21.
A five-time All-Star, Arenado struggled at the plate during the shortened 2020 season, hitting .253 with eight home runs before missing the last nine games with a bruise on his left shoulder. He also won an eighth consecutive Golden Glove.
The bad year came after hitting .315, the best of his career, with 41 homers and 118 RBI’s in 2019.
In December, Rockies manager Bud Black downplayed rumors that Arenado and shortstop Trevor Story would be traded, saying, “I expect them to be with us on Opening Day.”
The Rockies have missed the playoffs for the past two seasons after reaching the wildcard round in 2017 and the NLDS in 2018.