LA Dodgers to pay $84 million for two talented players in trade deal

The Los Angeles Dodgers are off to a fantastic start in the 2024 season behind the strength of their fearsome lineup. Any team in baseball would love to have the production power that Los Angeles has but, despite this, Jon Heyman of the New York Post writes that the team could still land a couple of big-name players – Nolan Arenado and Justin Verlander:

“Nolan Arenado: No one hates losing more, and the Cardinals are more than a year into their disastrous run, so he just might approve a trade. The Dodgers don’t really need him but that’s one team he might jump at.

Justin Verlander:He will have to pitch better than he did Tuesday night against the Yankees. Has full no trade, but the guess is he might accept L.A. or (close to hometown) Baltimore.”

With the Astros off to a terrible start, Verlander’s name has popped up in trade rumors recently. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale poured cold water on that idea however:

‘It’s time to stop the speculation that the Houston Astros would trade Cy Young winner Justin Verlander at the trade deadline if they are out of the race. Verlander has a complete no-trade clause and loves playing in Houston. He already utilized his no-trade clause to steer the Mets into trading him last summer to Houston instead of elsewhere. The Mets were in deep trade discussions last summer involving Verlander with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays, but Verlander informed the Mets that he wouldn’t approve a trade unless it was Houston.’

However valuable he may still be, Nolan Arenado does not fit the Cardinals’ current trajectory. St. Louis discussed an Arenado deal with the Dodgers last season before management decided to walk away from negotiations.