Apparently Nolan Arenado Would Love To Play For The Cubs

You often see players in the NBA demand trades and the next thing you know, bam, a trade happens. Hell, if you're Kawhi Leonard you can pick a player you want on your team and then get him traded right after you sign. You just don't see that kind of power from athletes in other professional sports. However, in MLB, the closest you can get to dictating where you want to play is if you have a full no-trade clause.

And that's why it matters that Nolan Arenado apparently would love to play for the Cubs. I'm sure the All-Star third baseman would love to play for any team that isn't the Rockies, but ESPN's Jeff Passan went on ESPN 1000 Wednesday morning and it sure does sound like this is a fact.

Via Bleacher Nation.

But what was particularly interesting was what came next from Passan, which he said multiple times and with the certainty of someone who has heard precisely this: Arenado would love to join the Chicago Cubs. Love it, Passan said. Love it.

Again, Arenado probably just wants to get the hell out of Colorado.

Along with Arenado's eight-year, $260 million contract extension, he received a full no-trade clause from the Rockies. Now, a year later, the trade rumors involving the third baseman are overwhelming. What initially started as speculation late in the 2019 season, has turned into a when not if situation regarding an Arenado trade.

But here's the thing, the Rockies are obviously trying to get the biggest return in a deal and they might find it, but if Arenado doesn't want to play for that team then the trade is dead.

So hey, if Passan is right, if the Cubs do end up working out a trade with the Rockies, then at least we know that Arenado wouldn't veto it. Of course, getting to a point where the Cubs actually find the right pieces to make a match with the Rockies is more complicated.

When Passan first reported that the Cubs were kicking the tires on a possible trade for Arenado in early January, he speculated that a package of Willson Contreras and a high-priced player for Arenado could be the start of something the Rockies might entertain.

Of course, Cubs fans, myself included, immediately thought of adding Jason Heyward to the trade with the Cubs eating some of his money in a trade with the Rockies. Oh by the way, Passan only brought up the scenario of the Cubs trading for Arenado with the intention of also dealing Kris Bryant away to a different team for a bunch of prospects.

However, when David Kaplan brought up the chance of Contreras and Heyward going to Colorado for Arenado earlier today on ESPN 1000, Passan quickly pooh-poohed the idea.

Although the Cubs keep being lumped into trade rumors with Arenado it just seems difficult to come up with a situation that would entice the Rockies. It's especially hard because we're under the assumption that the Cubs want to get below the luxury tax and they'd only be adding more money if they acquired Arenado without unloading other contracts. And I'm not even talking about Bryant because the only way he gets dealt is if the Cubs get Arenado in the first place. In this specific case anyway.

Or this could be a completely bonkers situation and the Cubs could consider trading Bryant for Arenado, which ESPN's Jesse Rogers said is a thing.

But we always go back to the whole luxury tax thing and this gets messy because it's obvious that the Cubs want to get under the threshold this season. Trading for Arenado complicates that more so than it already is. And I'm not saying it should be an issue for the Cubs. Obviously I'd love to get Arenado and keep Bryant, have both for at least the next two seasons.

But at the very least, if we believe Jeff Passan, Nolan Arenado would say yes to a trade with the Cubs.