Nolan Arenado embarrasses Cubs' biggest rival in series of Instagram posts

Days after setting Cardinals' Twitter ablaze after using Kendrick Lamar's 'Dodger Blue' on an Instagram story, St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado was at it again, this time sharing a fan's post that featured his interaction with the eight-time All-Star in which the fan called Arenado a 'future Dodger' in the caption.

Two Dodgers' references within 48 hours? The writing is on the wall, folks. Arenado, who has a full no-trade clause, seems to practically be begging for John Mozeliak and Chaim Bloom to trade him to Los Angeles - a move St. Louis would no-doubt be open to given their publicly-stated goals of trimming payroll and focusing on player development in years to come.

A Nolan Arenado trade is feeling likelier by the day in St. Louis

Arenado is owed $74 million over the course of the next three years, with $10 million of that picked up by his former team, the Colorado Rockies. That's not an insignificant sum for a player in his mid-30s whose offensive production has tailed off over the last two years. Defensively, he's still a solid presence at third base - but he's no longer the elite talent he was earlier in his career.

New reports suggest the chances of St. Louis trading him are now higher than the odds they keep him, but the fit with the Dodgers is shaky, at best. Los Angeles boasts multiple options capable of playing third, including Max Muncy, Miguel Vargas, Chris Taylor - you could even make the case that Tommy Edman could hold it down if need be.

I'd dig more into the payroll aspect but, as we know, the Dodgers seem to operate using Monopoly money these days. That won't be what kills a deal here. Of course, Los Angeles isn't the only prospective fit, as Arenado seems open to any trade that moves him to a team with a better chance of contending over the next few years.

Don't count on a trade between the Cubs and Cardinals, though. Chicago believes third baseman Issac Paredes' rocky second half after coming over at the trade deadline is an outlier and plans on the 25-year-old holding down the position during the 2025 campaign. Regardless, when things have felt less than optimistic in Wrigleyville, it's always fun to see things going sideways down in St. Louis.